Water Heater Repair in Roanoke, VA
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Roanoke winters put a real load on your water heater
From October through April your water heater works harder, warming water that starts out colder from the ground and the pipes. On nights that average 29°F, it runs longer and more often to hold its set temperature. That extra work falls on the heating element or burner, and on the thermostat that tells it when to fire.
Power is part of it too. Storm records show 19 winter storms and 34 damaging wind events over the past ten years in this area, and statewide, 22% of households lost power for at least 24 hours in 2024. A gas water heater with a standing pilot keeps working through an outage. One with electronic ignition will not, and you will notice when the hot water runs out and does not come back until the power does.
- 29°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
- Why is my water heater leaking from the bottom?
- The most common cause is the tank itself has rusted through from the inside and is starting to fail. Water heaters have a glass lining inside the steel tank, and once that lining cracks, the steel underneath rusts and eventually leaks. A leak could also come from the drain valve at the bottom or from a fitting that has loosened, so it is worth checking those first. If the tank itself is leaking, it needs to be replaced, not repaired.
- Why won't the pilot light on my water heater stay lit?
- Most often this means the thermocouple, the small sensor that sits in the pilot flame, is dirty or wearing out. Its job is to sense the flame and keep the gas valve open. When it fails, the gas valve shuts off the pilot as a safety measure even though nothing else is wrong. A weak pilot flame, a draft blowing on it, or a clogged pilot tube can cause the same problem. A contractor can tell which one it is and clean or replace the part.
- Can a tankless water heater be repaired?
- Yes, most problems with a tankless water heater can be fixed without replacing the whole unit. The igniter, the flow sensor, and the heat exchanger are the parts most likely to fail, and each can be replaced on its own. Mineral buildup in the heat exchanger is common and is usually cleared with a descaling flush rather than a new part. A contractor can check the unit's error code, since tankless models usually display one when something is wrong, and that points straight to the problem.