Water Heater Repair in Aurora, CO
Tell us what your water heater is doing, and a licensed contractor who covers Arapahoe County will get in touch.
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It takes about a minute.
Cold groundwater means longer burner runs
Winter nights averaging 16°F from December through February mean the water coming into your tank starts out cold, so the burner or the elements have to run longer to bring it up to temperature. That extra runtime wears on the parts that do the heating, and it often shows up first as water that never quite gets past lukewarm.
Power matters too. About 13% of Colorado households went at least 24 hours without power in 2024. Most gas water heaters with a standing pilot keep working through an outage, but electric units and any gas unit with an electronic ignition will not come back on by themselves once the power returns.
- 16°F
- the average winter night, and colder incoming water means longer heating
- 8 months
- October through May, the months homes here need heat
- 13%
- of Colorado 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 $60 a year off hot water for a typical Colorado home.
Estimates for a typical Colorado home, compared with an older unit built to the federal minimum, from EIA household energy data and Colorado 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 failing from the inside. Water heater tanks are lined, but once that lining wears out the steel underneath corrodes, and a leak from the bottom usually means it has already reached that point. It can also be a loose drain valve or a fitting that has failed, which a contractor can check before assuming the tank is done. A leaking tank is not something to patch. Once the tank itself is leaking, it needs to be replaced.
- Why won't the pilot light on my water heater stay lit?
- This is usually the thermocouple, the small sensor that tells the gas valve the pilot is burning. When it wears out or sits out of position, it shuts the gas off even though the flame is lit. A weak pilot flame, a draft near the burner, or a clogged pilot orifice can cause the same thing. A contractor can test the thermocouple and clean or replace whatever is keeping the pilot from staying lit.
- Can a tankless water heater be repaired?
- Yes. Most problems in a tankless unit come down to the igniter, the flow sensor, or mineral buildup on the heat exchanger, and all of those can be serviced without replacing the unit. Hard water buildup is the most common cause of a tankless heater losing output over time, and it can usually be flushed out. A contractor can diagnose which part is causing the problem and repair it in place in most cases.