Water Heater Repair in Harrisburg, SD
Tell us what your water heater is doing, and a licensed contractor who covers Lincoln County will get in touch.
Tell us about the job
It takes about a minute.
Cold groundwater keeps your water heater working longer here
Winter nights in Lincoln County average 12°F from December through February, and the water coming into your tank starts out that cold. The unit has to work harder to bring it up to temperature, and it does that work eight months a year, October through May. That extra strain shows up first in the heating element or the burner assembly, since those are the parts doing the work of closing the gap between ground temperature and your hot water.
The county has seen 34 winter storms over the past ten years, and power interruptions during those storms can affect electric water heaters and the ignition systems on gas ones. If your water heater was already working hard against cold incoming water, a storm outage is often when a weak component finally gives out and you notice the water isn't hot anymore.
- 12°F
- the average winter night, and colder incoming water means longer heating
- 8 months
- October through May, the months homes here need heat
NOAA nClimDiv, 1991–2020 normals
A new water heater would cut about $50 a year off hot water for a typical South Dakota home.
Estimates for a typical South Dakota home, compared with an older unit built to the federal minimum, from EIA household energy data and South Dakota fuel prices. Your home will differ.
Repair makes sense when an element, thermostat or gas valve has failed.
Replacement makes sense when the tank itself is leaking.
- Why is my water heater leaking from the bottom?
- Most of the time this means the tank itself has rusted through and is failing. Water forms on the inside of the tank over the years, and once it wears through the steel, the leak won't stop or seal itself. It can also be a loose drain valve or a fitting on the bottom that's simply worked its way loose, so it's worth checking those before assuming the worst. If the tank itself is leaking, it needs to be replaced, not repaired.
- Why won't the pilot light on my water heater stay lit?
- This usually comes down to the thermocouple, the small sensor that sits in the pilot flame and tells the gas valve it's safe to keep the gas flowing. Once that part wears out or gets coated with soot, it can't sense the flame properly and the gas valve shuts off to be safe. A weak pilot flame, a draft blowing on it, or a clogged pilot tube can cause the same thing. A contractor can test the thermocouple in a few minutes and replace it if that's the cause.
- Can a tankless water heater be repaired?
- Yes, most problems with a tankless unit are repairable. Mineral buildup on the heat exchanger, a failed igniter, a clogged inlet filter, or a bad flow sensor are all common issues and all fixable without replacing the whole unit. Tankless units also run diagnostic codes on a display or through a series of flashes, which tells a contractor a lot before they even open it up. Replacement only comes into play if the heat exchanger itself has failed.