Water Heater Repair in Fort Collins, CO
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Fort Collins winters put a real load on your water heater
Groundwater coming into your house is already cold when it arrives, and from December through February it has to climb from near freezing to whatever your tap runs at. That means the burner or the heating element stays on longer and cycles more to keep up, and it keeps that pace most of the year, since homes here need heat from September through June.
The strain shows up in the parts that do the most work. A gas water heater's thermocouple or igniter can wear out from all that cycling, and you will notice the pilot won't stay lit or the burner won't fire. An electric unit's heating element can burn out the same way, and you will notice the water comes out lukewarm no matter how long you run it. Larimer County also sees its share of winter storms and wind, and if the power goes out, most tanks come back on by themselves once it returns. If yours doesn't, that is worth a look.
- 15°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 tank has likely rusted through from the inside and is starting to fail. Water heaters corrode from the inside out over years of use, and once the tank itself is leaking, there is no patch or part that fixes it. A puddle at the base can also come from a loose drain valve or a fitting on the bottom of the tank, and those are worth checking before assuming the worst. If the tank itself is leaking, the unit needs to be replaced, not repaired.
- Why won't the pilot light on my water heater stay lit?
- The most common cause is a worn thermocouple, the small sensor that tells the gas valve the pilot is burning. When it wears out, it fails to sense the flame and shuts the gas off even though the pilot is lit. A dirty pilot orifice or a draft blowing out the flame can cause the same problem. A contractor can test the thermocouple and replace it if that's the cause, but a pilot that won't hold flame at all after multiple relights usually points to the gas valve itself.
- Can a tankless water heater be repaired?
- Yes, most tankless water heater problems are repairable. Common issues are a clogged inlet filter, a buildup of mineral scale in the heat exchanger, a failed igniter, or an error code pointing to a specific sensor. A contractor can diagnose which part is causing the fault and replace it rather than the whole unit. Tankless units generally last longer than tank models, so repair is usually the right first step unless the heat exchanger itself has failed.