Water heaters
No hot water, or a puddle underneath.
Most water heaters give you some warning. The ones that do not tend to go on a Sunday. We carry the common sizes, so a replacement is usually done the same day we look at it.
What the symptom usually means
- Water is pooling under the tank If it is coming from the tank itself rather than a fitting, the tank has rusted through and it cannot be repaired. Shut the water off to it and call.
- Hot water runs out faster than it used to Usually sediment taking up space in the bottom of the tank, or a failed lower element. Often fixable.
- Rumbling or popping while it heats Sediment. Not dangerous yet, but it is insulating the burner from the water and quietly costing you money.
- The water is rusty or smells Frequently a spent anode rod, which is a cheap part. Left alone it becomes a rusted tank, which is not.
- The pilot will not stay lit Thermocouple or gas control valve. Usually a repair rather than a replacement.
- The relief valve is dripping Either a failed valve or genuine over pressure. Worth looking at soon, because that valve is the safety device.
Fix it or replace it
The honest rule is age. A tank heater lasts about eight to twelve years in this water. Under eight, a repair is usually worth it. Over twelve, you are paying to postpone a replacement by a few months.
Between the two it depends on what has failed. An element, a thermocouple or an anode rod is worth fixing on almost any tank. A leaking tank is never worth fixing at any age, because the steel has gone and there is nothing to repair.
We will tell you which one you have and what each option costs, including the option of doing nothing yet.
What size you actually need
Bigger is not automatically better. You pay to keep every gallon hot, all year.
- One or two people A 40 gallon tank is usually plenty, and it costs less to run than the 50 somebody will try to sell you.
- Three or four people 50 gallons, which is what most houses around here already have.
- Five or more, or two baths in use at once Either a 75 gallon tank or a tankless unit, depending on the gas line and the venting you already have.
- Thinking about tankless Endless hot water and a smaller footprint, but it often needs a larger gas line and different venting. We will tell you the real installed cost before you fall in love with the idea.
What we do with water heaters
- Same day tank replacement
- Gas and electric repair
- Thermocouples, elements and thermostats
- Anode rod replacement
- Tank flushing and sediment removal
- Relief valve and expansion tank work
- Tankless installation and conversion
- Tankless descaling and servicing
- Venting corrections
- Recirculation pumps
- Drain pans and leak alarms
- Old unit hauled away
Questions we get
Can you replace it today?
Usually. We stock 40 and 50 gallon gas and electric tanks on the trucks, which covers most houses in Cedar Rapids. A 75 gallon, a tankless, or anything needing venting changes normally means the next day.
Is a tankless worth it?
For some houses, genuinely. For others it is a large bill for a benefit you will not notice. It makes most sense if you regularly run out of hot water, if you want the floor space back, or if you are already opening up the utility room. It makes least sense as a straight swap in a house where the 50 gallon tank was never a problem.
Should I flush it myself?
You can, and once a year is good for it. Two cautions. On a tank that has never been flushed and is over ten years old, disturbing the sediment sometimes reveals a leak that the sediment was plugging. And the drain valve on cheaper tanks is plastic and can fail open, which is a bad afternoon. If either of those worries you, it is a small job for us.
Does a leaking heater count as an emergency?
If it is leaking from the tank, yes, because it will not get better and forty or fifty gallons is a lot of water. Shut the cold supply valve on top of the heater, switch off the gas or the breaker, and call. If it is dripping from a fitting, it can usually wait for the morning.
Cold shower this morning?
Tell us the age of the heater and what it is doing, and we can usually say on the phone whether you are looking at a part or a replacement.