Water Heater Repair in Bremerton, WA
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Cold nights make your water heater work harder
Kitsap County homes need heat from September through June. Through December and February, when nights average 35°F, the water coming into your tank starts out colder. The burner or element has to run longer to bring it up to temperature, and it runs more often over those months. That extra cycling is what wears down a heating element or an igniter before its time.
Most homes here are owner-occupied, so it is usually the person living in the house who notices first. Water that used to run hot now runs warm. The recovery between showers takes longer than it did before.
- 35°F
- the average winter night, and colder incoming water means longer heating
- 10 months
- September through June, the months homes here need heat
- 23%
- of Washington 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 $280 a year off hot water for a typical Washington home.
Estimates for a typical Washington home, compared with an older unit built to the federal minimum, from EIA household energy data and Washington 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 started to fail. Sediment builds up in the bottom of the tank over years, and it wears through the lining until the steel underneath gives way. Once a tank is leaking like this it needs to be replaced, not patched. A loose drain valve or a fitting can also leak and look like the same problem, so it's worth having a contractor check before assuming the tank is done.
- 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. When it wears out it can't hold the valve open, so the flame goes out. A dirty pilot orifice or a draft near the water heater can also blow the flame out. A standing pilot doesn't use electricity, so a power outage isn't why it won't stay lit. A contractor can test the thermocouple and replace it if that's the cause.
- Can a tankless water heater be repaired?
- Yes, most tankless water heater problems are repairable. A failed igniter, a clogged inlet filter, a bad flow sensor, or mineral scale built up on the heat exchanger are the usual reasons one stops heating water or shuts off during use. A contractor can flush the unit or replace the failed part in most cases. The exception is a heat exchanger that's cracked, which usually means replacing the unit instead.