Water Heater Repair in Newport News, VA
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Newport News winters and outages both put strain on your water heater
Winter nights here average 33°F from December through February, and a water heater works harder to reach its set temperature when the water coming in is that cold. That steady demand is what wears down a heating element in an electric unit or a burner assembly in a gas one.
Power loss adds to it. Nearly a quarter of Virginia households went at least 24 hours without power in 2024, and this area has logged 31 damaging wind events and 6 winter storms over the past ten years. Most electric water heaters do not turn back on by themselves once power is restored, and a gas unit with electronic ignition needs the same reset. A gas water heater with a standing pilot is the exception. If your water heater has been through an outage and is not heating now, that is usually why.
- 33°F
- the average winter night, and colder incoming water means longer heating
- 6 months
- November 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 $320 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 wall is breached, no repair fixes it. It could also be a loose drain valve or a fitting at the bottom, which a contractor can tighten or replace without needing a new unit. If the leak is coming from the tank body itself, replacement is the only real fix.
- 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 shuts the gas off even though the flame is lit. A dirty pilot orifice or a draft in the area can also blow the flame out. A contractor can test the thermocouple and replace it, which usually solves the problem.
- Can a tankless water heater be repaired?
- Yes, most problems with a tankless water heater can be repaired without replacing the unit. Mineral buildup on the heat exchanger is common and is cleared with a descaling flush. Igniters, sensors, and fans can also fail on their own and get replaced individually. A contractor can pull the error code from the unit's display and diagnose which part is at fault.