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First, is it a hot water cylinder repair or a replacement?
Experience has taught us that plenty of "dead" cylinders just need a new element or thermostat. That's a far smaller job, and if it's the right fix, it's the one we'll recommend.
Replacement becomes the practical answer when:
– The cylinder is leaking from the tank itself — especially around the base. A corroded tank can't be patched. Repairs at that point are money spent on borrowed time.
– It's past 12–15 years old and faults are becoming a pattern.
– You're still on low pressure and tired of weak showers.
We'll tell you plainly which side of the line your cylinder sits on. You'll know exactly what we've found, and what it costs, before any work begins.
Explained Honestly
Your Options
01
Like-for-like replacement
The fastest route back to hot water. New cylinder, existing location, existing pipework — most swaps are done within a day.
02
In many Auckland homes — especially older Remuera, Meadowbank and St Heliers houses — the cylinder is still low pressure. If you're replacing it anyway, it's the ideal moment to upgrade to proper shower pressure.
03
Endless hot water, no tank. We install and replace continuous flow units across East and Central Auckland.
04
The lowest running costs of any option — often the smart long-term choice for families.
THE MOST PRACTICAL SOLUTION
We'll recommend the most practical solution for your household, your home, and your budget — not the most expensive one.
What happens when you call
1. Tell us the cylinder's age, size, and what it's doing (a photo of the label helps).
2. We assess it properly — on many jobs, on the spot.
3. You get a clear recommendation and the full price. No work starts until you've approved it.
4. We replace the cylinder, test everything, and take the old unit away.
5. You're back in a hot shower — usually the same day the work happens.
Every installation meets the NZ Building Code, including the tempering valve that keeps tap water at safe temperatures and the seismic restraints that hold the cylinder secure.
It's done once, done properly, and documented.
Why act now rather than next month
East and Central Auckland's hot water people
Martin Plumbing is a Master Plumbers member business based in St Johns. Our team brings over 45 years of combined Auckland plumbing and gasfitting experience, and we replace cylinders across St Johns, Meadowbank, Remuera, Mission Bay, St Heliers, Glendowie, Glen Innes, Howick, Ellerslie, Parnell, Epsom and surrounds.
We know these homes — the low-pressure systems in the older streets, the tight cylinder cupboards, the upgrades that make sense and the ones that don't.
Why Choose Martin Plumbing For Hot Water
✓ Master Plumbers and Gasfitters
√ pDGB Registered
✓ Repair Or Replace — We'll Tell You Which
✓ Full Price Confirmed Before Any Work Begins
✓ Most Swaps Completed Within A Day
✓ NZ Building Code Compliant Installations
✓ Old Cylinder Taken Away
✓ East And Central Auckland Based Team
Common questions
A like-for-like electric replacement starts at $2,990 including GST, supplied and installed, with the old cylinder taken away. A mains pressure upgrade starts at $3,220, and heat pump systems from $7,130. The final cost depends on cylinder size, pressure type and where it sits in your home — we confirm the full price with you before any work begins, not after. Our call-out is $150 + GST, covering travel and the first 30 minutes on site.
A straightforward like-for-like swap is usually completed within a day. Upgrades involving relocation or a pressure change can take longer — we'll tell you upfront.
If the fault is an element, thermostat or valve and the tank is sound, repair is often the right call. If the tank itself is leaking or the cylinder is past 12–15 years old, replacement is the honest recommendation.
As a guide: 135–180 litres suits 1–2 people, 180 litres suits most 3–4 person households, and larger families need 250 litres or more — or continuous flow. We'll size it from how your household actually uses hot water.
If you're replacing the cylinder anyway, usually yes — it's the most cost-effective moment to do it, and the difference in the shower is immediate. We'll check your pipework can handle it first.
Most like-for-like replacements don't. Relocations or fuel changes sometimes do — we'll advise at quote stage.
Urgent. A leak from the tank means the cylinder is failing, and water damage compounds daily. Turn off the cold inlet and the hot water circuit, then call us.
Most electric cylinders last 12 to 15 years. Past that, faults tend to arrive closer together and repairs start becoming money spent on borrowed time.
For part of the day while the old cylinder comes out and the new one goes in. In most cases hot water is back the same day.
It depends on whether gas is already connected, where the unit would sit, and how much hot water your household uses. Replacing a cylinder is the natural moment to weigh it up, and we'll explain the trade-offs rather than push one option.
Yes. Removal and disposal of the old cylinder is included.