Water Heater Repair in Thornton, CO
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Thornton winters put water heaters to work
From October through May your water heater is heating cold incoming water, and on nights near 16°F that groundwater comes in colder than it would most of the year. The burner or element runs longer to make up the difference, and that extra runtime wears on the thermostat and the heating element in an electric unit, or the burner assembly and thermocouple in a gas one.
Adams County also sees its share of winter storms and wind, and power can go out for a day or more. Most water heaters come back on by themselves once power returns, but a gas unit with a standing pilot will need that pilot relit before it heats water again.
- 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 started to fail. Water heaters have a steel tank with a glass lining inside, and once that lining cracks, the steel underneath corrodes until it lets water through. A leak can also come from the drain valve, a loose fitting, or the temperature and pressure relief valve doing its job because the tank is overheating or over-pressurized. A leak from the tank itself means the water heater needs to be replaced, not repaired, so a contractor should look at it before you decide.
- Why won't the pilot light on my water heater stay lit?
- The most common cause is a worn thermocouple or flame sensor, the part that tells the gas valve the pilot is actually burning. When it wears out or gets coated in soot, it reads the flame as out even when it is lit, so the gas valve shuts things down. A dirty pilot orifice or a draft in the area can also blow the flame out or keep it from sensing right. Cleaning or replacing that sensor usually solves it, but if it keeps happening a contractor should check for a bad gas valve or a venting problem.
- Can a tankless water heater be repaired?
- Yes, most tankless water heater problems are repairable. Common issues are a clogged inlet filter, mineral buildup on the heat exchanger from hard water, a failed igniter, or an error code pointing to a specific sensor. Because tankless units run on electronic controls, a contractor can usually pull the exact fault code and fix the part behind it rather than guessing.