Water Heater Repair in Augusta, GA
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What Augusta winters and storms do to your water heater
Your water heater works hardest from November through March, when incoming water runs cold and the tank has to make up more ground to get hot. That extra cycling puts more wear on the heating element and the thermostat that controls it, and it's often when a weak element finally gives out.
Augusta has logged 87 damaging wind events over the past ten years, and storms like that knock out power. Across Georgia, 31% of households lost power for 24 hours or more in 2024. Most electric water heaters come back on by themselves once power returns, but a gas water heater with a standing pilot will need that pilot relit by hand before you get hot water again.
- 37°F
- the average winter night, and colder incoming water means longer heating
- 5 months
- November through March, the months homes here need heat
- 31%
- of Georgia 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 $330 a year off hot water for a typical Georgia home.
Estimates for a typical Georgia home, compared with an older unit built to the federal minimum, from EIA household energy data and Georgia 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 often the tank itself has rusted through and is failing from the inside. Sediment builds up at the bottom of the tank over years, and it traps moisture against the steel until a pinhole opens up. That kind of leak cannot be patched, since the tank is done at that point. A leak can also come from the drain valve or a fitting near the bottom, which a contractor can actually repair, so it is worth having someone look before you assume the tank needs replacing.
- Why won't the pilot light on my water heater stay lit?
- The most common cause is a worn thermocouple, the small sensor that sits in the pilot flame and tells the gas valve it is safe to keep the gas flowing. When it wears out, it stops sensing the flame correctly and shuts the gas off, even though the pilot lit fine a moment ago. A dirty pilot orifice or a draft blowing the flame around can cause the same thing. A standing pilot runs on its own and does not need power, so if yours keeps going out, it is worth having a contractor check the thermocouple rather than relighting it over and over.
- Can a tankless water heater be repaired?
- Yes, most problems with a tankless water heater are repairable. Igniters, flow sensors, and the heat exchanger can all be serviced or replaced without swapping out the whole unit. Mineral buildup on the heat exchanger is common too, especially if the water heater has never been descaled, and that alone can cause it to lose heating power or shut down. A contractor can flush the unit and test the parts to find out exactly what is going wrong.