Water Heater Repair in Hot Springs, SD
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Step 1 of 3: Equipment
Cold winters keep your water heater working hard
Homes here need heat nine months of the year, from September through May, and your water heater is working through all of that alongside your furnace. On winter nights that average 14°F, incoming water is colder too, so the burner or heating element runs longer to make up the difference.
That extra runtime wears on the thermostat and heating element first. When one starts to fail, it usually shows up as hot water that doesn't last as long as it used to, or a tank that never quite gets the water hot.
- 14°F
- the average winter night, and colder incoming water means longer heating
- 9 months
- September through May, the months homes here need heat
Jan
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NOAA nClimDiv, 1991–2020 normals
- Why is my water heater leaking from the bottom?
- The tank itself has likely rusted through from the inside, and once that happens the leak will not stop or seal itself. It could also be a loose drain valve or a fitting that has failed, which a contractor can check and replace without touching the tank. If water is actually coming from inside the tank, the whole unit needs to be replaced rather than repaired. Shut off the cold water supply and the power or gas to the heater until someone can look at it.
- Why won't the pilot light on my water heater stay lit?
- This is usually the thermocouple, the small sensor that tells the gas valve the pilot is burning. When it wears out or sits out of position, the valve reads no flame and shuts the gas off even though the pilot lit for a second. A dirty pilot orifice or a draft in the area can cause the same thing. A contractor can test the thermocouple and replace it, which is a quick fix compared to replacing the gas valve.
- Can a tankless water heater be repaired?
- Yes, most problems with a tankless unit are repairable. Igniters, flow sensors, and heat exchangers can all be replaced without swapping out the whole unit. Mineral buildup in the heat exchanger is common and is usually cleared with a descaling flush rather than a part replacement. A contractor can run the unit's error code to tell you which part is failing before any work starts.