Hot water cylinder repairs and replacement in Wellington
Certified plumbers for electric hot water cylinders, in low pressure and mains pressure
Get a quoteNo hot water? Leaking cylinder? PGM provides hot water cylinder repairs across Wellington, Lower Hutt and Upper Hutt. Give us a call and we'll have your hot water working again in no time.
Hot water cylinder repairs in Wellington
If you're noticing one of these things, then it's time for you to get your cylinder checked:
- Inconsistent or no hot water
- Strange noises
- Leaks around the valves
- Discoloured or rusty water
- Low water pressure
A leaking hot water cylinder does not always mean a new one. We will assess your setup and provide you with an honest recommendation for your situation. Sometimes all that needs replacing is the element, thermostat, pipework or one of the valves. PGM offers hot water cylinder repairs across Wellington, Lower Hutt and Upper Hutt.
Get a quoteHot water cylinder replacement in Wellington
Sometimes a repair won't do the job and you'll need a full hot water cylinder replacement. A hot water cylinder usually lasts between 10 and 15 years. If yours is inside that and the element or the thermostat has failed, a repair is normally the right call.
Once the tank itself is leaking, that changes. The tank is the part that failed, and there is nothing in it left to repair. The same goes for a cylinder past 15 years that has already had one repair: the next fault is rarely far behind it.
When we replace your hot water cylinder we make sure to check the pipework and valves feeding it and replace it where need be. Old pipework left on a new cylinder is usually the reason a replacement fails early, so we deal with it while the cylinder is out rather than leave you to find it later.
New hot water cylinder installation in Wellington
Whether it is a new build, a bathroom going in or a house that has outgrown the cylinder it came with, we size and install new hot water cylinders across Wellington and the Hutt Valley. Sizing is the part worth getting right: an undersized cylinder never recovers fast enough, and an oversized one spends the year heating water nobody uses.
We install electric hot water cylinders in low pressure and mains pressure. If you are weighing up the alternatives instead, there is a page for gas hot water in Wellington and one for hot water heat pumps, and we will give you a solution that best suits your situation.
- 1 to 2 people
- 135 to 180 litres
- 3 to 4 people
- 180 to 250 litres
- 5 or more
- 250 to 300 litres
A bath, a second bathroom or a high flow shower all push you up a size. Tell us how the house is actually used and we will size it with you rather than guess from the number of bedrooms.
What a hot water cylinder costs to replace in Wellington
These are our own job ranges, from cylinder replacements we have done. All figures are plus GST:
Low pressure cylinder, like for like
$1,600 to $2,000 +GST
Low pressure converted to mains pressure
$3,000 to $3,800 +GST
Mains pressure cylinder, like for like
$2,500 to $3,500 +GST
What moves the price on any cylinder job: access to the cupboard it lives in, the condition of the pipework feeding it, whether shower mixers have to change with the pressure, and compliance work like a new pressure relief valve or tempering valve. We tell you which of those apply to your house before we start, not once we are halfway in.
Get a quoteLow pressure or mains pressure hot water cylinder?
Low pressure
The older Wellington standard. A low pressure hot water cylinder is fed from a header tank in the ceiling, or off the mains through a pressure reducing valve, so the hot water arrives gently and the fittings are cheaper to replace. If your shower has separate hot and cold taps and the flow is soft, this is most likely what you have.
Mains pressure
Fed straight off the street main, so the hot comes out at the same pressure as the cold. Better showers, and it needs mixers rather than separate taps, plus a tempering valve to keep the delivered temperature safe.
Converting from low pressure to mains is the most common cylinder upgrade we do. If you are not sure which one you have, ring us on 021 607 658 and describe your shower. It takes about two minutes to work out over the phone.
Frequently asked questions
How much does it cost to replace a hot water cylinder in NZ?
It depends on the cylinder and on what has to change with it. Our own Wellington ranges are $1,600 to $2,000 plus GST for a like for like low pressure replacement, and $3,000 to $3,800 plus GST to convert from low pressure to mains pressure. Access to the cupboard and the state of the existing pipework are the main price movers.
How much does a plumber charge to replace a hot water cylinder?
A cylinder replacement is quoted as a whole job rather than charged by the hour, so you know the price before we start and the figure you are comparing between plumbers is the total. Our own ranges are published in the costs section above. What moves them is access, the state of the existing pipework, and whether the pressure is changing.
What are the most common hot water cylinder problems?
No hot water at all, which is usually the element or the thermostat. A leak, either from the tank or from the fittings around it. Rumbling while it heats, which is sediment sitting on the bottom of the tank. And hot water that runs out sooner than it used to, which is often one failed element in a two element cylinder.
Can I replace a hot water cylinder myself?
No. Hot water cylinder installation is regulated work in New Zealand and has to be done by a certified plumber, and a mains pressure cylinder has tempering valve compliance to meet on top of that. Doing it yourself puts your insurance at risk if anything goes wrong later. Ring us on 021 607 658 and we will price it.
How often should a hot water cylinder be replaced?
Most last between 10 and 15 years. The ones that fail early usually fail because the pressure relief valve was never checked. If yours is past 15 years and something has gone wrong, a replacement is normally better value than another repair on a tank that is near the end anyway.
What should I do if my hot water cylinder is leaking?
Turn the water off at the valve above the cylinder, or at the toby by your boundary, and switch it off at the mains if water is anywhere near wiring. Then ring us. A leaking hot water cylinder is not automatically a replacement: leaks from the valves or the fittings are often a straightforward repair.
What size hot water cylinder do I need for my family?
As a rough guide, 135 to 180 litres suits one or two people, 180 to 250 litres suits three or four, and 250 to 300 litres suits five or more. Baths, a second bathroom and a high flow shower all push you up a size. Tell us how the house is actually used and we will size it with you.
Cylinder leaking or gone cold?
Tell us what it is doing and we will come back with a straight answer and a price.
If gas or a heat pump is the better fit for your house, see gas hot water in Wellington for califonts and Rinnai Infinity, or hot water heat pumps for the electric alternative. For taps, toilets and pipework, see our plumbing services in Wellington page.