Water Heater Repair in Ames, IA
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Storms here knock out power, and your water heater may not come back on its own
Story County homes need heat from October through May, eight months of the year, and winter nights average 14°F from December through February. That kind of cold means your water heater is working most months just to keep up.
The county has logged 24 winter storms and 82 damaging wind events over the past ten years, and storms like that cut power. Most water heaters come back on by themselves once power returns. A gas unit with a standing pilot does not need power at all, but if the pilot went out, it will not relight itself. If your water is not heating after an outage, that is the first thing worth checking.
- 14°F
- the average winter night, and colder incoming water means longer heating
- 8 months
- October through May, the months homes here need heat
- 15%
- of Iowa 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 $50 a year off hot water for a typical Iowa home.
Estimates for a typical Iowa home, compared with an older unit built to the federal minimum, from EIA household energy data and Iowa 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?
- The most common cause is the tank itself failing from the inside, where sediment builds up over years and corrodes the steel. Once the tank has a hole or crack, water finds its way out the bottom and the tank cannot be patched or repaired. A leak can also come from a loose drain valve or a fitting at the bottom of the tank, which a contractor can often replace without touching the tank. Either way, shut off the water supply to the tank and have it looked at before it gets worse.
- Why won't the pilot light on my water heater stay lit?
- Most of the time this means the thermocouple has worn out and can no longer tell the gas valve that a flame is present, so the valve shuts the gas off. A dirty pilot orifice or a draft near the pilot can cause the same thing. Both are parts a contractor can replace or clean. If the pilot won't hold after that, the gas valve itself may need to be replaced.
- Can a tankless water heater be repaired?
- Yes, most problems with a tankless unit come down to a handful of parts, like the igniter, flow sensor, or heat exchanger, that a contractor can test and replace. Mineral buildup on the heat exchanger is common and usually calls for a descaling flush rather than a new part. Error codes on the unit's display help a contractor narrow down what's wrong before opening anything up.