Water Heater Repair in Evansville, IN
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What Evansville winters do to a water heater
Vanderburgh County homes need heat for seven months a year, October through April, and your water heater is working through that same stretch of cold. On nights that average 27°F from December through February, it holds a bigger gap between the water coming in and the temperature you want out of the tap. Closing that gap more often wears on the heating element in an electric tank and on the burner and thermocouple in a gas one.
The county has logged 103 damaging wind events and 11 winter storms over the past ten years, and statewide, 17 percent of households went at least a day without power in 2024. A power outage stops an electric water heater cold. Most units come back on their own once power returns, and a gas water heater with a standing pilot keeps running through the outage. If yours does not come back on its own, that is often a sign something else was already going bad.
- 27°F
- the average winter night, and colder incoming water means longer heating
- 7 months
- October through April, the months homes here need heat
- 17%
- of Indiana 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 $50 a year off hot water for a typical Indiana home.
Estimates for a typical Indiana home, compared with an older unit built to the federal minimum, from EIA household energy data and Indiana 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 of the time this means the tank itself has rusted through and is failing. Sediment settles on the bottom of the tank over the years, and it corrodes the steel from the inside until it gives way. A leak can also come from the drain valve or a fitting above it, and those are worth checking first because they can be repaired. Once the tank itself is leaking, though, it needs to be replaced, not patched.
- 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 lit, and the pilot goes out. A dirty pilot tube or a draft can also blow the flame out. A contractor can test the thermocouple and replace it, which usually solves the problem.
- Can a tankless water heater be repaired?
- Yes, most problems with a tankless water heater can be fixed without replacing the whole unit. Common issues are a clogged inlet filter, a buildup of scale on the heat exchanger, or a failed igniter or flow sensor. A contractor can flush the unit and replace the specific part that's failing. Replacement is usually only needed when the heat exchanger itself has failed.