by Gary Mays | Apr 7, 2023 | Hot Water Temperature
Cold Weather Affects Your Hot Water Temperature Increasing Energy Consumption
Your hot water temperature in the shower increases as winter approaches and temperatures drop. Your hot water use increases proportionately to how cold the weather is. As a result, You will find yourself using hot water more frequently.
The surge in electricity and gas costs, driven by government policies on climate change, is adversely affecting household budgets. While conserving energy and reducing electric and gas utility bills is always a priority, being aware of the potential health risks associated with lowering your hot water temperature is essential.
Are you aware that the temperature of your hot water may significantly impact your health?
A recent article published by the Australian Building Codes Board (ABCB) highlights the dangers of reducing the temperature of the hot water in your home. The report confirms what plumbers are well aware of and that lowering the temperature can create the perfect breeding ground for harmful bacteria, such as Legionella, which can cause Legionnaires’ disease.
The Hidden Dangers of Legionella Bacteria
Lowering the temperature of your hot water system can create the perfect breeding ground for harmful bacteria, such as Legionella, which can cause Legionnaires’ disease—a severe form of pneumonia that can be life-threatening.
Legionella bacteria thrive in water temperatures between 20°C and 45°C, so setting your water temperature too low might inadvertently promote their growth.
Lowering the temperature of your hot water storage system can create the perfect breeding ground for harmful bacteria, such as Legionella, which can cause Legionnaires’ disease—a severe form of pneumonia that can be life-threatening.
Legionella bacteria thrive in temperatures between 20°C and 45°C, so setting your temperature too low might inadvertently promote their growth.
The Safe and Recommended Water Temperature
The Australian Building Codes Board (ABCB) recommends maintaining a hot water temperature of at least 60°C to prevent the growth of Legionella bacteria. This temperature effectively kills any bacteria present in the water.
Consider installing a tempering valve if you don’t already have one to avoid scalding risks. A tempering valve mixes cold water with hot water, reducing the temperature to a safe 50°C for household use. This ensures the safety and comfort of your family members, particularly young children and older adults who are more vulnerable to scalding.
Balancing Energy Efficiency and Safety
At Whywait Plumbing, your safety and well-being are our top priorities. So here are our three key recommendations to prevent Legionella growth in your hot water system:
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Maintain a water temperature between 60°C and 65°C. Keeping your hot water system within this range will prevent the growth of harmful bacteria while ensuring your water is safe to use.
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Schedule regular maintenance for your hot water system. This includes annual testing and certification of your tempering or thermostatic mixing valve, flushing the tank, and inspecting the temperature and pressure relief valve. Routine maintenance promotes optimal performance and reduces the risk of bacterial growth.
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Install a tempering valve if you don’t have one. A tempering valve mixes cold water with hot water, delivering water at a safe temperature (usually around 50°C) to your taps and fixtures. This prevents scalding while maintaining the necessary temperature within the hot water system to kill harmful bacteria.
We understand many homeowners want to save energy and reduce their electric and gas utility bills by lowering their water temperature. However, it’s crucial to strike a balance between energy efficiency and the safety of your household. By maintaining a temperature of at least 60°C, you can effectively prevent the growth of harmful bacteria while still conserving energy.
Leave It to the Professionals
If you’re uncertain about the appropriate temperature setting for your hot water system or believe there might be a problem with your tempering valve, refrain from attempting any adjustments yourself. Unlicensed individuals tampering with hot water thermostat settings or tempering valve settings is illegal and not a DIY task, regardless of what someone at Bunnings might suggest. In addition, interfering with plumbing, electrical, or gas systems can put you and your family at risk and potentially void your insurance policies.
Our experienced team at Whywait Plumbing is ready to help you with all your hot water system needs, from inspections to maintenance and repairs, ensuring that your system operates safely and efficiently.
Health Comes First: Understanding the Significance of Water Temperature
It’s essential to be aware of the risks associated with lowering the temperature settings in your hot water system. Maintaining a temperature of at least 60°C can prevent the growth of Legionella bacteria, protecting your family from potential health hazards.
Don’t hesitate to contact Whywait Plumbing for expert advice and assistance in keeping your home safe and comfortable this winter.
by Gary Mays | Aug 31, 2020 | Consumer Issues, Health Issues, Hot Water Temperature, Plumbing Legislation, Plumbing Maintenance, sacrificial anode, sacrificial anode replacement, Unlicensed plumber
The Sacrificial Anode Replacement Rip-Off
The great sacrificial anode replacement rip-off resurfaces every few years.
The routine invariably starts in the middle of the day with a knock on the door by a friendly “salesman”. After warm greetings, they state they are in your neighbourhood doing some work and that a neighbour had suggested they do the same “free check” on your hot water service.
This unsolicited pitch or a variation of it is the signature pitch of conmen who prey on unsuspecting homeowners, especially the elderly creating fear about their hot water tank. Commonly they display a great deal of empathy and concern and are only doing the “free check” of your hot water service as one of your neighbours had already had theirs repaired and were concerned for you.
The “free check” invariably concludes with you urgently needing a sacrificial anode replacement. If you have water stains on your hot water tank similar to the photo below then you have a leak in the tank.
What Is A Leaking Sacrificial Anode
As you can see below this tank needed replacement as it was leaking around the sacrificial anode. Installing a new sacrificial anode will achieve nothing.
A leaking hot water tank cannot be repaired.
Even if your hot water tank is not leaking the friendly salesman will assure you it is about to start leaking if you don’t replace the sacrificial anode now.
To back it up he will have information from the manufacturers about replacing the sacrificial anode backed up by horror photos.
Does A Sacrificial Anode Need Replacing?
Yes, your sacrificial anode on your hot water service should be checked at least every 5 years.
But if it has never been checked or replaced and your hot water service is over 10 years old you are wasting your time replacing it as the damage has already been done to your steel storage tank.
The photo above illustrates perfectly a brand new sacrificial anode at the top of the photo. The sacrificial anode in the bottom of the photo was removed after nine years inside a hot water tank.
Basically your hot water tank is prevented from rusting away by the sacrificial anode. The anode corrodes instead of the steel tank which is the cathode. This principle of electrolytic corrosion control is described as cathodic protection. Hence the term sacrificial anode. As a cathodic surface cannot rust, the steel hot water tank is protected as long as the anode is whole and working.
These days the majority of hot water tanks last around 12 to 15 years. The sacrificial anode prolongs the life of your hot water tank. But once the anode becomes ineffective the steel tank is no longer a cathode and begins to rust from the inside. Once the rusting process begins, it takes about 3 to 5 years for it to eat away through the steel tank wall.
Who Can Replace A Sacrificial Anode?
As with any plumbing fixture, only a licenced plumber working for a QBCC licensed plumbing contractor can replace a sacrificial anode.
Take it from me knocking on your door and cold-calling is not a professional or viable way to market or operate a plumbing business.
In all likelihood, the person knocking on your door is not a licensed plumber or a licensed plumbing contractor. Simply ask them to produce their licenses. In our experience, they are not a plumber but ordinary old con artists who have no experience or knowledge in servicing a hot water service.
by Gary Mays | Jun 29, 2020 | City of Gold Coast, Consumer Issues, Emergency Plumber, Gold Coast Plumbing, Hot Water, Hot Water Heat Pump, Hot Water Legionella, Hot Water Solar, Hot Water Temperature, licensed plumber, Plumbers Gold Coast, Plumbing Emergencies, Plumbing Maintenance, QBCC, Queensland Government, solar hot water
Why do I not have hot water?
May, June and July are the coldest months on the Gold Coast, and no-one wants to start the day with a cold shower in winter. Unluckily for some clients of Whywait Plumbing who are not Service Partners it is in these months they go to the shower and question why do I not have hot water?
Unfortunately, hot water systems are a case of out of sight out of mind. Continually where hot water systems are concerned, there were warning signs that there was a problem. Over the summer months, hot water problems are overlooked as the demand for higher temperature; hot water is not a critical consideration.
Several warning bulletins in Queensland have been issued by the QBCC and Queensland Health advising homeowners that their hot water systems need to be maintained and serviced frequently.
AS/NZS 3500.4:2018 Heated Water Services
The Australian standard that all hot water installation is based around is AS/NZS 3500.4:2018 Heated water services that are an integral part of the National Construction Code of Australia issued by the Australian Building Codes Board and it is all legal requirements in Queensland.
In AS/NZS 3500.4:2018 there is Appendix M which provides guidelines for the operation and maintenance of your hot water system which is below:
M1 SCOPE
This Appendix provides guidelines for the operation and maintenance of a heated water system.
M2 GENERAL
In order to ensure maximum performance and length of operation, water heaters should be inspected periodically.
M3 MAINTENANCE OF HEATED WATER SERVICES
Heated water services should be maintained in accordance with the following:
(a) Water treatment units: Where installed, water treatment units should be inspected periodically to ensure proper operation.
(b) Water vessels and tanks: All vessels and tanks should be inspected and cleaned periodically, and in accordance with any requirements of the regulatory authority.
NOTE: The frequency of periodic cleaning depends upon the quality of the supply water, design, materials of construction and the pipe system. Combinations of materials giving rise to corrosion should be avoided.
(c) Valves: The following valves should be inspected periodically to ensure proper operation:
(i) Temperature/pressure-relief valves.
(ii) Expansion control valves.
(iii) Thermostatic mixing valves.
(iv) Tempering valves.
(v) Other associated valves/devices.
(d) The requirements of AS/NZS 3666.2, where applicable.
Common reasons for why do I not have hot water
Below are listed the most common reasons we attend to clients jobs who call up to as why do I not have hot water? Listed are elementary troubleshooting ideas that you can undertake yourself to resolve or understand why your hot water is cold:
- blown fuse or circuit breaker – replace the fuse or reset the circuit breaker and if it blows again it’s probable there is a fault with your element or thermostat, and you need to call Whywait out to repair
- Energex relay switch failure – this is not the easiest to detect but if you are on off-peak rates and there are no obvious electrical faults or water leaks then its worth a phone call to your energy supplier to check whether the relay switch has failed to activate in your area
- defective relief valve – most relief valves on the side of the HWS only have a life span of around 3-5 years. Still, they can jam open so first check if you see water running from it by pulling the lever up and then easing back down again. If water continues to run then you need to call Whywait out to service the unit
- no water at all – this is when you wake up turn the tap on and cold water flows, but there is no flow from the hot water. Frequently this a failure of the non-return or isolating valve and a quick way to check is to turn the handle on the valve all the way off and then all the way back on. In many cases, the hot water will simply begin to flow again. However, if there is still no flow you need to call Whywait out for repairs
- water fluctuation from hot to cold – there are several reasons for this occurring, but the most common is a faulty tempering valve. There is nothing you can do to solve fluctuation other than call Whywait and read our information on tempering valves
- water leaking from hot water tank – there is only a maximum of 7 possible points on an HWS tank where there are joints that can possibly leak. Only 2 of those are concealed in the housing so if the water is leaking from the tank and its not from the visible water connections you need to call Whywait for service to check the HWS. In all likelihood, if the hot water tank is more than ten years old then its a 50/50 chance you need a new one installed
DIY warning
The above reasons are the most common problems you will experience with why do I not have hot water. As you can see above, there are only a few simple DIY solutions when you have no hot water.
A word of warning though. Please never open up the housing near the bottom of the tank where the electrical connections are as they are all live wires inside there and therefore very, very dangerous.
Whether you have a solar, heat pump, gas or electric hot water system they do need periodic maintenance so for all hot water problems call Whywait Plumbing now on (07) 5580 4311 as we guarantee a same-day rapid response for hot water problems.
by Gary Mays | Jun 8, 2018 | Consumer Issues, Gold Coast Plumbing, Hot Water, Hot Water Heat Pump, Hot Water Solar, Hot Water Temperature, Plumbers Gold Coast, Plumbing Maintenance, Sanden “Eco®” Plus Heat Pump hot water system, solar hot water
Replacing Your Hot Water Service – How Will You Know What’s Right For You?
When replacing your hot water service the most common question asked is what will it cost?
Whilst price is always an important consideration, at Whywait Plumbing believe that there are other equally important factors. This article will help you make an informed decision.
Should The Price of the Replacement Hot Water Service Be The First Consideration?
Besides renovating your home, replacing your hot water service is a major cost. It is often an expense that occurs with very little warning.
Unfortunately, unless you like cold showers, this gives you little time to carefully review available replacement options.
Hot water systems are not all created equal and the choice you make today will be one that lasts for the next ten to fifteen years. With ever-increasing energy costs impacting household budgets, having an efficient and well maintained hot water service has never been more important. A cheap hot water service may cost you a great deal more in ongoing expenses.
With So Many Hot Water Systems On the Market How Do You Know Which One To Choose?
With modern technological advances and the push for energy-efficient heating solutions, it’s no longer a matter of just replacing your hot water system with like for like. So how do you know which hot water service to buy?
Hot water services are available in electric, gas, solar and heat pump models, and all come in a huge range of sizes. Purchasing the right hot water service for your needs is something you should seek advice about from a qualified hot water specialist. With a little help from Whywait’s Hot Water Specialists you will be able to select the system that best suits your situation.
Hot Water Service FAQ’s
Before making any decisions about a hot water service replacement you will need to think about:
- What size is your current hot water service and have you ever run out of hot water with your current hot water system?
- Does your current hot water service operate on an off-peak electricity tariff?
- Are your hot water needs likely to increase, decrease or stay the same over the next five years?
- Do you intend to remain in your current property for at least the next five years?
- What is more important to you the initial up-front installation cost or the ongoing running costs?
- Is the quality of the product and length of warranty a consideration when comparing hot water services?
Once you have answered the above points it will be time to consider the available options.
by Gary Mays | May 29, 2018 | emergency plumber Gold Coast, Hot Water, Hot Water Solar, Hot Water Temperature
Is no hot water a real plumbing emergency?
If you are reading this blog because you have no hot water and wondering if having no hot water is a plumbing emergency, read on.
Generally speaking, if you have time to research a problem on Google, it’s probably not a plumbing emergency. Although technically speaking, having no hot water isn’t exactly a plumbing emergency as the house is not being flooded and no lives are in danger, but still…
Even though no hot water usually isn’t an emergency in a technical sense, at Whywait Plumbing, we made the decision many years ago that we don’t consider hot water to be a luxury, so, for this reason, we offer a same-day guarantee for a situation where your household is without hot water.
So why have you no hot water?
In our 41 years of experience at Whywait Plumbing, we have found the most common causes of having no hot water are:
· Faulty element or thermostat (possibly both)
· The relief valve is constantly leaking
· Faulty tempering valve
· The Off-Peak relay switch failed to activate
· Insufficient sunlight to heat solar hot water
· Demand exceeds the capacity
· Leaking hot water service
No Hot Water Troubleshooting Checklist
Follow the DIY checklist below before calling for help, starting with
Locate your hot water service and check the following:
- Check for any leaks in the tank, especially around the electrical box. (Do not remove the cover, as doing this will expose live wires)
- If the relief valve is leaking, activate the lever until the water runs out in a continuous flow, then return the lever to the original position and see if the leak stops.
- A faulty tempering valve usually results in tepid water rather than no hot water. You can test this by activating the relief valve and checking if the water in the tank is more desirable than the water delivered at the taps.
- If your hot water service is connected to off-peak electricity, check with your energy supplier to see if there have been any problems, in your suburb, with transmitting to the relay switch at your home.
- For solar hot water, check for foliage blocking sunlight to panels, that panels are clean and if cloudy or wet, that the booster switch is on.
Locate the meter board and check the following:
- Check the hot water switch is in the on position.
- Check for a tripped circuit breaker or a blown a fuse.
Emergency or not, having hot water that is not hot enough or no hot water can be unpleasant and inconvenient. However, you will be happy to know in most instances, it is a simple fix.
Whywait Plumbing recommends that all adults residing in a household should, at a bare minimum know the following:
- Where the main water isolation valve for the property is located.
- How to turn off the water at the water meter (usually found in a turf box on the property boundary).
- How to turn off the water at the hot water service.
- How to isolate the power to the house at the meter board.
Should an emergency arise where any of the above is required having, this prior knowledge will allow the situation to be handled quickly and calmly, allowing you to make the situation safe and minimise damage to the property.
by Gary Mays | May 5, 2018 | Consumer Issues, Emergency Plumber, Gold Coast Plumbing, Health Issues, Hot Water, Hot Water Heat Pump, Hot Water Solar, Hot Water Temperature, Hot water tempering valve, Plumbers Gold Coast, Plumbing Emergencies, solar hot water
A common question we get asked this time of year concerning hot water repairs is “Why is my hot water not hot enough?”
We find our clients tend to notice this problem predominately when showering and in most instances, the temperature of the water hasn’t suddenly changed. It’s more than when the weather is fresher, and we tend to increase the ratio of hot to cold water, and therefore, any fault that affects the hot water becomes more apparent.
Hot Water Not Hot Enough, Common Causes
When customers ask “why is my hot water not hot enough” we always provide as much information as possible.
In our 42 years of plumbing experience and as hot water specialists, we have found the most common causes of this problem are:
Let’s take a closer look at each of these possible problems.
Malfunctioning tempering valve
Tempering valves are designed to blend hot and cold water to deliver water at a constant temperature that does not exceed 50’C. If water entering the tempering valve contains small amounts of sand or other debris, this can become lodged in the filters of the tempering valve and affect the operation of the valve resulting in lukewarm rather than hot water. Read more about tempering valves.
Faulty hot water service
If your hot water service is older (usually 10-15 years) or you have overlooked regular maintenance, it could result in a problem with the heating system.
A hot water system fails most commonly at these points:
The element is the mechanism within the hot water service that heats the water with the thermostat being responsible for switching the element on and off. Any problem with either of these parts can result in disruption to your hot water.
The relief valve is responsible for releasing built-up pressure as the water heats. If this valve is continuously leaking, then you will lose hot water which in turn is replaced with cold water that cools the hot water stored in the tank.
Hot water demand exceeds the capacity
Typically if a tanks capacity is over 125L, then you would connect to one of the off-peak tariffs, which means that electricity used by the hot water system will be charged at a lower rate. While this makes for a cost-effective solution, it does come with some limitations as you do not have an unlimited supply and if for any reason your demand for hot water increases there is always the possibility that you could run out of hot water.
If you are finding the hot water in your household is consistently not hot enough, and repairs are not required, then seriously consider a more substantial capacity, new hot water system.
Help Is On Hand
Here at Whywait Plumbing, we don’t consider hot water a luxury, it is a necessity. So if you are experiencing a cold shower and asking yourself why is my hot water not hot enough, call us now for Same Day Service.
