Hot water in Tanunda
From old stone cottages to new builds
A lot of Tanunda’s houses have stood for more than a century, and the hot water set-up often shows it: a tank squeezed into a lean-to laundry, long pipe runs through stone, and a far bathroom that takes an age to warm up. Craig fixes what’s there, or plans something that suits the house better.
No hot water right now? Ring 0499 319 297.
Old house, new hot water
Swapping a hot water system in an old cottage is rarely just unbolting one tank and bolting in another. These are the things Craig sorts out first.
Where the unit can go
The old spot was chosen for a different system. A gas unit has to sit a set distance from windows and doors, and a heat pump needs air around it, so the laundry corner doesn’t always work any more.
The wait at the tap
When the heater is at one end of the house and the bathroom at the other, you run off a lot of cold water before the hot arrives. Shortening that run is often worth more than a bigger tank.
The pipe feeding it
Old galvanised pipe rusts from the inside, and the flakes can foul valves on a brand-new unit. If the old galv is past it, it’s cheaper to replace that length during the same visit.
Safe temperature at the basin
A tempering valve keeps water at the bathroom taps to a safe temperature, which matters with small kids or older parents in the house.
Guesthouses, cafés and cellar doors
Short stays
Everyone showers before the tour- Plenty of Tanunda houses are let to visitors. Three couples showering in the same hour ask a lot of a tank sized for two people.
- Recovery time matters as much as size: how fast the system heats back up before the next guest.
- A continuous-flow gas unit or a bigger tank are the usual answers. Craig sizes it for how the place is really used.
Murray Street and the wineries
Kitchens that wash up all day- Cafés and cellar door kitchens lean on hot water from opening to close.
- When it fails on a trading day, Craig gets you going first, then talks through a proper fix.
- Planned replacements can be booked around your quieter days.
“He did a great job at installing our new hot water unit and the whole process was hassle free.”
Bethany, Rowland Flat and Vine Vale
Out among the vineyards, a lot of homes run on rainwater and bottled LPG. That changes the hot water picture in two ways.
First, the gas. If the hot water runs on LPG, it stops the moment a bottle empties, usually halfway through someone’s shower. Two bottles with an automatic changeover regulator fix most of that. Craig fits and tests the regulator and the gas line himself.
Second, the cold nights. Tanunda sits on the valley floor, and cold air settles in the low ground on still winter nights. If you’re weighing up a heat pump, put it where it gets the afternoon sun rather than in the lowest, frostiest corner of the block, and set it to run in the warmer part of the day.
Tanunda hot water questions
Why does it take so long for hot water to reach our bathroom?
Usually because the heater is a long way from the tap, so the cold water sitting in the pipe has to run out first. In older Tanunda houses the unit is often at the far end of the house in the laundry. Moving the unit closer, or adding a second one for a far bathroom, can fix it.
Can you move our hot water unit out of the old laundry?
Often, yes. Craig looks at where new pipe can run and, for gas, where the unit can sit a safe distance from windows and doors. He prices it before you decide.
Our gas hot water stops whenever the LPG bottle runs out. Can that be fixed?
Usually. With two bottles and an automatic changeover regulator, the supply swaps to the full bottle when one empties, so you have time to order a refill. Craig can fit and test it as a licensed gas fitter.
Do you do hot water for holiday rentals and B&Bs in Tanunda?
Yes. Tell Craig how many guests the place sleeps and when they tend to shower, and he will size the system for that, not just for the number of bedrooms.
Is a heat pump a good idea in Tanunda?
It can be, if you choose a model built for cold nights and put it in a spot that gets the daytime sun. Our heat pump page explains what to look for.
How far is Tanunda from your base?
About 20 to 25 minutes. Our base is in Williamstown SA 5351, around 21 km away through Lyndoch.
Hot water elsewhere in the valley
Hot water nearby
Same plumber, same number- Nuriootpa Homes and businesses just to the north.
- Angaston East, up against the range.
- Barossa-wide Every town we cover, with drive times.
- Gawler Down the road to the south-west.
Related pages
Read next- Plumber Tanunda Old galv, clay drains and bathrooms in Tanunda.
- Hot water repairs and installs Every system type, repair or replace.
- Heat pump hot water Placement and cold-night tips.
- Gas fitting LPG bottles, regulators and gas lines.
Old hot water in a Tanunda house?
Ring Craig on 0499 319 297, or email photos of the unit and where it sits to hello@piperplumbing.au.