Water Heater Repair in Kennewick, WA
Tell us what your water heater is doing, and a licensed contractor who covers Benton County will get in touch.
Tell us about the job
It takes about a minute.
Kennewick winters put a lot of hours on your water heater
Water heaters here run harder from October through May, when the water coming into the tank is colder and the burner or element has to work longer to catch up. On nights near 28°F, that means more cycles, and more cycles wear on the thermostat and the heating element or burner assembly.
Power matters too. Nearly a quarter of Washington households lost power for at least a full day in 2024, and Benton County has seen 14 winter storms and 25 damaging wind events over the past ten years. When the power drops and comes back, most electric water heaters restart on their own, but a gas unit with an electronic igniter may not relight until someone checks it. Either way, if you go to the tap and the water has gone cold after an outage, that is usually where to look first.
- 28°F
- the average winter night, and colder incoming water means longer heating
- 8 months
- October through May, 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 is starting to fail. Sediment builds up on the bottom of the tank over years, and it traps moisture against the steel until it corrodes a hole. Once a tank is leaking from the bottom like this, it needs to be replaced, not patched. A leak can also come from a loose drain valve or a fitting near the bottom of the tank, so it is worth checking those before assuming the worst.
- Why won't the pilot light on my water heater stay lit?
- The most common cause is a thermocouple or flame sensor that has worn out and no longer signals the gas valve to stay open. A weak or dirty pilot flame can also fail to heat the sensor enough, even when the sensor itself is fine. Sometimes a draft around the water heater blows the flame out before it can catch. A contractor can test the thermocouple and clean or adjust the pilot assembly to find which one it is.
- Can a tankless water heater be repaired?
- Yes, most tankless water heater problems are repairable. Mineral buildup on the heat exchanger is common and can usually be cleared by flushing the unit. Igniter failures, sensor faults, and error codes pointing to airflow or venting issues can also usually be fixed without replacing the unit. A contractor can pull the error code and tell you whether it is a repair or something more serious.