Fix it, or replace it, with the numbers to decide
Heater Installation and Repairs Across Melbourne West
Heaters break in the first genuinely cold week of the year, which is also the week every contractor in Melbourne is booked out. We keep capacity in the diary through winter for exactly that reason, and we work across the western suburbs from our Altona workshop.
- REC 37223
- Melbourne west
- Fixed quotes
The short answer
Whether to repair or replace a heater comes down to age, part cost and running cost. As a rule, a repair costing more than about a third of a replacement on a unit over ten years old is not worth doing, particularly for gas units where a reverse cycle replacement cuts running costs from 50 to 72 cents an hour to 28 to 36 cents. Split system replacements run $2,500 to $7,500 installed, and Victorian Energy Upgrades discounts come off the invoice.
The important part of this job is the advice, not the spanner work. Plenty of heaters can be repaired and should be. Plenty of others are a fan motor away from a bill that would have covered half a new system with far lower running costs. We will give you both numbers before you decide.
What we repair, and what we do not
Pivot is an electrical and refrigeration business. We repair reverse cycle splits, ducted reverse cycle systems, panel and in slab electric heating, and the electrical side of any heating appliance including controllers, thermostats, isolators and circuits. Refrigerant work is carried out under ARC licence and electrical work under REC 37223.
We do not carry out gas fitting work on gas appliances. Where a gas heater has failed, we can safely isolate and decommission the electrical supply, remove the unit as part of a changeover, and quote the electric replacement. If the appliance needs a gas licensed repair, we will say so plainly rather than pull it apart.
The faults we see most often
Most heating callouts in June and July come down to a handful of causes, and several of them are cheap. Before you book anything, it is worth checking the obvious ones, because we would rather not charge you a callout to reset a switch.
No power at all
Tripped breaker, a safety switch that has let go, or an isolator switched off during other work. Check the board first. If it trips again immediately, stop and call us.
Runs but does not heat
On reverse cycle, usually low refrigerant charge from a leak, a failed reversing valve, or a unit stuck in fan only mode from a remote setting.
Weak airflow
Blocked filters nine times out of ten. Beyond that, a failing indoor fan capacitor or a collapsed duct run on ducted systems.
Trips the breaker on start
Compressor drawing high locked rotor current, a failed start capacitor, or degraded wiring at the isolator. This is not one to keep resetting.
Water where it should not be
Blocked condensate drain or a full safety tray in the roof. Left alone this ends as a ceiling repair, not a heating repair.
Error code on the controller
Worth photographing before you power cycle the unit. The code often saves an hour of diagnosis and therefore money.
How we decide between repair and replacement
We use three tests. First, age against expected life. Most splits and ducted units are built for ten to fifteen years, so a compressor failure at year twelve is the end of the road. Second, the cost of the repair as a share of replacement. Above roughly a third, on an older unit, replacement is usually the better spend. Third, running cost, which is the one people forget.
That third test is what makes gas heater repairs a poor investment in 2026. Spending $600 on a furnace that costs 50 to 72 cents an hour to run, when the replacement costs 28 to 36 cents an hour and attracts a VEU discount off the invoice, means you are paying to keep the more expensive option alive. We put both figures in the quote and let you make the call.
Replacing a failed heater in the middle of winter
When a system dies in July, the priority is getting heat back into the house quickly without making a rushed decision you regret in five years. We carry common split system capacities and can usually get a lounge room heated within a few days of accepting a quote.
For ducted changeovers that need more planning, we will look at a staged approach. A single head in the main living area first, then the ducted work scheduled for spring when access and lead times are easier and installers are not four weeks out. It is not the biggest invoice we could write, but it is usually the right sequence.
Safety items we will not walk past
A few things get flagged whether or not they are what you called us for. Heating circuits without an RCD, unenclosed connections at an isolator, scorched terminals, and roof mounted units with no safety tray or overflow switch all get written up. So does an outdoor unit installed hard against a fence with no clearance, because it will fail early and it makes the neighbour your problem.
On completion of any electrical work we issue a Certificate of Electrical Safety. That document is your evidence the work was done by a licensed electrician, and it matters for insurance and at sale.
On the job
Heater Installation & Repairs in Melbourne's west
Fitting a linear diffuser on a ducted changeover
Licensed and accredited work by a local team. Read about Pivot Trade Services or see recent jobs across the western suburbs.
Answers
Frequently asked questions
We charge an attendance and diagnostic fee that covers travel and the first period on site, and we tell you what it is when you book. If the repair proceeds on the same visit, that fee forms part of the job cost. If we recommend replacement instead, we credit it against the replacement quote if you go ahead with us.
Yes, that is most of our repair work. We service the major brands sold in Australia, and we can usually source parts for anything under about twelve years old. Where a part is obsolete, we will tell you at the diagnosis stage rather than after chasing it for a fortnight.
Three, broadly. Replace like for like with gas, which needs a gas licensed installer and leaves you with the higher running cost. Replace with reverse cycle ducted using the existing duct where it suits. Or fit splits in the rooms you actually use and disconnect the gas. We quote the second and third and give you the running cost comparison for the first.
We hold slots through the cold months for breakdowns and prioritise homes with no working heating at all, particularly where there are young children or elderly residents. Call 0401 500 446 or 1300 748 688 and we will give you a realistic window rather than an optimistic one.
Our 12 month workmanship guarantee covers the labour on both. Parts carry the manufacturer warranty that comes with them, which is often longer. If something we repaired fails in the same way inside the year, we come back and sort it out.
A brief dusty smell at the first start of the season is normal, it is dust burning off the coil and element. A persistent musty smell means microbial growth on the indoor coil or in the drain tray and needs a proper clean. Anything sharp, electrical or burning is a stop and call us situation.
Book heater installation & repairs
Tell us what you need and we will give you a written price, not a range that moves on the day.
- Free
- On-site quotes
- Fixed
- Written pricing
- 12 mth
- Workmanship guarantee
- 5.0★
- 63 Google reviews