Is Your Water Cylinder a Threat to Other Tenants?

If left unmaintained, water cylinders can cause many problems. Those will certainly affect the unit in which they’re installed, but they can also transfer to apartments adjacent to or below the flat in question. Poorly maintained water cylinders can suffer from a wide range of problems that cause serious complications, including:

Minor Leaks – A minor leak may not be a problem immediately, but if not caught by an inspection and repaired, it can lead to serious problems. Even a small leak can lead to mould and mildew growth. Over time, these can eat through sheetrock and even wood. Mould spores can also be incredibly damaging to human health.

Flooding – Improperly maintained water cylinders can fail outright. While it might simply stop working one day, there is also the possibility of catastrophic failure, which could release dozens of gallons of water into the adjacent units, flooding them and causing extensive damage to the property’s structure, but also to tenant possessions. The costs of repairing damage to the property, replacing damaged possessions, and remediating mould and water damage can be extensive.

It can be difficult for the untrained eye to spot signs of impending danger with water cylinders. However, some indications that a cylinder may need to be repaired or replaced include:

• Signs of corrosion on the cylinder body, at any connection point in the piping at the cylinder, or around any of the valves
• Signs of water leaks around the cylinder or water in the catch pan (if present) under the cylinder
• Decreased hot water from the cylinder

There is only one way to deal with the threat posed by water cylinders within a multi-unit property (or installed in a single-family home, for that matter): regular inspections from a certified unvented cylinder specialist.

Water cylinders should be inspected annually and properly maintained. This can include draining and flushing to remove sediment built up within the cylinder, replacing failing or failed valves that might lead to leaks or flooding, and identifying the signs of an aging water cylinder that needs to be completely replaced to avoid catastrophic failure.