Water Heater Repair & Replacement

• No hot water on a gas tank. Usually a thermocouple or flame sensor, a pilot that will not stay lit, a failed igniter or a gas control valve.
• No hot water on an electric tank. A failed heating element, a thermostat or a tripped high-limit reset.
• Hot water runs out fast. Sediment filling the bottom of the tank, a failed lower element on electric models, or a broken dip tube.
• Rumbling or popping. Sediment overheating at the bottom of the tank. Flushing helps if it is caught early.
• Leaking. A leak from a fitting, valve or the relief valve is usually repairable. Water coming from the tank itself means the tank has failed and needs replacing.
• Relief valve discharging. Pressure or temperature is too high, or thermal expansion has nowhere to go. A discharging relief valve should always be checked.
• Tankless unit shutting down or showing an error code. Often scale in the heat exchanger, a dirty inlet filter, venting problems or an ignition fault.
• Rusty or smelly water. A worn anode rod, or corrosion inside the tank.

1. Make it safe. If the tank is leaking, close the cold water inlet valve above the heater, turn the gas control to OFF or switch off the breaker for an electric heater, and keep the area clear.
2. Diagnosis. We check the burner or elements, controls, venting, relief valve and the tank itself, and on tankless units read the error history and check for scale.
3. Repair or replace, with a price first. If a part has failed, we quote the repair. If the tank is leaking or the heater is near the end of its life, we quote a replacement, and you decide.
4. Installation. On a replacement we fit the new heater, connect water, gas or electric and venting, install a relief valve discharge line and, where needed, an expansion tank, then fill and test it.
5. Walkthrough. We show you the shutoff, the temperature setting and how to flush the tank.

Water heater replacements can need local approval; K2 does not file town permits, so confirm the requirements with your building department.

• Repair or replacement. A thermocouple or element is a small repair; a new heater is a different job.
• Tank or tankless. Tankless units cost more up front and usually need larger gas piping and new venting.
• Fuel and capacity. Gas or electric, and the tank size or tankless flow rate your household needs.
• Venting and code items. Chimney or power venting, an expansion tank, seismic or drip pan requirements and the relief discharge line.
• Location. A heater in a tight closet or attic takes more labor than one in an open basement.
• Haul-away. Removing and disposing of the old heater.

Most tank water heaters last about 8 to 12 years. Repair makes sense for a failed thermocouple, element, thermostat or gas control on a heater that is not leaking and is under that age. Replace when the tank itself is leaking, the heater is past about 10 years and needs a significant part, or it no longer keeps up with your household.

If you are moving to gas heat, replacing an oil-fired or electric water heater with gas at the same time is common; see oil-to-gas conversion. Homes with a boiler can also consider a combi boiler or an indirect tank that uses the boiler to make hot water; our guide to combi vs. conventional boilers explains the trade-offs. Financing is available through Rheem KwikComfort, with credit provided by Synchrony Bank, subject to credit approval. See financing for how it works.

Related services: boiler repair, furnace repair, oil-to-gas conversion, tune-ups and 24/7 emergency service. Guides: planned vs. emergency replacement and why your warranty might already be void.