Water Heater Repair and Replacement
Gas and electric tank heaters, tankless units and heat pump models in basements across Elyria and nearby towns: repaired when that makes sense, replaced when it does not.
Repair or Replace? A Quick Checklist
A water heater gives a few clear signs. Here is what each one usually means for the decision.
- Age. The year is in the serial number on the label. A tank under about 8 years old is usually worth repairing; past 10 to 12 years, money is usually better spent on a new one.
- Rusty hot water. If only the hot side runs brown, the tank's anode rod may be used up and the tank itself may be starting to rust. On an older tank that usually means replacement is near.
- Water pooling at the base. A leak from the tank body cannot be repaired. A leak from the relief valve, the drain valve or a fitting often can.
- Pilot or element failure. A gas heater whose pilot will not stay lit, or an electric heater with a failed element or thermostat, has a part we replace. If the tank is sound, that is a repair.
- Rumbling, popping, or hot water that runs out fast. Sediment, a broken dip tube or a failed lower element. Repairable on a younger tank; a reason to plan a replacement on an old one.
When we look at a heater, you hear what we found, what a repair would involve and what a replacement would involve, with an honest quote for whichever you choose. If the heater is leaking now, the emergency page shows how to shut it down safely.
What Size Water Heater Do You Need?
A heater that is too small runs out in the middle of a shower; one that is too big costs more to buy and to keep hot. Use the guide for a starting size, then compare models by the numbers that matter.
Water Heater Sizing Guide
Pick your household and the type of heater you are thinking about. You get a starting size to compare models with.
Your starting size will appear here.
The rules of thumb behind it: for a tank, look at the first-hour rating on the yellow EnergyGuide label, and count about 13 gallons of hot water for each shower in your busiest hour plus 14 for sinks and appliances. As a rough start, 1 or 2 people do well with a 40-gallon tank; 3 or 4 people with a 40- or 50-gallon gas tank or a 50-gallon electric; 5 or more, or two showers at once, with a 50- to 75-gallon gas tank, or a 65- to 80-gallon electric or heat pump. A gas tankless unit is sized by flow instead: about 2 gallons per minute for each shower running at once, plus 1 for a faucet, measured at a 70°F temperature rise.
Tank, Tankless or Heat Pump?
Most Elyria basements have a gas tank today, and replacing it with the same type is the simplest job. The other types are worth a look if you are short on hot water, short on space, or have no gas.
| Type | Lifespan range | Space needed | Fuel | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gas tank | About 8 to 12 years | A tank about 2 feet across, with clearance around it and a vent to the chimney or through the wall | Natural gas | Most basements with a gas line; reheats quickly |
| Electric tank | About 10 to 15 years | About the same footprint as gas; no vent needed | Electricity (240-volt circuit) | Homes without gas, closets and finished basements |
| Tankless (gas) | Often 15 to 20 years, with yearly descaling | A small wall-mounted unit, but its own vent and usually a larger gas line | Natural gas | Long showers back to back, saving floor space |
| Heat pump (hybrid) | About 10 to 15 years | A taller tank with plenty of air around it, plus a condensate drain | Electricity | Homes without gas that want lower running costs; basements that stay above about 40°F |
Lifespans are typical ranges for each type; water quality, sediment and how well a heater is looked after move them either way.
Lake Erie Water and Winter Recovery Times
Elyria's water comes from Lake Erie, treated at the city's plant on the lakeshore in Lorain. In January and February it reaches the house close to 40°F, sometimes colder; in late summer it is often in the 60s or warmer. That difference shows up in your hot water in two ways.
- Each shower takes more hot water. To get a comfortable shower from colder supply water, the mixing valve has to take a bigger share from the tank.
- The tank reheats more slowly. A typical gas tank brings back roughly a quarter less hot water per hour in midwinter than in summer, and an electric tank, which reheats more slowly to begin with, falls further behind.
So a heater that kept up in September can run out in January, and an older tank with sediment in the bottom feels it first. Tankless units have the same limit in a different form: in winter their flow at a comfortable temperature drops, which is why we size them for a 70°F rise.
Permits, Old Units and Hard Water
Does replacing a water heater need a permit?
In Elyria, yes: a replacement water heater is on the city building department's plumbing permit list, and the neighboring cities have similar rules. When we quote a replacement, we tell you about the permit and the inspection it involves, so nothing comes as a surprise.
What happens to the old water heater?
The old tank is drained, disconnected and carried out of the basement as part of a replacement. Steel tanks go for scrap recycling rather than to a landfill.
Is our water hard, and does it hurt the heater?
Lake Erie water is moderately hard. Over the years the minerals settle in the bottom of a tank as sediment: you hear it as rumbling or popping when a gas burner runs, and it slowly eats into capacity and efficiency. In a tankless unit the same minerals build scale in the heat exchanger, which is why those units need descaling about once a year.
Should I flush my water heater?
On a newer tank, draining a few gallons from the valve at the bottom once or twice a year keeps sediment from building up. On a tank that has never been flushed in ten years, be careful: the old drain valve can stick open or drip afterwards. Ask us first, or have it done during a service visit.
Gas or electric: which should I choose?
Usually the house decides. If you have a gas line and a vent that suits a new heater, gas reheats faster and is the common choice in Elyria basements. Without gas, an electric tank or a heat pump model is the answer, as long as the electric panel has room for the circuit. We go over the options with you before anything is ordered.
Related Pages
No hot water, or planning a replacement?
Call and describe the problem, or send a request with a good time to reach you. You get an honest quote before any work starts.