Water Heater Repair in Florence, AL
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Winter power outages hit Florence water heaters hard
Lauderdale County sees winter nights that average 32°F from December through February, and homes here need heat seven months a year, October through April. Cold water coming into the tank means the heating element or gas burner runs longer and more often to keep up.
The county has recorded 9 winter storms and 653 damaging wind events over the past ten years. Across Alabama, 18% of households lost power for 24 hours or more in 2024. A gas water heater with a standing pilot will keep working through an outage, but one with an electronic ignition or an electric tank will not fire back up until the power does. When it comes back on, some units need to be relit or reset by hand, and that is when a bad thermocouple or igniter shows itself.
- 32°F
- the average winter night, and colder incoming water means longer heating
- 7 months
- October through April, 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?
- Most often the tank itself has rusted through and is starting to fail. Water heaters corrode from the inside as sediment builds up over the years, and once the tank wall gives way, no seal or fitting will stop it. It can also be a loose drain valve or a fitting where the water lines connect, and those can sometimes be tightened or replaced. A contractor can tell within a few minutes whether it's the tank or something that can actually be fixed.
- Why won't the pilot light on my water heater stay lit?
- The thermocouple has likely worn out. That's the small sensor that sits in the pilot flame and tells the gas valve it's safe to keep sending gas. Once it weakens, it can't hold that signal and the valve shuts the pilot down as a safety measure. It's a simple part to replace, but a weak flame can also mean the pilot orifice is dirty or the gas valve itself is going, so it's worth having someone look at it rather than keep relighting it.
- Can a tankless water heater be repaired?
- Yes, most tankless problems are repairable rather than reasons to replace the unit. Common issues are a buildup of scale on the heat exchanger, a faulty igniter, or an error code pointing to a sensor or the venting. A contractor can read the unit's error code and go straight to the part causing it.