Water Heater Repair in Vermillion, SD
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Groundwater this cold makes your water heater work harder
Winter nights in Vermillion average 13°F from December through February, and the water coming into your tank starts out just as cold. The burner or heating element has to run longer to bring it up to temperature, and that extra runtime wears on the thermostat and the heating element itself. In gas units, more burner cycles mean more wear on the igniter and thermocouple.
You notice it first as water that used to run hot taking longer to warm up, or a tank that seems to run out faster than it used to. Some homes in Clay County also lose power during winter storms, and when that happens a standing pilot will keep running, but an electric ignition system needs the power back before it lights again.
- 13°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 often the tank itself has rusted through from the inside, and once that happens the tank has to be replaced, not repaired. Sediment builds up at the bottom of the tank over years, and it traps moisture against the steel until it corrodes. Water pooling underneath can also come from a loose drain valve or a fitting that's simply worked itself loose, and those a contractor can fix without replacing anything. Shut off the water supply to the tank and have someone look at it before you run it again, since a cracked tank will only get worse.
- 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 flame is lit. When it wears out it can't sense the pilot flame anymore, so the gas valve shuts off the gas as a safety measure. A dirty pilot orifice or a draft in the area can also blow the flame out or keep it from reading right. Either problem is a straightforward fix for a contractor, and you shouldn't keep trying to relight it over and over if it won't hold.
- Can a tankless water heater be repaired?
- Yes, most problems with a tankless unit are repairable. Mineral buildup on the heat exchanger is the most common issue, and it shows up as inconsistent water temperature or the unit failing to fire. A contractor can flush the system to clear scale, replace an igniter or flow sensor, or reset an error code after finding what triggered it. Full replacement is usually only needed when the heat exchanger itself has failed.