Water Heater Repair in Fort Wayne, IN
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Fort Wayne winters put weight on your water heater
Groundwater coming into your house is cold for eight months of the year, October through May. That means your water heater works harder and longer to bring it up to temperature than it would somewhere warmer, and the burner or heating element runs more cycles because of it. Over time that wears on the thermostat and the heating element in an electric unit, or the burner and igniter in a gas one.
Allen County has seen 166 damaging wind events and 8 winter storms over the past ten years, and in Indiana about 17% of households lost power for a full day or more in 2024. A gas water heater with a standing pilot stays lit through an outage, but one with an electronic ignition will not restart until power comes back and someone relights it. If your water is suddenly running cold with no hot water at all, that is often the first thing to check.
- 21°F
- the average winter night, and colder incoming water means longer heating
- 8 months
- October through May, 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 often the tank itself has rusted through from the inside and is starting to fail. Water heaters have a glass lining that protects the steel tank, and once that lining cracks, corrosion sets in and eventually works its way through the metal. A leak like this won't seal or patch, the tank needs to be replaced. Before you assume the worst, check the drain valve near the bottom and the fittings above the tank, since a loose valve or a failed pressure relief valve can also drip water down the side and pool underneath, and either of those can be fixed without a new tank.
- 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's safe to stay open. Once it wears out, it can't hold that signal, so the valve shuts the gas off and the pilot goes out. A dirty or misaligned pilot orifice can cause the same thing, and a draft in the area can blow the flame out on its own. A standing pilot doesn't use any electricity, so a power outage isn't the issue. A contractor can test the thermocouple in a few minutes and replace it if it's the cause.
- Can a tankless water heater be repaired?
- Yes, most problems with a tankless unit are repairable. Mineral buildup on the heat exchanger is the most common issue, especially in homes on well water or hard water, and it's cleared with a descaling flush. Igniters, flow sensors, and gas valves can all be tested and replaced individually. It's rare for the whole unit to need replacing unless the heat exchanger itself has failed, and a contractor can tell you which one you're dealing with after looking at it.