Water Heater Repair in Idaho Falls, ID
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Idaho Falls winters put your water heater to work
Winter nights here average 15°F from December through February, and the water entering your tank is just as cold. Your water heater has to work harder to bring it up to temperature, and that extra runtime adds wear on the heating element or burner.
Bonneville County has logged 157 winter storms in the past ten years, and storms like these bring outages. An electric water heater goes cold when the power drops and comes back on by itself once it's restored. A gas water heater with a standing pilot keeps heating through the outage, but if the pilot goes out in the wind, it will need to be relit before you have hot water again.
- 15°F
- the average winter night, and colder incoming water means longer heating
- 10 months
- September through June, the months homes here need heat
- 11%
- of Idaho 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 Idaho home.
Estimates for a typical Idaho home, compared with an older unit built to the federal minimum, from EIA household energy data and Idaho 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 itself is rusted through and starting to fail. Water heaters corrode from the inside as the glass lining wears out and the steel underneath gives way, and once that happens the leak will not stop or seal itself. It could also be a loose drain valve or a fitting at the bottom, which a contractor can check before deciding the tank is done for. A water heater with a failing tank 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 can no longer tell the gas valve that the pilot is burning. When that happens the valve shuts the gas off as a safety measure, even though you can see the flame. A weak pilot flame, a draft near the burner compartment, or a clogged pilot orifice can cause the same problem. 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. The heat exchanger, igniter, flow sensor, and venting are the parts that most often need attention, and a contractor can diagnose which one is causing the trouble. Hard water buildup inside the unit is a common cause of reduced flow or error codes, and flushing the system often resolves it. If the heat exchanger itself has cracked or failed, a contractor will tell you whether repair or replacement makes more sense for that unit.