Water Heater Repair in Herndon, VA
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Cold groundwater and shaky power add up for Herndon water heaters
Fairfax County's water heaters work against cold incoming water for seven months of the year, October through April, with winter nights averaging 28°F. The tank has to work harder to bring that water up to temperature, and the heating element or burner runs longer to do it. That extra runtime is what wears out an element first, or fouls a gas burner with more cycles than it sees in summer.
Power is the other problem. Nearly a quarter of Virginia households lost power for 24 hours or more in 2024, and the county has logged 387 damaging wind events and 10 winter storms over the past ten years. Electric water heaters do not restart on their own after some outages, and a storm that knocks out power overnight can leave you with a full tank of cold water by morning.
- 28°F
- the average winter night, and colder incoming water means longer heating
- 7 months
- October through April, the months homes here need heat
- 22%
- of Virginia 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 $90 a year off hot water for a typical Virginia home.
Estimates for a typical Virginia home, compared with an older unit built to the federal minimum, from EIA household energy data and Virginia 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 tank itself has likely rusted through from the inside and is starting to fail. Water heaters corrode over years of use, and once the tank has a leak, it cannot be patched or sealed. The other possibility is a loose drain valve or a fitting on the bottom that a contractor can tighten or replace without touching the tank. If the water is coming from the tank body, the unit needs to be replaced.
- Why won't the pilot light on my water heater stay lit?
- A pilot light that won't stay lit is usually a sign the thermocouple has worn out. That's the small part that senses the flame and tells the gas valve it's safe to keep the gas flowing. When it fails, the valve shuts the gas off as a safety measure even though the pilot lit fine a moment ago. A dirty pilot orifice or a draft blowing out the flame can cause the same problem, so a contractor will check both before replacing anything.
- Can a tankless water heater be repaired?
- Yes, most tankless water heater problems can be repaired without replacing the unit. Common issues are a clogged inlet filter, mineral buildup on the heat exchanger from hard water, or a failed igniter, and all of those can be cleaned or swapped out. If the heat exchanger itself has cracked or corroded, that's a bigger repair and a contractor can tell you whether it's worth fixing versus replacing the unit.