Water Heater Repair in Boulder, CO
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Boulder County winters are hard on a water heater
Homes here need heat from September through June, and winter nights from December through February average 17°F. Cold like that means your water heater is working from a colder start most of the year, and the burner or heating element has to run longer to bring water up to temperature. That extra runtime wears on the parts that do the heating, the burner assembly and thermocouple in a gas unit, the heating element and thermostat in an electric one.
Colorado also sees its share of power interruptions, with 13% of households going without power for at least 24 hours in 2024. Most electric water heaters need to be reset by hand once power comes back. If yours has been giving you cold water since the last outage, that may be why.
- 17°F
- the average winter night, and colder incoming water means longer heating
- 10 months
- September through June, 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?
- Water pooling under the tank almost always means the tank itself has rusted through from the inside and is starting to fail. It can also be a loose drain valve or a fitting that's simply weeping, which a contractor can tighten or reseal. But if the leak is coming from the tank body, there's no patch for it, the tank needs to be replaced. Shut off the water supply to the heater and call someone out before it gets worse.
- Why won't the pilot light on my water heater stay lit?
- A pilot that won't stay lit is usually a sign the thermocouple has worn out. That's the small sensor that sits in the flame and tells the gas valve it's safe to keep the gas flowing. Once it wears down, it can't hold that signal, so the valve shuts the gas off and the flame dies. It's a small part and a common fix, but it should be swapped by someone licensed to work on the gas line.
- Can a tankless water heater be repaired?
- Yes, most problems in a tankless unit are repairable. The heat exchanger, the igniter, and the flow sensor are the parts that tend to fail, and each can be replaced on its own without swapping the whole unit. Mineral buildup in the exchanger is common too, especially if the unit has never been flushed, and that can often be cleared rather than replaced. A contractor can open the unit up and tell you which part is actually causing the trouble.