Before you call anyone, there are three or four things worth checking. One of them is free and fixes it surprisingly often.
No obligation. Takes 30 seconds.
Rapid Plumbing Ipswich connects Ipswich and the Ipswich region property owners with qualified, connects Ipswich property owners with licensed local plumbers for no hot water. Tell us your suburb and what is happening and we will pass it to a licensed plumber who covers your area. Firm price from them after they have seen it.
On an electric system, check the circuit breaker. Hot water usually runs on its own circuit, and a tripped breaker looks exactly like a dead system.
If you are on a controlled or off-peak tariff, the system only heats during set hours. A heavy usage day can genuinely empty it before the next heating window.
On an older gas storage unit, the pilot light can go out — a gust, a supply interruption, a failing thermocouple. Relighting instructions are usually printed on the unit.
If it will not stay lit, the thermocouple has likely failed. That is an inexpensive repair, not a new system.
No hot water at all, with no leak, most commonly means a failed element or thermostat. Lukewarm water that runs out quickly often means one of two elements has gone.
Both are repairs in the low hundreds. Neither requires replacing the system, and being told otherwise without the unit being opened is worth a second opinion.
Water pooling under the unit, rusty hot water, or a system old enough that the tank has simply corroded through. At that point it is a replacement — see what a hot water system costs before you agree to the first quote.
Ipswich.
Where this job typically sits. Access is usually a bigger cost driver than size.
| Job | Indicative price | What moves it |
|---|---|---|
| Standard call-out and first hour | $150 – $300 | Business hours. Most plumbers charge a call-out that includes some labour. |
| After hours or emergency call-out | $250 – $500 | Nights, weekends and public holidays carry a premium. Ask before you agree. |
| Clear a blocked drain (machine) | $250 – $600 | Depends on access and how far down the blockage sits. |
| Drain camera inspection | $250 – $450 | Often the difference between guessing and knowing. Sometimes bundled with a clear. |
| Replace a hot water system | $1,500 – $3,500 | Electric storage at the lower end. Gas and heat pump run higher, plus any compliance work. |
| Repair a hot water system | $200 – $700 | Elements, thermostats and valves are usually worth repairing. A rusted tank is not. |
| Burst pipe repair | $300 – $900 | Accessible pipework at the lower end. Under a slab is a different job entirely. |
| Pipe relining, per metre | $400 – $900 | More than a clear-out up front, less than excavation, and it lasts. |
| Replace a tap or mixer | $150 – $400 | Plus the tapware. A dripping tap is often just a washer. |
Prices here are indicative only. What a plumbing job costs depends on what is actually wrong, how accessible the pipework is, whether it is after hours, and what has to be replaced rather than repaired. You get a firm price from the plumber after they have seen it.
Water escaping, no water at all, or sewage backing up — the calls that cannot wait.
Read more →Machine clearing and camera inspection — and knowing which one you actually need.
Read more →Repair, replace, and the decision between them.
Read more →Gas appliance installation and leaks — licensed work, no exceptions.
Read more →Tell us your suburb and what is happening and we will get it to the right person.
Call 0485 010 530