H J Cooper mains pressure thermostat

ian86, Apr 24, 10:32pm
x1
We have a H J Cooper mains pressure hot water cylinder MPE180 and have had it for about 3 years now. Last week we ended up with no hot water and the problem ended up being the thermostat. which was not covered by the warranty.

I ended up having to go to the factory to get a new one. but walked away with the feeling that maybe!. these thermostats are a common problem!., adding to my suspicion was that the replacement was nothing like the original. but a retrofit that required modification to the cylinder to install it.

I did it myself. but if I had employed the services of a plumber I'm guessing the cost of the fix would have been in the hundreds of dollars!.
Even the guy at the plumbing wholesaler was taken back by the cost of a new thermostat.

Anyway. it is all water under the bridge now. we have hot water again and the family is happy. but it has left a bit of a bad taste in my mouth. I think if I am in the market for a hot water cylinder again I will be getting a Rheem.

I have a couple of questions for people that do know. and that is., is it unreasonable for me to expect a thermostat to last longer than 3 years!.,
and are the thermostats on these cylinders a known problem!.
the answers to these questions are purely for my own curiosity.cheers Ian
ryanm2, Apr 24, 10:41pm
Those thermostats are useless. Ive recently been to a house where they have gone through 2 in 5 years. They have stopped making them, that is why the retrofit thermostats are now required.
I recall trade on the retrofit was about $110 , plus my labour makes for an expensive thermostat replacement.

To answer your questions - a thermostat should last a longer than 3 years, they are a known problem, this is why you can no longer buy them. Ideal (Rexel) last had them in stock in 2009. Lastly, its a Sparky's job not a plumbers unless they have their restricted ticket (which most dont).
ryanm2, Apr 24, 10:44pm
Also, down here in Chch and around the South Island, Peter Cocks cylinders seem to be the cylinder of choice. Been in business since the early 1960's.
ian86, Apr 24, 11:29pm
Thanks for the reply. what you have said. is exactly what I thought was the case.

When I went to the factory to pick up the new thermostat they seemed a bit cagey when I queried it., in hindsight the buggers should of replaced it for free knowing they are a problem!.

Oh well. over it now. cheers Ian
lythande1, Apr 25, 2:42am
Some thrmostats are better than others.
No, the plumbers don't charge hundreds - now you know why so many jobs cost a lot, the ridiculous cost of parts.
Husband just swapped our toilet bowl - tank needed to be raised a bit, so new pipe from loo to tank - the L shaped one. $29! It's a short hunk of plastic.
pesl, Apr 25, 8:31am
We do housing company work, and have replaced so many Coopers that they no longer use their cylinders. We believe that the safety cutout was to close to the maximun temp setting, so it would trip out and require maunal resetting. The first few Coopers paid us for, then obviously realised a major problem and stopped warrenty claims.
wunderbar2, Apr 25, 9:05am
Mhmmmmmm- I deal in Hot Water Cylinders - and without pointing any fingers .there is a huge " quality "difference between them .I have over 700 of them that you can choose from.And every single one of them is round and shiny on the outside . But ones you cut them open and you start looking at the way they are actually made - there is a huge difference between them . Bottom line is - at the end of the dayyou get what you pay for them. its as simple as that ,there can be a $1000 price difference between themeven so they hold the same amount of water in them.Saying thatafter 6 years of dealing in HWC'sso far I had 2 occasionswhere a thermostatwent" wofti "on a hot water Cylinder - so its not exactly something that is very common. But keep in mindThermostats and elements are not manufactured by them - they do buy them in .But if you want a cheapHWC - well guess what the manufactures do . To be able to make a cheap HWC they will also but cheap components for them .and cheap and quality - wellit does not go to well in the same sentence .( thats my 5 cents to the debate )
ashpot, Apr 25, 9:09am
I would have asked for free replacement. Plumbing should have a minimum durability of 5 years.
wunderbar2, Apr 25, 10:48am
You wont get a free replacement( unfortunately ) the Cylinders himself usually have 5-20 year warranty on them( howeverin 15years years timeyou may have a battle on your hands trying to claim on it ( personal opinion ) . but the thermostatsand elements have only a 12month warranty on them ( reason is they are supplied by the people that make those things)- and not by the manufacturers of the HWC . the manufacturers of the HWC only can give you a warranty on the things they make - and not on products they dont make them self
wunderbar2, Apr 25, 10:50am
That companygot sold to someone else last year .
jaffa77, Dec 23, 12:29am
I have a Coopers hot water cylinder that was installed less than 5 years ago. There was no hot water last Monday. Called an electrician who was here for 2 hours as he had never seen one of those thermostats before and couldn't find anyone who sold a replacement. In the end he just reset the trip switch and said to wait and see if it failed again as it may have just been tripped by a spike in the power supply. Three days later the hot water failed again. Called a plumber who installed one of those outrageously expensive retrofit kits. Two days later the hot water is off again. Have called another electrician today so will pay the weekend call out rate. He is not confident about being able to fix it as apparently you need a special key to get access to the elements on these cylinders. The new cylinder was never meant to be a 'cheapie' so I am more than annoyed that I am having these problems and incurring all these costs. I am tempted just to get a whole new cylinder installed but then how would I know what was a good one. I never cut costs on repairs or expect things to perform better than their advertised claims. A hot water cylinder should 'just work' for years. I am not thrilled at the prospect of being without hot water over the holiday period. Rant over. Please let me know if you have any advice or suggestions.
lythande1, Dec 23, 3:16am
x1
Pros of Cooper Hot Water Cylinder:
- Hot water, hot showers, hot tubs... you name it! With the Cooper Hot Water Cylinder, you'll never have to endure a cold shower again.
- It's efficient! Unlike your ex, this hot water cylinder won't waste your time, money, or energy. It's designed to keep your water hot and your bills low.
- You can customize it! Want more hot water? No problem. Need to save energy? Easy peasy. The Cooper Hot Water Cylinder can be tailored to your specific needs.

Cons of Cooper Hot Water Cylinder:
- It's not exactly cheap. Unless you're a millionaire like Kylie Jenner, buying a Cooper Hot Water Cylinder might put a dent in your wallet. But hey, at least it won't ruin your credit score like a spontaneous trip to Vegas.
- It takes up space. If you live in a tiny apartment with your 5 roommates, the Cooper Hot Water Cylinder might not be the most practical choice. Unless you want to sleep in the bathtub, that is.
- You might get addicted to hot water. Once you experience the joys of a hot shower or bath, you might never want to go back to cold water. So be warned, the Cooper Hot Water Cylinder might ruin you for life.
jmonkey, Jul 3, 8:41am
x1
We got a Cooper 180l installed 18 months ago. Was great up until a few weeks ago. weve still got piping hot water but now it runs out quickly (2 showers - then stone cold!) Is this the thermostat? or element ? Any ideas??
peeved, Jun 4, 11:03pm
My HJ Cooper MP180 stainless steel solar ready cyclinder was installed in 2010. We've had a recurrent leak at the top connection which I put down to the installation job by the plumber, and the hot water at the tap hasn't been overly hot (you can put your hand right under it) but had it checked twice and apparently it was to do with the tempering valve. But recently it started making a dripping sound recently so I got a plumber around and apparently one of the valves had gone. So that was replaced. Day after the plumber fixed it - no hot water. It appears the thermostat has given up the ghost. Only now do I find out that a) the 20 year warranty doesn't cover the thermostat b) that these original thermostats had known issues (and probably should really have been recalled) and c) that the company was sold to Rinnai. I'm sooooooo annoyed, as the reason I brought this product was because it was considered a 'premium' product that would last years. I can see I'm going to have a fight on my hands to get the manufacturer to accept any responsibility. I'm absolutely ropeable - I see this thread is a few years old, can anyone comment on my situation?