Water Heater Repair in Columbia, TN
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What Maury County winters do to a water heater
Your water heater works harder from October through April, with nights averaging 30°F through the coldest months. Cold water coming into the tank takes longer to heat, so the burner or heating element runs longer and more often to keep up.
Power outages add to the strain. In Tennessee, 20% of households went at least 24 hours without power in 2024, and Maury County has seen 9 winter storms and 104 damaging wind events over the past ten years. An electric water heater gives you no hot water until the power comes back. A gas water heater with a standing pilot keeps running through an outage, but if the pilot goes out, it will not relight on its own.
- 30°F
- the average winter night, and colder incoming water means longer heating
- 7 months
- October through April, the months homes here need heat
- 20%
- of Tennessee 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 $280 a year off hot water for a typical Tennessee home.
Estimates for a typical Tennessee home, compared with an older unit built to the federal minimum, from EIA household energy data and Tennessee 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 cause is the tank itself has rusted through from the inside and is starting to fail. Sediment builds up at the bottom of the tank over years and eats away at the steel until it lets go. Water can also drip from the bottom if a fitting or the drain valve is loose, or if the temperature and pressure relief valve is releasing water above and it's running down the side. A contractor can tell you within a few minutes whether it's the tank or something that can be fixed, and if it's the tank, it will need to be replaced.
- Why won't the pilot light on my water heater stay lit?
- Most of the time this means the thermocouple has weakened or is out of position and is no longer sensing the flame, so the gas valve shuts off. A dirty or clogged pilot orifice can cause the same thing by starving the flame. Less often, a draft is blowing the pilot out, or the gas valve itself has failed. A standing pilot doesn't use any electricity, so if the power's out and this is happening, that's not the reason.
- Can a tankless water heater be repaired?
- Yes, most problems with a tankless water heater are repairable. Mineral buildup on the heat exchanger is the most common issue, and it's cleared by flushing the unit with a descaling solution. Igniters, flow sensors, and fans can also fail and be replaced individually. A contractor can diagnose the error code the unit is showing and tell you what's actually wrong before recommending a full replacement.