Water Heater Repair in Visalia, CA
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Tulare County power outages can leave your water heater cold
Winter nights here average 31°F from December through February, and homes need heat from October through May. Eight months of the year, your water heater is working alongside the furnace, not just standing by for showers and dishes.
Power is the bigger risk. Statewide, 17% of households went at least 24 hours without power in 2024, and this county has logged 149 winter storms and 191 damaging wind events over the past ten years. A gas water heater with a standing pilot keeps making hot water through an outage like that. One with electric ignition will not light until the power is back, and if it does not relight on its own once it is, you will notice with a cold shower.
- 31°F
- the average winter night, and colder incoming water means longer heating
- 8 months
- October through May, the months homes here need heat
- 17%
- of California households lost power for a day or more in 2024, and a heater with an electric element or electric ignition stops without it
NOAA nClimDiv, 1991–2020 normals
A new water heater would cut about $110 a year off hot water for a typical California home.
Estimates for a typical California home, compared with an older unit built to the federal minimum, from EIA household energy data and California 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 failed. Sediment builds up on the bottom of the tank over the years, and it slowly eats through the metal until a crack lets water seep out. Once the tank is cracked, patching it is not an option. A licensed plumber can confirm the tank is the source and not a loose fitting or the drain valve, but if water is pooling under the tank itself, plan on replacing the unit.
- Why won't the pilot light on my water heater stay lit?
- The most common reason is a worn thermocouple, the small sensor that tells the gas valve the pilot is burning. When it wears out, it shuts off gas to the pilot even though the flame is fine. A dirty or misaligned pilot orifice can cause the same problem. Either way it is a repair for a licensed plumber, since it involves the gas line.
- 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, or a blocked vent are all things a licensed plumber can fix without replacing the unit. How much of the unit needs to be replaced depends on which part failed and how old it is, so a contractor will need to look at yours to know for sure.