Service
Water Heater Repair and Installation in Van Nuys, CA
No hot water, water that stays lukewarm, a puddle at the base of the tank or a rumble when it heats. This page covers what usually goes wrong, when repair makes sense and what installing a heater involves in California.
- Repair
- Replacement and installation
- Tank and tankless
Water Heater Services
Signs a water heater needs attention
A water heater works quietly for years and then does one of a few things. It stops heating, or heats less than it did. It makes noise: popping, rumbling or hissing. The hot water turns rusty or smells. Or it leaks. Which of these is happening tells a plumber a great deal about whether the answer is a repair or a new heater.
A leak from the tank itself always means replacement, because a tank cannot be patched. A drip from a fitting, a valve or the relief valve pipe may be a smaller repair, but it should not be left to see what happens.
- No hot water, or water that never gets as hot as it used to
- Hot water that runs out faster than before
- Popping, rumbling or hissing from the tank, often a sign of sediment
- Rusty or cloudy hot water
- Water pooling around the base of the heater
- A drip or steady flow from the pipe at the relief valve
How the work goes
What the work involves
Diagnosed before it is replaced
A heater that has stopped heating may need only a thermostat, a heating element, a thermocouple or a gas control valve, not a new tank. Testing the parts first separates a small repair from a tank that is finished.
Safety devices part of the job
The temperature and pressure relief valve and its discharge pipe, the gas shut-off, the vent and an expansion tank where one is needed are what keep a heater safe. They belong to every installation, not to an optional extra.
Braced for earthquakes
California requires water heaters to be strapped or braced to the wall framing, so that a quake does not tip the tank and tear its gas and water connections.
The right type for the house
Capacity, gas or electric supply, venting and the space available decide which heater fits. A like-for-like swap is the starting point, not an assumption.
Repair or replace?
Age is the first question. Tank heaters commonly last around a decade, sometimes longer, and less where water is hard, which it often is across Southern California: minerals settle on the bottom of the tank and on the heating elements and wear them down. A heater of that age with a failing part is often better replaced than repaired, since another part will probably follow. A younger heater with a bad thermostat or element is worth repairing. A leaking tank is replaced whatever its age.
- Usually a repair: a failed thermostat, heating element, thermocouple or gas control valve
- Usually a repair: a leaking drain valve, relief valve or supply connection
- Replacement: a leaking tank
- Replacement: an older tank with heavy sediment and more than one failing part
Tank or tankless, gas or electric
A tank heater stores and keeps hot a set amount of water, so its capacity is the limit. It is the simpler design. A tankless heater heats water as it flows, so it does not run out in the same way, but it has a maximum flow rate, may need a larger gas line and special venting, and needs descaling now and then where water is hard.
Neither is better in the abstract: the house, the number of people and the fuel available decide. A gas heater needs a vent for its exhaust. An electric one needs a circuit sized for it.
California requirements and safety
In California a water heater has to be strapped or braced, typically with two metal straps on the upper and lower parts of the tank fastened to the wall framing. Replacing a heater also commonly needs a permit and an inspection by the local building department, so ask your city what applies before the work.
The relief valve opens if pressure or temperature gets too high. It needs a discharge pipe run to a safe place, and it should never be capped or plugged. If you smell gas near the heater, leave the building and call the gas company or 911. Do not try to relight it.
Questions
Water Heater Services questions
How long does a water heater last?
A tank heater commonly lasts around ten years, and the range is wide, because water quality, sediment, use and maintenance all play a part. Hard water, which is common in Southern California, tends to shorten it. The rating plate or serial number usually shows when it was made.
Why does my water heater pop or rumble?
Usually sediment. Minerals settle at the bottom of the tank, and water trapped under that layer boils and bubbles up through it. The heater works harder and the tank wears. Flushing can help on a younger heater; on an old one, the noise often means the tank is near the end of its life.
Is it safe to keep using a leaking water heater?
Not for long. If the tank is leaking, close the cold-water valve on the heater, turn the gas control to off or pilot or switch off its breaker, and call. A leak from the tank means replacement, and the water can damage the floor and framing around the heater.
Do I need a permit to replace a water heater?
In many California cities, yes. Replacing a water heater is usually permitted work with an inspection of the straps, venting, relief valve and gas connection. The rule comes from your city or county building department, so ask what applies at your address.
Can a tankless heater use my existing gas line?
Sometimes not. Tankless heaters burn a lot of gas at once, so the existing gas line may need to be larger, and they need their own venting. Whether your current setup works depends on the house, and the line size and vent route have to be checked before a tankless unit is recommended.
More services
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