Water Heater Repair in Sisseton, SD
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Nine months of cold groundwater, and winter nights near zero
Your water heater works from September through May here, and the water coming into the tank is cold for most of that stretch. On the nights that average 6 degrees, the burner or heating element has to run longer and more often just to hold the tank at temperature. That extra run time wears on the heating element in an electric tank and the igniter or thermocouple in a gas one.
You notice it as water that takes longer to heat back up after a shower, or a pilot light that won't stay lit through a cold snap. Sisseton has seen 54 winter storms over the past ten years, and when the power drops during one, an electric water heater will not start back up on its own after a long outage in the way a standing pilot gas unit will.
- 6°F
- the average winter night, and colder incoming water means longer heating
- 9 months
- September through May, the months homes here need heat
NOAA nClimDiv, 1991–2020 normals
A new water heater would cut about $80 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 often the tank itself has rusted through and is failing. Water heater tanks corrode from the inside over years, and once the steel gives way the crack usually shows up low on the tank where the water sits. A loose drain valve or a fitting on the bottom can also leak, and those can be fixed, but a leak from the tank itself means the water heater needs to be replaced. A contractor can tell you which one you have by looking at where the water is coming from.
- Why won't the pilot light on my water heater stay lit?
- The most common cause is a worn thermocouple, the small sensor that tells the gas valve the pilot is burning. When it wears out it shuts the gas off even though the flame is lit, so the pilot goes out again soon after you relight it. A dirty pilot orifice or a draft near the burner can cause the same thing. A contractor can test the thermocouple and replace it if that is the problem.
- Can a tankless water heater be repaired?
- Yes, most problems with a tankless water heater are repairable. Common issues are a scaled up heat exchanger, a failed igniter, or a blocked vent, and a contractor can clean or replace each of those. Because these units run through winter here from September through May, it is worth having any drop in hot water checked before the cold months settle in. A contractor can diagnose the specific unit and price the repair.