Water Heater Repair in Le Mars, IA
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Cold winters put more work on your water heater
From December through February, nights here average 13°F, and the water coming into your house is just as cold. The colder that water is, the longer the burner or heating element has to run to bring a full tank up to temperature. That extra run time wears on the burner and igniter in a gas water heater, and on the heating element in an electric one.
Power matters too. In 2024, 15% of Iowa households lost power for at least 24 hours. A gas water heater with a standing pilot keeps making hot water through an outage like that. One with an electronic igniter will not light again until the power is back and it is relit. An electric water heater stops making hot water until the power returns.
- 13°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?
- Most often the tank itself has rusted through and is cracking from the inside. Sediment builds up on the bottom of the tank over years, and once it corrodes a hole, water gets past it no matter how tight the fittings are. It can also be a failed drain valve or a loose fitting, which a contractor can replace, but a leak from the tank body itself means the water heater needs to be replaced, not repaired. Cutting power or gas to the unit and shutting off the water supply line will stop the leak from getting worse until someone can look at it.
- 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. Once it wears out, it shuts the gas off within seconds of the pilot lighting, even though the flame is fine. A dirty pilot orifice or a draft pulling the flame away from the sensor can cause the same thing. Either way this is a gas control issue, not something to keep relighting on your own, and it calls for a contractor to check the thermocouple and the gas valve.
- Can a tankless water heater be repaired?
- Yes, most tankless water heater problems are repairable. Common issues are a clogged inlet filter, a buildup of scale on the heat exchanger, an igniter that has failed, or an error code from a sensor. A contractor can flush the unit, clean or replace the filter, and test the parts that trip error codes. Whether it makes more sense to repair or replace depends on the age of the unit and what specifically has failed, which is something a contractor can tell you once they have looked at it.