Water Heater Repair in Durango, CO
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Durango winters push your water heater harder
Homes here need heat from September through June, ten months of the year, and winter nights average 16°F from December through February. Cold ground and cold air both pull heat out of your tank faster, so the burner or element runs longer and more often to hold the water at temperature.
La Plata County has seen 128 winter storms and 30 damaging wind events over the past ten years, and storms like that knock out power. A gas water heater with an electronic ignition can lose its flame when the power drops, and an electric unit stops heating until power comes back. Across Colorado, 13% of households went at least 24 hours without power in 2024, long enough for a tank to go cold.
- 16°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?
- The most common reason is that the tank itself has rusted through from the inside and is failing. Water heaters have a steel tank with a glass lining, and once that lining cracks, the steel underneath corrodes and eventually leaks. It can also be a loose drain valve or a failed temperature and pressure relief valve, both of which a contractor can check before assuming the tank is done. If the leak is coming from the tank itself, the unit needs to be replaced, not repaired.
- Why won't the pilot light on my water heater stay lit?
- Usually the thermocouple has worn out and stopped telling the gas valve that a flame is present, so the valve shuts off the gas. It can also mean the pilot orifice is dirty or there is a draft near the pilot tube keeping it from staying lit. A standing pilot burns constantly on its own, so this is not related to your power going out. A contractor can test the thermocouple and replace it if that is the cause.
- Can a tankless water heater be repaired?
- Yes, most tankless water heater problems are repairable. Common issues are a scaled up heat exchanger, a failed flow sensor, or an igniter that has stopped working, and all of these can be serviced without replacing the unit. Mineral buildup from hard water is one of the most frequent causes of a tankless unit losing performance over time. A contractor can flush the system or replace the failed part depending on what is found.