Two Falcons on the same street
Falcon runs along the coast between Halls Head and the Dawesville Channel, and it is in the middle of a slow rebuild. Original single-storey fibro and brick beach houses, many built as holiday places and still used that way, sit beside two-storey replacements on the same block sizes.
The hot water systems reflect that history. The older homes commonly have an electric storage tank that has been in place for a very long time, sometimes without its sacrificial anode ever having been changed. The new builds are usually gas continuous flow, occasionally heat pump, and sized for permanent occupancy.
Irregular occupancy is the Falcon quirk
A meaningful share of Falcon properties are not lived in year round. That changes what a good system looks like.
A storage tank in a house occupied six weeks a year spends most of its life heating water for nobody, and the corrosion clock keeps running whether or not the water gets used. A gas continuous flow unit has no standing loss and nothing to reheat on arrival, which is why it tends to suit holiday houses better than the purchase price comparison suggests.
If you are keeping a tank, isolate it before a long absence and have the relief valve and anode checked when you return. Relief valves that have sat unexercised are one of the more common Falcon call-outs.
Salt, but a step back from the worst of it
Falcon is coastal, and the properties fronting Falcon Bay and the ocean side get genuine salt exposure. Further east towards Old Coast Road the pressure eases noticeably. That difference is worth naming in a quote, because it changes whether coastal-rated fixings and a sheltered position are essential or merely sensible.
Heat pump coil fins and solar collector frames are the components that care most. If you are considering solar or a heat pump on the beach side, ask specifically about the corrosion rating of the mounting hardware.
What we get called out to in Falcon
Failed elements and thermostats on ageing electric tanks. Leaking cylinders in houses where the unit has simply outlived its expected service life. Continuous flow units that will not fire after a season of disuse. And, on rebuilt blocks, units installed tight against a boundary where the airflow or flue clearance was never right.
The repairs page explains what to check before calling and how to shut off a leaking tank. If the unit is past saving, the installation page covers the changeover and the cost guide gives the ranges.
Getting a Falcon job booked
Falcon sits inside the standard same-day run for most of the year, alongside Halls Head and Erskine, with Dawesville just south across the Cut. Full coverage is listed on the service area page.
Call (08) 9516 1934 for a free quote or a repair booking.
Frequently asked questions
My Falcon holiday house sits empty for months — what suits it?
An electric storage tank with the isolation switch turned off between visits is the cheapest arrangement, though it means waiting for a reheat on arrival. A gas continuous flow unit is the better answer for irregular occupancy because there is no tank sitting warm and nothing to reheat. Whatever the type, drain or isolate before a long absence and have the relief valve checked afterwards.
Is Falcon on mains gas?
Much of Falcon is connected to the reticulated natural gas network, but coverage varies by street and the older pockets closer to the coast are less consistent than the newer infill. Check for a gas meter and a cooktop or bayonet point. If there is no mains gas, compare a heat pump against a plain electric tank rather than defaulting to LPG.
Do you replace hot water systems in two-storey Falcon homes?
Yes. Two-storey builds raise two practical issues: keeping adequate pressure and flow at upstairs outlets, and getting a continuous flow unit sized so two upstairs showers do not thin each other out. Both are sizing decisions made before the quote, not problems discovered on the day.