Water Heater Repair in Pasco, WA
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Storms here knock out water heaters
Franklin County has seen 14 winter storms and 25 damaging wind events over the past ten years, and statewide, almost a quarter of households went at least 24 hours without power last year. When the power drops, your water heater stops heating. Most electric units come back on by themselves once power is restored, so if yours stays cold after the lights come back on, something else is wrong, often the electrical panel or the wiring feeding the unit.
Winter nights here average 28°F from December through February, and homes need heat from October through May. That is a long stretch for a water heater to run without a break, and the parts that wear with steady use are the first to go. A failing heating element or a bad thermostat leaves you with water that never gets fully hot. A leaking tank shows up as water pooling underneath it, and once a tank leaks, it needs replacing, not repair.
- 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?
- The most common reason is the tank itself has rusted through, and once that happens the leak will not stop or seal itself. Sediment builds up in the bottom of the tank over the years and causes corrosion from the inside out. It can also be a loose drain valve or a failed fitting, which a contractor can check before assuming the tank is done for. If the tank is the source, it needs to be replaced, not repaired.
- Why won't the pilot light on my water heater stay lit?
- Usually this means the thermocouple has worn out and can no longer sense that the pilot is lit, so it shuts the gas off. It can also be a weak pilot flame from a dirty orifice, or a draft blowing the flame out. A thermocouple is a low-cost part to replace and fixes this in most cases. If it keeps going out after that part is replaced, there may be a venting issue that needs a closer look.
- Can a tankless water heater be repaired?
- Yes, most tankless water heater problems are repairable. Error codes usually point to a specific issue, like a flow sensor, an igniter, or mineral buildup on the heat exchanger from hard water. A contractor can read the code and diagnose it directly rather than guessing. Only in rare cases, like a cracked heat exchanger, does the unit need to be replaced instead.