Water Heater Repair in Cartersville, GA
Tell us what your water heater is doing, and a licensed contractor who covers Bartow County will get in touch.
Tell us about the job
It takes about a minute.
What winter and storms do to a water heater in Bartow County
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 tap. On winter nights that average 33°F, that gap is wider, and the heating element or gas burner runs longer each time to close it. That extra runtime wears on the same parts each time it happens. You notice it as water that takes longer to turn hot, or a tank that runs out faster than it used to.
Bartow County has seen 90 damaging wind events and 5 winter storms over the past ten years. In 2024, nearly a third of Georgia households lost power for 24 hours or more. A power outage stops an electric water heater cold, and most units do not restart on their own once power comes back. A gas water heater with a standing pilot stays lit through the outage. One with electronic ignition will need to be relit by hand.
- 33°F
- the average winter night, and colder incoming water means longer heating
- 7 months
- October through April, 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 holding water it can no longer contain. Water heaters corrode from the inside over years of use, and once the tank wall gives way, no fitting or valve can be tightened to stop it. It could also be the drain valve or a loose fitting nearby, which a contractor can check without much trouble. If the leak is coming from the tank body, 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 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 still lit. A dirty pilot orifice or a draft blowing the flame out can cause the same thing. A contractor can test the thermocouple and clean or replace the parts that are keeping the pilot from staying on.
- Can a tankless water heater be repaired?
- Yes, most problems with a tankless water heater can be fixed without replacing the unit. Mineral buildup on the heat exchanger, a failed igniter, or an error code from a sensor are common issues a contractor can diagnose and repair. Tankless units also have parts, like the flow sensor and heat exchanger, that wear out over years of use and can be replaced on their own. A contractor can tell you whether the part causing the problem is worth repairing or whether the unit has reached the point where replacement makes more sense.