Water Heater Repair in Silverthorne, CO
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Winter nights here mean your water heater never gets a break
Winter nights in Silverthorne average 8°F from December through February, and cold homes call for hot water at a steady pace all year. That means the burner or heating element cycles on and off day after day, with little rest between. Each cycle wears on the thermostat and the ignition parts a little more, and you notice it as water that takes longer to heat or runs out sooner than it used to.
Power matters here too. Across Colorado, 13% of households went at least 24 hours without power in 2024, and Summit County has logged 42 damaging wind events over the past ten years. Most water heaters come back on by themselves once power returns. If yours does not, that is worth a look before the next cold spell.
- 8°F
- the average winter night, and colder incoming water means longer heating
- 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 cause is a failed drain valve or fittings that have loosened over time. It can also mean the tank itself has rusted through from the inside, which happens as the glass lining wears down and the steel underneath corrodes. A leak from a fitting can sometimes be tightened or replaced. A leak from the tank itself means the water heater needs to be replaced, since there is no way to seal a hole in the steel. Shut off the water supply to the tank and the power or gas to it until a contractor can look at it, since a tank that keeps filling while it leaks will only get worse.
- Why won't the pilot light on my water heater stay lit?
- This usually means the thermocouple has worn out and no longer signals that the flame is lit, so the gas valve shuts off as a safety measure. It can also mean the pilot orifice is dirty or partially blocked, or there is a draft in the area reaching the flame. A thermocouple is inexpensive to replace and is the most common fix for this problem. If the pilot lights but won't hold even after a new thermocouple, the gas valve itself may need to be replaced.
- Can a tankless water heater be repaired?
- Yes, most tankless water heater problems are repairable. Common issues include a clogged inlet filter, mineral scale built up on the heat exchanger from hard water, a failed flow sensor, or an ignition problem on gas units. Scale buildup is common enough that many tankless units need periodic descaling to keep working properly. A contractor can run the unit's diagnostics to find which part is failing before deciding whether to repair or replace it.