Changing from gas or an electric tank to a heat pump takes more than a new tank. Gas units leave no circuit to reuse, and old electric tanks often run on overnight off-peak. We check the switchboard first, plan the changeover and set the new unit up to run when it works best.
When to get it checked
Water around the base
A damp patch, rust streaks or a pool under the tank usually means the cylinder itself is leaking, and a leaking cylinder can't be repaired.
Showers going lukewarm sooner
A tank that runs out sooner or recovers more slowly may have a failing element, burner or thermostat, or be too small for the household now.
An ageing gas unit
From 1 March 2027, a gas hot water unit in an existing home that fails and can't be repaired must be replaced with an electric one. Replacing it before it fails avoids a rushed decision.
An older heat pump that keeps faulting
An earlier heat pump that has become noisy, slow to recover or keeps throwing error codes may be due for replacement.
A repair quoted on an old tank
A new element or valve on a cylinder near the end of its life can mean paying for a repair just before the tank goes.
Why it happens
4 common causes
The anode is used up
Storage tanks rely on a sacrificial anode that slowly wears away. Once it's gone, the steel cylinder starts to corrode from the inside.
Sediment and scale
Minerals settle at the bottom of the tank, cutting its capacity and making elements and burners work harder.
Worn parts
Elements, thermostats, gas burners and valves wear out after years of heating cycles.
Weather and placement
Outdoor tanks sit in sun and rain for years, and units close to the bay also face salt air.
What the job covers
What we usually do on this job. Your quote confirms it for your place.
- Old unit, circuit and switchboard assessed
- Tank sized to your household
- Spot chosen for airflow, drainage and noise
- Old unit drained and removed
- Gas capped by a licensed gasfitter where needed
- New or modified circuit with safety switch protection
- Isolator fitted beside the unit
- Timer set for your solar or tariff
- Certificate of Electrical Safety issued
Your options, explained
Gas to heat pump
Medium disruption- Best for
- Gas storage or continuous-flow units at the end of their life
- How it works
- The gas is capped by a licensed gasfitter, any flue removed, and a new circuit run from the switchboard to the heat pump.
- Worth knowing
- The biggest electrical job of the options, because there's usually no hot water circuit to reuse.
Electric tank to heat pump
Low disruption- Best for
- Element tanks, especially ones driving up the bill
- How it works
- The old tank comes out and the existing circuit is reused or modified to suit the heat pump and its timer.
- Worth knowing
- An overnight off-peak circuit may need changing so the heat pump can run during the day.
Old heat pump to new heat pump
Low disruption- Best for
- An earlier heat pump that has failed or keeps faulting
- How it works
- A swap on the existing circuit, with the refrigerant recovered from the old unit before it goes.
- Worth knowing
- The circuit, isolator and safety switch are checked against the new unit's specifications.
Like-for-like electric tank
Low disruption- Best for
- Homes where a heat pump won't fit or suit
- How it works
- A new element tank goes on the existing circuit.
- Worth knowing
- Simple, but it uses far more electricity. See our electric hot water replacement page.
The people behind the work
Our own photos from jobs like this one. Based in Altona Meadows, with 19 years in the industry.
Licensed electrical contractor (REC 38187)See more team photos
Worth knowing before you book
- Gas needs a new circuit
- There's usually no existing hot water circuit to reuse.
- Off-peak may change
- Heat pumps work best in the warmer part of the day.
- Check the board early
- A full or old switchboard can change the plan.
What affects the price?
The right scope depends on your installation. These are the details we check so your quote is useful, with any additional work explained before it proceeds.
What's being replaced
Gas units need capping, sometimes flue removal and usually a new circuit. Electric and heat pump swaps can often reuse the circuit.
Location
The same spot keeps runs short. A move for airflow or noise adds plumbing, a base and cable.
Switchboard space
A new circuit needs a free position and safety switch protection. A full or old board may need work first.
Unit type and size
Integrated or split, and the tank size your household needs.
Removal and making good
Taking the old unit away, removing a flue, and patching where a gas unit was mounted.
How it runs
- 1
Send photos
The old unit, its label and your switchboard.
- 2
Plan and quote
Unit, spot and circuit, priced up front.
- 3
Change over
Old unit out, new unit in and wired.
- 4
Set and certify
Timer set, system run, certificate issued.
Step by step, in more detail
5 steps
Look at the old setup
We identify the old unit, how it's powered or gas-fed, where the water connects and what's on the switchboard.
Plan the new unit
Tank size from your household, a spot with airflow and a drain away from bedroom windows, and a circuit route back to the board.
Quote the whole changeover
One price that names who caps the gas, who connects the water and what electrical work is included.
Change over
The old unit is drained and removed, a licensed gasfitter caps any gas and a licensed plumber connects the water. Our electricians run or modify the circuit and fit the isolator.
Commission
We fill and run the system, test the circuit and safety switch, set the timer and issue your Certificate of Electrical Safety.
What is safe to do, and what to leave to us
Safe for you to do
- If the old tank is leaking, turn off the water supply to it if the valve is easy to reach, and keep clear of electrical parts.
- If water is near an electric tank's wiring, switch its circuit off at the switchboard if it's safe to reach.
- If you smell gas near a gas unit, don't use switches or flames nearby, open doors and windows, and contact a licensed gasfitter.
Leave these to us
- Disconnecting a gas water heater or capping the gas yourself. Unlicensed gasfitting is illegal and potentially fatal.
- Rewiring the old circuit or isolator to suit a new unit. Electrical work isn't a DIY job, even small ones.
- Breaking into an old heat pump's refrigerant circuit. Only licensed technicians can handle refrigerants.
When to get us in
- Water is leaking from the cylinder or pooling under the tank
- Your gas hot water is ageing and you'd like to switch before it fails
- An electric tank is costing too much to run
- An older heat pump keeps faulting
- A rental hot water system has failed and can't be repaired
More detail
Replacing gas means a new circuit
A gas water heater has no electrical circuit, or only a small supply for its controls, so swapping it for a heat pump usually means a new dedicated circuit from the switchboard, safety switch protection and an isolator at the unit. Energy Safe Victoria's guidance on the Wiring Rules says the hot water circuit needs RCD protection like every other final sub-circuit.
That makes the switchboard the first thing to check. If there's no free position, or it's an old fuse board, it may need work before the heat pump can go in. A replaced main switchboard can't be switched back on until a licensed electrical inspector has checked it.
Replacing an electric tank: the off-peak question
Many electric tanks run on a controlled off-peak circuit that only switches on overnight. A heat pump does its best work in the warmer part of the day, so leaving it on an overnight-only supply can mean slower heating and more time on the backup element.
We check how the old circuit is switched and set the new unit's timer to suit your solar, tariff and routine. When an existing circuit is altered, Energy Safe Victoria notes the Wiring Rules require additional RCD protection.
Plan it, or do it in a hurry
Plenty of hot water replacements are done in a rush after the old unit fails, which leaves little time to choose a unit, a spot or a better circuit. If your tank is showing its age, planning the change gives you time to compare units, check the switchboard and pick a quiet spot.
Our team works Monday to Saturday, 7am to 5:30pm. If your hot water has already failed, send photos of the unit, its label and your switchboard, and we'll book the changeover in as soon as we can.
What happens to the old unit
Electric and gas tanks are drained and removed. An old heat pump also holds refrigerant in a sealed circuit, and releasing regulated refrigerants into the air is illegal, so it's recovered before the unit leaves site.
Local rules and conditions
Victorian requirements and local conditions that shape this job, with the sources listed at the foot of the page.
When gas hot water fails after 1 March 2027
Victoria's new rules say a gas hot water system in an existing home must be replaced with an electric alternative when it breaks and can't be repaired. The regulations allow exemptions, including where switching would mean altering a main switchboard or distribution board, so the board is one of the first things we look at.
Rental hot water replacements
From 1 March 2027, when a rental hot water system permanently fails and can't be repaired, the rental provider must replace it with an energy-efficient electric system, not another gas one. A failed hot water service is an urgent repair, and the rental provider pays unless the renter caused the problem.
Every street is different
Housing in Hobsons Bay runs from historic Williamstown and Newport to newer Altona Meadows and Seabrook, and Altona's post-war character areas are known for generous side setbacks. The best spot for a heat pump changes from house to house, so we look before we quote.
Useful reading
Guides to read before you decide, with checklists and questions to bring to the quote.
- Going all-electric in a Melbourne homeHot water, heating and cooking don't have to go electric at once. How to stage the move off gas, check the switchboard once and time each step.
- Planning a switchboard upgrade without surprisesWhat the electrician needs to check, how to compare the scope and what to organise before the power goes off.
- Renting and the power or heating has failed: what to doNo power or a dead heater in a Victorian rental? What to check safely, what counts as urgent, how to report it, and what to do if nobody responds.
- Certificates of Electrical Safety explainedWhat a Victorian COES records, how prescribed and non-prescribed work differ, when your copy should arrive and why it belongs in your house file.
Common questions
Questions people ask about this
- Can a rental's failed gas hot water be replaced with gas after March 2027?No.
- Should my heat pump hot water run during the day or overnight?If you can choose, run it during the day.
- Why does my hot water smell like rotten eggs?A rotten egg smell that comes only from the hot tap usually starts inside the storage tank.
From the blog
- All-in-one or split heat pump hot water: which suits your home?An all-in-one heat pump is simpler to install and service. A split moves the noisy part away from bedrooms and tight side paths. Placement usually decides it.
- Planning ahead for a rental hot water failure after March 2027After 1 March 2027, a failed gas unit in a rental can't be replaced with gas. Check the switchboard, the spot and the tank size now, so a breakdown is a quick swap.
- Heat pump or electric storage hot water: which suits your household?A heat pump wins for most households with an outdoor spot where it can breathe. An electric tank still makes sense in a few situations. Here is how to tell.
Sources for the rules and local facts on this page
15 sources, with the date each was checked
- 1.Department of Transport and Planning (Victoria): Victoria’s new Building and Plumbing Amendment Regulations 2025 have been finalised, advancing Victoria’s shift toward all-electric buildings. From 1 January 2027, all new homes and most new commercial buildings will be… Accessed 30 September 2026.
- 2.Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action (Victoria): From 1 March 2027, if a gas hot water appliance breaks and cannot be repaired, it must be replaced with an electric alternative. No requirement to upgrade gas space heating or stovetop gas cooking to electric, however… Accessed 30 September 2026.
- 3.Chief Parliamentary Counsel Victoria (Victorian Legislation): (3) Subregulations (1) and (2) do not apply to a person if— (a) there is insufficient space available in the building or no suitable outdoor space associated with the building to install or replace the reticulated gas… Accessed 30 September 2026.
- 4.Consumer Affairs Victoria: From 1 March 2027, when an existing hot water system permanently fails and can't be repaired, rental providers must replace it with an energy-efficient electric hot water system. Accessed 30 September 2026.
- 5.Consumer Affairs Victoria: It cannot be replaced with another gas system after 1 March 2027. Accessed 30 September 2026.
- 6.Consumer Affairs Victoria: Anything on this list is legally defined as an urgent repair: burst water service blocked or broken toilet system serious roof leak gas leak dangerous electrical fault flooding or serious flood damage serious… Accessed 30 September 2026.
- 7.Victorian Electoral Commission (2023 electoral structure review fact sheet): Its residential areas are diverse, ranging from historic Williamstown and Newport in the east to the newer Altona Meadows and Seabrook in the west. Accessed 30 September 2026.
- 8.Victorian Government, Hobsons Bay Planning Scheme (PDF snapshot, last updated by VC292 on 11/09/2025): SPECIAL CHARACTER AREAS, ALTONA 1.0 24/02/2022 C131hbay Neighbourhood character objectives To preserve the characteristics of the neighbourhood, comprising intact post-war brick and weatherboard dwellings with… Accessed 30 September 2026.
- 9.Energy Safe Victoria: Clause 2.6.3.2.2 requires all final sub-circuits in a domestic installation be protected by a residual current device (RCD). A hot water service is included in this requirement Accessed 30 September 2026.
- 10.Energy Safe Victoria: Clause 2.6.3.2.5 of the Wiring Rules states: Additional protection by RCDs shall be provided in existing electrical installations where alterations or a switchboard replacement is completed. Accessed 30 September 2026.
- 11.Energy Safe Victoria: The electrician has eight business days after the work is completed to have that work inspected by a licensed electrical inspector (LEI). If an electrician replaces a main switchboard at a property, power cannot go back… Accessed 30 September 2026.
- 12.Energy Safe Victoria: For electrical installation work performed within your electrical installation including but not limited to lights, power points, air conditioning, hot water service etc. Accessed 30 September 2026.
- 13.Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water (DCCEEW): It's illegal to release regulated refrigerants into the air. This is because some refrigerants can stay in the atmosphere for decades or more and can be thousands of times worse for climate change than carbon dioxide… Accessed 30 September 2026.
- 14.Energy Safe Victoria: Gas and electricity are inherently dangerous and it’s illegal and potentially fatal for unlicensed and unqualified people to undertake any gasfitting or electrical work. Accessed 30 September 2026.
- 15.Energy Safe Victoria: Electrical work isn’t a DIY job, even for small jobs such as changing power points or light switches. Accessed 30 September 2026.
