- Open 24 hours, 7 days, weekends and public holidays included
- Charged by the job, not by the hour, and approved by you first
Call 1800 571 216: 24/7 · Book online
300+ five-star reviews · VBA accredited · Price approved before work starts
Why people call OnCall after hours
- An emergency plumbing business first: we've been answering Melbourne's urgent calls for more than 15 years
- 24 hours, 7 days: nights, weekends and public holidays
- 300+ five-star reviews on Google
- VBA accredited, licensed and insured plumbers
- Police checked and first aid verified: people you can let into your home at midnight
- Job-based pricing: no meter running while we work
Before the plumber arrives: what to do right now
If something is actively going wrong, these steps come before anything else.
- Water leaking from the unit? Switch off its power at the switchboard or isolation switch. For a gas unit, turn the gas off at the unit's control.
- Smell gas? Isolate the gas supply at the meter. Don't light anything or flick switches near the unit. Get everyone outside if the smell is strong, then call.
- Water pouring out? Turn off the water at the meter, or close the cold water valve on the unit if you can reach it safely.
- Keep the area clear. Move kids, pets, rugs and anything electrical away from the water.
Then ring 1800 571 216. We'll tell you if anything else needs doing while the plumber is on the way.
What our customers say
"After countless refusals from other plumbers I managed to get hold of Aiden and he DID NOT DISAPPOINT … In the end he completely solved the issue and even cleaned afterwards."
Tim Dacey, café owner, Google review
"Aiden was very professional and on time to the job. Got it done and dusted faster than I expected."
Eren, Google review
These are Google reviews of OnCall's emergency plumbing service.
Call 1800 571 216: 24/7 · 300+ five-star reviews
24 hour hot water repairs Melbourne can rely on
Plenty of hot water businesses are retailers or installers who keep office hours. If your system fails on a Friday night, you're often looking at a cold weekend and a booking on Monday.
We're different because we started as an emergency plumber. Our phones are answered and our plumbers are on the road through the night, so a failed hot water unit is treated as the urgent job it is. That matters most for households with young kids or elderly family members, rental properties where a tenant is waiting, and cafés that can't wash up or open without hot water.
When it's a genuine hot water emergency
Not every cold shower is an emergency, and we'll tell you honestly if yours can wait for a daytime booking. Call us straight away if:
- water is leaking from the tank, valves or pipework
- you can smell gas near a gas hot water unit
- the power keeps tripping when the hot water switches on
- the water is coming out scalding hot
- there's no hot water at all and the household, tenant or business can't go without it
- the relief valve is pouring water rather than dripping
If you've simply got no hot water and nothing is leaking, try the quick checks on our no hot water page first. Sometimes it's a tripped switch or a pilot that's gone out.
How we handle an emergency callout: assess, explain, approve, fix
Assess. Your plumber checks the whole system, not just the obvious symptom. On a storage unit that means the tank, valves, element or burner, and the connections. On a continuous flow unit, we start with the error code.
Explain. You get a plain-English rundown of what's failed, why, and what your options are. If it's 2am and the right part isn't available, we'll tell you what can be done tonight to make things safe and what happens next.
Approve. You get one price for the job. Nothing starts until you say yes.
Fix. We repair or make safe, test the hot taps and safety valves, and clean up before we go.
Emergency hot water plumber for every system type
We carry out emergency repairs on all makes and models of:
- Gas storage: pilot and ignition faults, gas control problems, leaks
- Electric storage: failed elements and thermostats, tripping power
- Continuous flow: error codes, ignition and flow faults
- Heat pump: fan, compressor and recovery problems
- Solar: booster, pump and roof collector faults
If the fault turns out to be electrical beyond the unit itself, we'll tell you and point you to an electrician.
Same day hot water repairs Melbourne-wide
Where we can, we fix it on the same visit. Our plumbers arrive equipped for most common hot water jobs, so many faults are sorted on the spot.
When a specific part has to be ordered, or the tank itself has failed, we'll make the system safe, explain the timeframe and talk you through your options. If the unit is beyond repair, our hot water system replacement service covers safe removal of the old one and installation of the new one.
Response times depend on where you are, how busy the night is and the weather, so we'll give you a realistic ETA when you call and keep you updated on the way.
Weekend hot water plumber, public holidays included
Saturday morning, Christmas Day, the long weekend when everyone's home, hot water systems don't take days off, and neither do we. Weekend and public holiday callouts work exactly like weekday ones: a plumber on the way, a clear price on site, and no work until you approve it.
Emergency pricing, explained honestly
We charge by the job, not by the hour. Your plumber assesses the system on site and gives you a clear price before any work starts, with your options laid out.
What affects an emergency job is the same as any hot water job: the fault, the system, the parts and the access. A night callout doesn't mean you're signing a blank cheque. See how hot water repair cost is worked out.
How it works
- Call 1800 571 216. Tell us your suburb, the system type if you know it, and whether anything is leaking or smells of gas.
- Get advice straight away. We'll talk you through anything to switch off and dispatch a plumber.
- Track the ETA. You'll get updates while the plumber is on the way.
- Diagnosis and a price. The fault is explained and priced on site.
- You approve, we fix. Then we test the system and clean up.
Emergency hot water FAQs
Do you really do hot water repairs in the middle of the night?
Yes. We're open 24 hours, 7 days, including weekends and public holidays, and we dispatch straight away for urgent jobs.
How fast can you get here?
We dispatch immediately for urgent jobs and send ETA updates. Timing depends on your location, demand and the weather, so we'll give you a realistic estimate when you call rather than a number we can't keep.
Is it worth calling after hours or should I wait till morning?
If it's leaking, smells of gas, is scalding hot or is tripping the power, call now. If nothing's leaking and you can manage, ring us anyway and we'll tell you honestly whether it can wait.
Will an emergency repair cost more?
We price by the job, not the hour, and you approve the price before work starts. Your plumber will explain exactly what you're paying for.
Can you fix it on the first visit?
Often, yes. Our plumbers arrive equipped for most jobs. If a part needs ordering, we'll make it safe and tell you the timeframe.
My tenant has no hot water. Can you go straight there?
Yes. In Victoria a failed hot water service is treated as an urgent repair for rentals. See rental property hot water repairs.
What should I switch off before you arrive?
For a leak, switch off power or gas to the unit and close the water if needed. If you smell gas, isolate it at the meter and stay clear of the unit.
Do you handle emergency repairs for cafés and venues?
Yes. We work with hospitality and commercial sites. See commercial hot water repairs.
Hot water failed tonight? We'll get a plumber moving.
Day or night, a licensed OnCall plumber can find the fault, price it and fix it once you say yes.
Call 1800 571 216: 24/7 · Book online
300+ five-star reviews · VBA accredited · Price approved before work starts
What happens next: we'll confirm your details, give you pre-arrival advice if you need it, and send a plumber. You'll get ETA updates on the way.