Emergency & immediate help
No hot water in Mallorca: cylinders, termo eléctrico and gas boilers
Hot water in Mallorca rarely fails because of frost - it fails because of limescale. The very hard mains water furs up immersion heaters and heat exchangers, and at some point the water simply stays cold.
What you can do right now
- With an electric cylinder (termo eléctrico), check the consumer unit first: cylinders are almost always on their own MCB, which trips when the immersion heater fails.
- Some cylinders run on an off-peak tariff and only heat during certain time windows. If there is hot water in the morning but not in the evening, the tariff is often the explanation rather than a fault.
- With a gas water heater: is the gas bottle (bombona) empty? Changing it takes seconds and is the most common cause of all.
- If you smell gas the rules are different: no naked flames, no switches, no sockets, no phone inside the building - a mobile is an ignition source too. First close the valve on the gas bottle (bombona) or the gas tap (llave de paso del gas), open windows and doors, leave the building - and only call 112 once you are outside.
- If water is running out of the cylinder or the tank is visibly corroded, switch off the power and the water supply - a cylinder that has rusted through is replaced, not repaired.
- Check the water pressure: many combination boilers shut down when the system pressure is too low.
What a call-out should cost
Whether a repair is worth it depends on the age of the appliance. With a heavily furred cylinder beyond ten years old, replacement is often more economical than a third immersion heater - ask for both options with a price.
The single best protection against overcharging: insist on a written quote before any work starts - in Spanish a presupuesto previo. Refusing to give one is the common thread running through almost every documented complaint. A reputable firm will state the call-out fee, the hourly rate and any night or weekend surcharge without being asked.
What to say on the phone, in Spanish
If only the technician on duty picks up, these sentences get you through the call. Read the Spanish out loud; the line underneath tells you what it means.
- Buenos días, no tengo agua caliente, el termo eléctrico no calienta.
- Good morning, I have no hot water - the electric water heater is not heating.
- Tengo un calentador de gas, la bombona está llena y no enciende.
- I have a gas water heater, the gas bottle is full and it does not light.
- Es urgente, tengo huéspedes esta tarde. ¿Pueden venir hoy?
- It is urgent - I have guests arriving this afternoon. Can you come today?
- Estoy en [localidad], la dirección es [calle y número]; llámeme antes de venir, por favor.
- I am in [town], at [street and number]; please ring me before you come.
- ¿Cuánto cuesta el desplazamiento y qué precio tiene reparar o cambiar el termo?
- How much is the call-out charge, and what does it cost to repair or replace the water heater?
- Perdone, hablo poco español. ¿Puede repetirlo más despacio?
- Sorry, I speak very little Spanish. Could you repeat that more slowly?
Companies that state out-of-hours availability
These companies state that they can be reached outside normal business hours. We show openly what that claim is based on, and we are working through them by phone to confirm it. If in doubt, call two.
- Servicios Mallorca Rapid advertises out-of-hours service
7009 Palma
States it can be reached 365 days a year and offers same-day emergency call-outs.
- Klima-Mallorca 2010 S.L. advertises out-of-hours service
Santa Ponsa
Lists an emergency service for air conditioning in villas and fincas.
- Maxiclima advertises out-of-hours service
Calvià
States free quotations and a 24-hour emergency service.
Other specialists for this trade
70 further companies in the directory, 25 of them German-speaking. These do not advertise out-of-hours cover - for an appointment on the next working day they are often the cheaper choice than a call-out.
Alou Barceló S.L.
Santanyí
A long-established building services firm in Santanyí with its own showroom, offering plumbing, electrics, air conditioning and solar in four languages.
Andreas Fiedrich
Port d'Andratx
Plumber right on the harbour promenade of Port d'Andratx, with a German-speaking owner.
BALEAR HAUSTECHNIK SLU
Peguera
Heating and solar specialist in Peguera focusing on heat pumps, fuel cells and energy consultancy.
City light home
Palma
City Light Home is a specialist electrical firm in Palma with more than 21 years of experience.
Climallorca
Inca
An air conditioning specialist with a shop in Inca, selling, installing and servicing air conditioning and aerothermal systems.
Climasol Balear S.L.
Alcúdia
An air conditioning specialist from Alcúdia covering air conditioning, solar thermal, photovoltaics and pool heating from a single source.
Digital Electric
Santa Ponsa
Electrical and air conditioning business in Santa Ponsa (Gran Via de Formentera 30) with, by its own account, more than 30 years of experience.
DTR Servicios
Port d'Andratx
Multi-trade business in Port d'Andratx covering electrics, plumbing, air conditioning and the ongoing upkeep of residential complexes.
Electricidad y Fontanería JS
Son Servera
A trades firm from Son Servera covering electrics, plumbing, pool technology and air conditioning across the Llevant.
Electricista i Fontaneria Miquel Jaume Jaume
Sant Joan
Miquel Jaume Jaume is Sant Joan's local electrician and plumber, listed as an electricista in the official municipal directory.
Fernández y Balaguer S.L.
Andratx
Building services firm in Andratx carrying out plumbing, heating and air conditioning from a single source.
Fontana Instalaciones S.L.
Santa Ponsa
Authorised gas installer, founded in 1993, with around 15 employees.
Frequently asked questions
Why does my water heater break down so often in Mallorca?
The main cause is the very hard mains water. Limescale builds up on the immersion heater and on the inside walls of the cylinder, worsens heat transfer, increases electricity consumption and eventually causes a failure. Regular descaling and replacing the sacrificial anode extend the life considerably, and a water softener protects every other water-carrying appliance as well.
What is a termo eléctrico?
That is the Spanish name for an electric hot water cylinder - the most common type in flats and holiday properties. It heats a set volume of water and keeps it warm; once the cylinder is empty it takes one to two hours, depending on size, until the next hot shower. With several people showering one after another the problem is often not a fault but simply the size of the cylinder.
No hot water, but the cylinder is new - what is causing it?
Often the circuit: the MCB that protects it has tripped, or the cylinder is on a time-based tariff and only heats at night. With gas appliances the empty bottle is the classic. Water pressure that is too low can also be the cause. Only once the electricity, the gas and the pressure are in order is the appliance itself to blame.
Is a repair or a replacement worthwhile?
As a rule of thumb: with appliances under five years old a repair is almost always worthwhile, at over ten years with heavy scaling replacement usually is - modern appliances use considerably less electricity. Ask for both options with a price, and ask about the remaining life of the cylinder, not only about the price of the immersion heater.
What does the sacrificial anode in a hot water cylinder do?
The magnesium sacrificial anode protects the steel tank from corrosion by corroding itself instead. It is a wearing part and should be checked, and replaced where necessary, every two to four years depending on water hardness - in Mallorca rather at the lower end of that interval. If it is never checked, the cylinder eventually rusts through, and then only a new appliance will do.