These fail in the coldest fortnight of the year, because that's when they work hardest. It is not a coincidence and it is not bad luck.
No obligation. Takes 30 seconds.
Emergency Plumber Geelong connects Geelong and the Geelong and Bellarine region property owners with qualified, connects Geelong and Bellarine property owners with licensed local plumbers for hot water. Tell us what's happening and whether water is still running, and we'll match it to a licensed plumber covering your suburb. Firm price before work starts.
**Electric storage:** check the circuit breaker, and check whether it's on an off-peak tariff that simply hasn't reheated yet. **Gas:** check the pilot or ignition and that gas is on elsewhere in the house. **Any type:** check the isolating valve at the unit hasn't been knocked shut.
Those account for a fair share of no-hot-water calls and none of them cost anything to rule out.
Under about eight years old: usually repair. Elements, thermostats, thermocouples and pressure relief valves are all replaceable at $180 to $600.
Over about twelve, or if the tank itself is leaking, it's replacement. A leaking tank cannot be repaired — the cylinder has corroded through, and anyone offering to patch it is wasting your money.
In between, the honest answer depends on the specific fault, and a plumber should say which part has failed rather than just quoting a new unit.
Electric storage $1,200 to $2,200 and simplest to swap like-for-like. Gas storage broadly similar. Continuous-flow gas $1,800 to $3,000 and needs adequate gas supply. Heat pump $2,500 to $3,500 and cheapest to run, though it performs less well in genuinely cold weather — which in Geelong is worth factoring in rather than ignoring.
Rebates change regularly; ask what's current rather than assuming.
A leaking tank releasing water continuously is urgent. So is no hot water in a cold snap where there are elderly people, small children or someone unwell in the house.
No hot water in a mild week in a healthy household generally isn't, and business-hours rates will save you $150. Being straight about which one you have is worth money to you.
Geelong.
Where this job typically sits. Access is usually a bigger cost driver than size.
| Job | Indicative price | What moves it |
|---|---|---|
| Emergency call-out, business hours | $120 – $250 | Attending and diagnosing. Some credit it against the work; ask, because not all do. |
| After hours, weekend or public holiday | $180 – $400 | The call-out premium. Confirm it on the phone before anyone is dispatched. |
| Burst pipe — isolate and repair | $250 – $900 | Depends heavily on access. A pipe in a wall or under a slab costs multiples of one in a roof space. |
| Blocked drain — machine clear | $200 – $550 | Electric eel or high-pressure jet. Root-bound lines take longer. |
| CCTV drain camera inspection | $150 – $400 | Usually the sensible next step after a second blockage in the same line. |
| Blocked toilet | $150 – $400 | Cheaper if it's the pan, more if the blockage is out in the sewer line. |
| Hot water unit repair | $180 – $600 | Elements, thermostats, valves and thermocouples. Worth trying before replacement. |
| Hot water unit replacement | $1,200 – $3,500 | Electric storage at the lower end; continuous-flow gas and heat pump at the upper. |
| Leak detection, non-invasive | $250 – $600 | Acoustic and thermal tracing to find a leak without opening walls or slab. |
| Gas leak — make safe and repair | $250 – $800 | Gasfitting licence class. Never a job to defer or attempt. |
| Tap or mixer replacement | $150 – $400 | Per tap, plus the fitting. Often bundled if several are done at once. |
| Sewer or stormwater repair | from $900 | Excavation dependent. A camera inspection first tells you what you're actually buying. |
Prices are indicative only. What a job costs depends on the fault, how long it takes to find, whether parts are needed and whether it's after hours. You get a firm price before any work starts.
Something has gone wrong now — water running, gas smell, or sewage inside.
Water escaping and not stopping. The one where minutes genuinely count.
Slow, gurgling or backing up — and why the same drain keeps doing it.
A gas smell is a life-safety situation, not a plumbing inconvenience.
Rising, not flushing, or overflowing — and whether it's the pan or the sewer.
A bill that's climbed, a damp patch, or a meter that ticks with everything off.
Tell us the suburb and what's happening and we'll get it to the right person.
Call 0483 963 438