Storage Gas Hot Water System
Need a storage gas hot water system in Perth? Fast response, $0 call out fees, free quotes and guaranteed workmanship. Book your service today.
- $0 Call Out Fee
- Quick Response
- Free Quote
Gas Storage Hot Water Systems in Perth
A gas storage hot water system does pretty much what it sounds like. It heats water using gas and stores it in a tank, ready for when you turn on a hot tap. If you already have gas storage and it has been keeping up with the house without any problems, replacing it with another gas storage system can often be the simplest option.
Choosing the right replacement does not necessarily mean replacing it with the same size or going bigger. Depending on how your household uses hot water, the right replacement could actually be smaller. That is why we look at more than just the number of litres on the side of the tank.
How does a gas storage hot water system work?
The easiest way to think of a gas storage hot water system is like a giant kettle.
There is a gas burner underneath the tank that heats the water. Once the water reaches the set temperature, the burner switches off. As the water cools down or you use hot water, the burner comes back on and heats it again.
That means you have preheated hot water sitting there ready to use. The trade-off is that there is only so much stored hot water available. If you use it faster than the system can heat more, eventually you can run out and need to wait for it to heat back up. How quickly the system can heat more water is called its recovery rate.
Why does recovery rate matter?
Tank size is only part of the story. Two gas storage systems with a similar amount of stored water can perform differently if one can heat more water faster than the other. A faster recovery rate can help a system keep up with higher demand without simply installing a much bigger tank.
How do you choose the right size?
There is more to sizing a gas storage hot water system than simply counting how many people live in the house. We look at how many people are using the hot water, the number of bathrooms, whether you regularly use a bath, how your household tends to use hot water and whether your current system has been keeping up.
We also look ahead. If your household is growing, children are getting older, family regularly stays with you or there are fewer people living at home now, that can change what size makes sense. Sometimes the right replacement is bigger. Sometimes it is smaller. And sometimes, if you need a lot of hot water, increasing the tank size is not the best answer at all and it is worth looking at a different type of hot water system.
The number of people living in the home is a good starting point, but it does not tell us everything. Showers, baths, multiple bathrooms, long showers and several people using hot water around the same time can all change how much hot water you actually need.
It is not about putting in the biggest hot water system you can. It is about putting in the right one for the way your household actually uses hot water.
Pros of gas storage
- Hot water is already heated and ready to use. You are drawing from a tank of preheated water rather than waiting for the appliance to heat it from cold as you use it.
- It can handle good household demand when it is sized properly. Tank capacity and recovery rate work together, so the right unit can comfortably suit homes using hot water across multiple fixtures.
- Like-for-like replacement can be straightforward. If the existing gas storage setup has suited the home, replacing it with another suitable gas storage unit can avoid changing the whole hot water setup.
- You do not normally rely on household electricity to heat the water. With a traditional gas storage system, a household power outage does not normally stop the system heating water, provided the gas and water supplies are available and the unit itself is operating normally.
Request a quote today
Cons of gas storage
- You can run out of stored hot water. If demand is higher than the tank capacity and recovery rate can keep up with, you will need to wait for the system to heat more water.
- You are keeping a tank of water hot even when nobody is using it. Even with good insulation, some heat is lost, so the burner needs to fire from time to time to keep the stored water hot.
- The units are fairly bulky and can take up a bit more room, particularly down the side of a house or in tighter areas. There are also installation and clearance requirements that can limit where a gas storage system can go.
- Maintenance can be a little more involved as the system gets older. The tank, sacrificial anode where fitted, relief valves and tempering valve can all need consideration, and water quality can affect how these components age.
- It may not suit the way you use the property. If you travel regularly or the home sits empty for long periods, keeping a tank of water hot while nobody is there may be something worth considering.
Why is the water stored so hot?
Hot water in a storage system needs to be kept hot enough to help control bacteria such as Legionella. That means the water inside the tank is stored hotter than you would normally want coming out of a shower or bath.
The temperature supplied to your bathrooms is then limited to reduce the risk of scalding. This is commonly done with a tempering valve, which mixes cold water with the hot water before it reaches your bathroom fixtures.
What about the efficiency rating?
You will see different efficiency ratings between gas storage systems. A more efficient unit uses less gas to heat and maintain the stored water, so it is worth looking at more than just the number of litres in the tank. Tank insulation, heat loss and the overall design of the system all play a part.
We look at the whole system rather than choosing on one number alone: how much hot water you need, how quickly the unit can recover, how efficient it is, where it can be installed and what you want to spend.
Does water quality matter?
Yes. Water quality can affect hot water systems over time, particularly storage tanks and the components inside them. Mineral build-up and the condition of the sacrificial anode, where one is fitted, can affect how the system ages.
It does not automatically mean a storage system is the wrong choice, but it is one of the things we consider when comparing options and talking about maintenance.
Should you repair it or replace it?
Not every problem means the whole hot water system needs replacing. A minor fault on a system that is otherwise in good condition may be worth repairing.
As a storage system gets older, though, there comes a point where spending more money on repairs may not represent good value. We look at the age and condition of the unit, what has actually failed, what the repair is likely to cost and what else may be approaching the end of its life.
We will explain what we have found and talk through the sensible options. If replacement makes more sense, we will tell you why. If a repair is practical and you would prefer to repair it, we can talk through that as well.
When would we look at something other than gas storage?
If your current gas storage system has always kept up with the house and you are happy with it, another gas storage unit can make a lot of sense. But there are situations where we would at least compare another option before automatically replacing it like for like.
- You regularly run out of hot water or need very high hot water demand.
- You travel a lot or the property is empty for long periods.
- You want to move away from gas.
- You want to reduce your reliance on gas, use less energy or look at options that better suit your environmental priorities.
- You want something smaller or less visually bulky, or space is tight and a large storage tank is difficult to accommodate.
- Your existing gas, electrical, roof or property setup makes another type of system worth considering.
Changing system type is not automatically cheaper or better. Depending on what is already at the property, changing to continuous flow, electric, heat pump or solar can require other work. We would rather explain the genuine options than push you toward one type of hot water system.
Not sure what hot water system you have?
You are not alone. We get calls all the time from people with no hot water who have no idea what type of system is sitting outside or hidden away in the house.
A couple of simple questions usually narrow it down:
- Is it gas or electric?
- Is it a large tank sitting on the ground, or a smaller box mounted on a wall?
A large tank is usually some form of storage system. A small wall-mounted box is often continuous flow or instantaneous. A heat pump normally has a storage tank with a large fan or heat-pump section attached, while solar hot water usually has collectors on the roof.
If you are still not sure, send us a photo. We can normally work out pretty quickly what you have and what we need to ask next.
Meet Tim, our owner and principal plumber
Not sure which hot water system is right for you?
If you are looking at replacing your hot water system and you are not sure which way to go, give Houseworks a call.
We can come out, look at what you currently have and talk you through the options that make sense for your home.