Vertical storage heater
The standard wall-hung tank in most bathrooms. Simple, reliable and easy to service.
A water heater is a simple machine: an element, a thermostat, a tank and a safety valve. When one of them fails, the symptom tells us which. We test before we quote, repair what is worth repairing and install a new heater when it is not.
Match what you see to the likely cause. The plumber confirms it with a meter before changing any part.
Our rule is simple. If the tank is sound, the heater is worth repairing: elements, thermostats, safety valves, gaskets and anode rods are all replaceable parts, and none of them costs what a new heater does.
If the tank itself is leaking, no repair lasts. The steel has rusted through from the inside, and a patch only moves the leak. That heater is replaced.
Age matters at the margin. Storage heaters often last eight to twelve years, less where the water leaves heavy scale. An old heater with a second failed part in a year is usually better replaced than repaired again.
A rough guide for storage heaters. The right size also depends on how many people shower one after another.
A full 50-litre heater weighs about 70 kg. It is bolted into block or concrete, never hung from gypsum board or tile alone.
The valve releases pressure if the thermostat fails. Its outlet is piped to a drain, so a discharge is seen and does no damage.
A valve on the cold inlet lets the heater be serviced without shutting off the home. Old flexible hoses are not reused.
The heater is wired to a dedicated switch with an earth connection. Our own electricians handle this side.
The tank is filled and the air let out before the power goes on. An element switched on dry burns out in seconds.
The standard wall-hung tank in most bathrooms. Simple, reliable and easy to service.
Made to lie flat above a false ceiling where wall space is short. It needs an access panel for future repairs.
Heats water as it flows, with no tank. Compact, but it needs a heavier electrical supply than a storage heater.
One large tank serving several bathrooms, common in villas. It needs well insulated pipe runs to be worth it.
Not sure whether yours is worth repairing?Send a photo of the heater and its label. We will tell you what we would check first.
Scale is what kills most heaters early. If yours fail every few years, see scale protection and filters. Water on the floor that is not from the heater is covered under leak detection and repair.
Yes, if the tank is not leaking. A new element or thermostat costs a fraction of a new heater. If the tank has rusted through, or parts keep failing one after another, replacement is the better use of the money.
Yes, with a horizontal model fixed to the concrete slab, a drip tray with a drain underneath, and an access panel large enough to remove the heater later. Without the tray and the panel, a small leak becomes a ruined ceiling.
Both. We supply and install new units, and we also install a heater you have bought. Check the capacity and whether it is a vertical or horizontal model before you buy.
A like-for-like replacement is usually done in one visit of an hour or two. Moving the heater, or fitting one above a ceiling, takes longer.
You can. Tank water is warm enough for most people in the hot months, and switching off saves electricity. Turn it back on a day before you need it and check for drips at the valve and the connections.
Around 60 degrees Celsius is the usual setting. It is hot enough to stop bacteria growing in the tank, and a mixer tap then brings it down to a comfortable temperature at the outlet.
For water heater repair or a new installation in Doha, the first visit is free. You get the test result, the options and a written quote.