Is rusty water urgent repair?

C

CityGirl

Just wondering whether you would all consider very rusty-coloured water an urgent repair. Disclosure - I am the tenant in this situation! Moved in two weeks ago and hot water is colour of strong tea. At first thought that maybe after running it a bit, it would clear. Agent sent tradesman to look, he says hot water service needs replacing. The water is unpleasant to use - only using it for showering as no other option than boiling water, but wouldn't want to use to wash clothes, for example.

Don't really want to wait weeks for a repair. Vic based.
 
I'm not sure it would be considered an urgent repair but the HWS is past its use-by date and needs replacement.

Other than showering though, which should not be a problem, I don't know what you'd be using hot water for?:confused:
(except perhaps washing up the dishes if you do not have a d/washer).

You should really boil cold water in an electric kettle for tea & coffee etc IMO. We have used cold water to wash clothes in for decades now.
 
This is due to rusting of the HWS internal tank. If left unchecked the tank will start leaking resulting in possible damage to the property and excess water usage. Report the matter immediately to the LL. I would expect replacement of the HWS within a few days.
 
Yes, I reported back the tradesman's findings (and he also said he would contact the agent). He mentioned that the next thing would be that it would burst and flood, and I also passed that on to the agent.

I usually wash clothes in cold water, but my washing machine is also able to heat its own water anyway. I do have a dishwasher - not sure if it heats water or pulls it in. I really like to have baths and it is one thing to shower in that water, but another to get into a tub of it and soak - having a bath was actually one of my criteria for a property!

There has also been an odd smell in the apartment since I moved in, and I have now tracked it down to coming from the HWS - not sure if this is normal as I've never had an indoor HWS before.
 
My neighbour's old electric storage HWS blew up last week - you don't want to be around when that happens! *BOOOOM GOOOOOSH* lol

Good you know the cause of it, when we moved here we had really dark yellow water too but it would clear after you ran the taps for a bit. The hot water was rather burgh smelling too, that cleared after letting it run a LOT, we weren't living there (the house had no cold water connection or kitchen) so we had to go out of our way to run the hot. The house was vacant for a year when we moved in so things had time to stagnate, if yours was occupied before you moved in, you've got some really serious problems and it is actually close to an urgent fix. Probably why the last tenants moved out :)

We had rusted galvanised iron pipes and a new HWS, we got all the galv pipes removed and replaced at some obscene cost per hour. Water is fine now.
 
It's certainly not an emergency repair, but I would expect it to be attended to promptly, ie within a few days. If the hot water service does burst, leaving you without any hot water, it becomes an emergency repair and you're probably entitled to get a plumber out after hours (not 100% sure on Vic laws) and that'll cost a lot more, so the landlord would be wise to attend to it promptly within business hours. I imagine the PM will be pushing the landlord, and I can't see why they wouldn't see the wisdom of attending to this immediately. (Though people constantly surprise me!)
 
Actually it is an urgent repair in NSW. We always thought it wasn't unless there was actually no HW, but had to call the Tenancy Board at one stage about it and they confirmed that discolouration in the water due to rust from a HWS would be considered an urgent repair.

Most realestate agents would have access to a reliable plumber that can replace the system within a day. two days would be the max before i would be jumping up and down.

Have worked as a PM for many years i know tenants who would be jumping up and down after an hour.

My advise would be to write an email to your landlord documenting everything so far, and give them a deadline to respond with details of when the system will be replaced. Say 3pm Monday given it is the weekend now. they will respond.
 
I totally agree with Alabex. Better to have something in writing to the PM for them to address the issue. Sometimes a verbal conversation can often be ignore. We're been renting for 7yrs and found that if they don't repair the incident reported, we tends to not pay the full rent until that is being addressed. You're paying for your stay so why should you put up with this.
 
Honey said:
We're been renting for 7yrs and found that if they don't repair the incident reported, we tends to not pay the full rent until that is being addressed.
Click to expand...
It's illegal to withhold rent whilst awaiting repairs, unless you have a tribunal order.
 
Thanks for the advice, I will send them an email documenting all my contact with them so far on this issue and requested it be dealt with this week. Fortunately I am going away for the week, so I might just get things up off the floor before I go - just in case!! If it isn't done by the time I get back, I'll either organise myself or apply for a tribunal hearing.

I had a look in the cavity where it lives - it is a 1991 manufacture date!! And there is a small puddle of rusty water near the base.

Pic attached of water in bath for your entertainment.
Edit: note that I did send this to the PM the first time I raised this issue with them.
 

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CityGirl said:
Thanks for the advice, I will send them an email documenting all my contact with them so far on this issue and requested it be dealt with this week. Fortunately I am going away for the week, so I might just get things up off the floor before I go - just in case!! If it isn't done by the time I get back, I'll either organise myself or apply for a tribunal hearing.

I had a look in the cavity where it lives - it is a 1991 manufacture date!! And there is a small puddle of rusty water near the base.

Pic attached of water in bath for your entertainment.
Edit: note that I did send this to the PM the first time I raised this issue with them.
Click to expand...
What you may also find out once the Plumber has a look,, is the pipe work leading too the HWS may also be the old gal pipe and the internal rust is running through the entire system,i would not be drinking the water in this system..good luck willair..
 
CityGirl said:
Pic attached of water in bath for your entertainment.
Click to expand...

That is disgusting, and there's no way I'd be wanting to shower in that. I believe that is something that needs to be attended to ASAP, and as others have said, put all requests in writing and keep on it. I don't believe that is acceptable.
 
In a lot of cases, VERY HOT, hot water and rusty color can mean a stuffed thermostat, causing water to boil constantly, stirring up the crap in the bottom of the HW tank (hence the rusty color).

Also wastes heaps of power, is a scalding and damage/flooding risk.

In your case though, i'd say the HWS is stuffed, given the rusty water at the base.

Either way, it should be fixed promptly.
 
Yeh, I think it would be classed as urgent, it's not only acceptable but also a health issue. No one wants to wash or drink rusty water, even the landlord himself.

As a landlord myself I would get it fixed immediately.

As a tenant you have rights, if you cant resolve this matter you can seek advice from local authorities.
 
I have had rusty hot water before and the tank burst! Im told that its a sign that the bottom of the tank has rusted so the Landlord should replace it straight away for his own sake (if not for yours) or it may burst and cause more damage (like flooding and staining the floor).
 
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