Water Heater Repair in Gastonia, NC
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Gaston County winters are hard on a water heater
Your water heater works harder from October through April, when incoming water runs cold and the tank has to make up more ground before it reaches the shower. On nights near freezing, it cycles more just to hold its temperature, and that adds wear to the heating element or the burner.
Gaston County has seen 67 damaging wind events and 6 winter storms over the past ten years, and a quarter of North Carolina households lost power for at least a day in 2024. When power drops out, an electric water heater stops heating until it's back, and a gas one with an electronic ignition won't relight on its own. If your water's gone cold after an outage or a hard freeze, that's usually where to look first.
- 32°F
- the average winter night, and colder incoming water means longer heating
- 7 months
- October through April, the months homes here need heat
- 25%
- of North Carolina 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 $300 a year off hot water for a typical North Carolina home.
Estimates for a typical North Carolina home, compared with an older unit built to the federal minimum, from EIA household energy data and North Carolina 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 of the time this means the tank itself has rusted through from the inside. Once the steel is breached, water will keep finding its way out and no fitting or valve can be tightened to stop it. It can also be a loose drain valve or a failed temperature and pressure relief valve, both of which a contractor can check in a few minutes. If the tank itself is the source, the water heater needs to be replaced, not repaired.
- Why won't the pilot light on my water heater stay lit?
- The most common cause is a worn out thermocouple or flame sensor, the part that senses the pilot flame and tells the gas valve to stay open. When it wears out, it can't confirm the flame is lit, so the gas valve shuts off even though the pilot is burning fine. A dirty pilot orifice or a draft blowing on the flame can cause the same thing. A contractor can test the thermocouple directly and replace it if it's reading weak.
- Can a tankless water heater be repaired?
- Yes, most problems with a tankless water heater are repairable. Mineral buildup on the heat exchanger is common and can be flushed out, and parts like the igniter, flow sensor, or fan motor can be replaced individually. The exceptions are a cracked heat exchanger or major internal corrosion, which usually mean replacement instead. A contractor can run the unit's error code to tell you which one you're dealing with.