Water Heater Installation & Repair in Canterbury

A leaking tank can fail suddenly and flood, and any leak near electrics is hazardous. Shut off the unit's power (or gas) and its cold-water feed valve, then call a professional. A dripping pressure-relief valve specifically signals over-pressure or over-temperature — don't cap it.

Yes: annual or biennial sediment flush, anode rod check every 2-3 years in hard-water areas, and TPR (pressure relief) valve testing. Tankless units need periodic descaling. Maintenance is the difference between an 8-year and a 15-year unit.

Rule of thumb for storage: 30-40L per person per day of heated storage for typical use — a family of four lands around 150-200L (40-50 gal). For tankless, size by simultaneous outlets and the temperature rise your groundwater requires; your installer should calculate, not guess.

Usually sediment buildup eating tank capacity, a failed lower heating element, or a broken dip tube mixing cold into the draw. All are diagnosable in one visit; sediment flushing and element swaps are routine repairs on a healthy tank.

Like-for-like tank swaps take 2-4 hours. Fuel-type changes, relocations, tankless conversions, or units needing new circuits/venting run half a day to a full day plus possible permit inspections.

Tankless gives endless hot water and saves space and standby losses, but costs more installed and may need electrical or gas-supply upgrades. Storage tanks are cheaper to buy and fix and handle simultaneous use predictably. Household size, fuel type, and usage pattern decide it.

An unrestrained 180L cylinder is ~200kg of water that tears free in a quake, ripping out pipes and flooding the house on top of the damage. Building Code guidance requires strapping to structure — a cheap line item your installer should include by default.