Water Heater Repair in Dothan, AL
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What storms in Houston County do to your water heater
Houston County has logged 205 damaging wind events over the past ten years, and 18 percent of Alabama households went at least 24 hours without power in 2024. That is enough outages that it is worth knowing what happens to your water heater when the power goes out.
A gas water heater with a standing pilot keeps making hot water right through an outage, since the pilot needs no power to stay lit. One with electric ignition, or an electric tank, will not run until power is back, and it should come back on by itself once it is. If yours does not, that is worth a look.
- 41°F
- the average winter night, and colder incoming water means longer heating
- 5 months
- November through March, the months homes here need heat
- 18%
- of Alabama 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 $310 a year off hot water for a typical Alabama home.
Estimates for a typical Alabama home, compared with an older unit built to the federal minimum, from EIA household energy data and Alabama 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?
- Water at the bottom of the tank usually means the tank itself has rusted through from the inside. Once the steel lining fails, the leak will not stop or seal itself, and a leaking tank has to be replaced rather than repaired. It could also be a loose drain valve or a fitting that just needs tightening, so it is worth checking those before assuming the worst. A contractor can tell you which one you are dealing with in a few minutes.
- Why won't the pilot light on my water heater stay lit?
- Most of the time this means the thermocouple has worn out and can no longer sense that the pilot is burning, so it shuts the gas off. A weak pilot flame, a draft near the burner, or a clogged pilot tube can cause the same thing. Cleaning or replacing the part usually fixes it, and it is not something to keep relighting on your own if it keeps happening.
- Can a tankless water heater be repaired?
- Yes. Tankless units are built to have their parts serviced, including the igniter, the flow sensor, and the heat exchanger, rather than replaced whole. Hard water can also clog the exchanger over time, which shows up as hot water that fades in and out. A contractor can flush or descale the unit and test which part is actually causing the problem.