Water Heater Repair in Stonecrest, GA
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What DeKalb County winters do to a water heater
Your water heater works harder from November through April, when incoming water runs cold and the tank has to make up more ground to hit temperature. On nights that average 35°F, that is six months of longer burner cycles or longer heating element runs, and that wear shows up first in the thermostat or the heating element itself.
Power is the other piece. Nearly a third of Georgia households lost power for a full day or more in 2024, and DeKalb County has seen 132 damaging wind events over the past decade. When the power drops and comes back, a gas water heater with a standing pilot stays lit and keeps working. One with an electric ignition system needs that ignition to relight the burner, and if it doesn't, you're left with cold water and no hot water until someone finds out why.
- 35°F
- the average winter night, and colder incoming water means longer heating
- 6 months
- November 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 $100 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?
- The most common reason is a failing tank. Years of heating and cooling let sediment build up inside, and that sediment slowly wears through the steel until it cracks. Once the tank itself is leaking, the unit needs to be replaced, not repaired. If the water is only coming from a fitting or valve on top and running down the side, that is a different problem and a contractor can often fix it without replacing the tank.
- Why won't the pilot light on my water heater stay lit?
- Usually the thermocouple has worn out and can no longer sense that the pilot is burning, so the gas valve shuts it off. A dirty or misaligned pilot orifice can cause the same thing. Both are parts a contractor replaces during a service call. If the pilot lights but won't stay on even when you hold the button in, that points straight to the thermocouple.
- Can a tankless water heater be repaired?
- Yes, most problems are repairable. Tankless units run on a circuit board, a heat exchanger, and sensors, and any of these can be replaced on its own. A common issue is scale buildup inside the heat exchanger, which restricts flow and trips an error code. A contractor can flush the unit to clear this or replace whichever part has failed.