Water Heater Repair in Preston, ID
Tell us what your water heater is doing, and a licensed contractor who covers Franklin County will get in touch.
Tell us about the job
It takes about a minute.
Preston winters push your water heater hard
Your water heater works harder here than the label suggests. With winter nights averaging 16°F from December through February, the incoming water is colder, and the burner or element has to run longer to make up the difference. That extra runtime wears on the parts that do the heating, and a unit that struggled through last winter may show it this year as less hot water or a longer wait for it.
The county has seen 62 winter storms and 10 damaging wind events over the past ten years, and statewide, 11% of households lost power for a full day or more in 2024. A power cut shuts down the ignition system on a gas water heater and stops an electric one cold. When the power comes back, most units restart on their own, but if yours does not, or if it never quite recovered from the storm before that, the problem may have been building for a while.
- 16°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
- Why is my water heater leaking from the bottom?
- Most often the tank itself has rusted through and is starting to fail. Water heaters have a steel tank with a glass lining, and once that lining cracks the steel underneath corrodes until it gives way. A leak from the bottom can also come from the drain valve or from fittings that have loosened over time, so it's worth checking those before you assume the tank is done. If the tank itself is the source, it 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 can't sense the flame properly, so the gas valve shuts off the pilot as a safety measure. A weak gas supply or a draft blowing out the flame can cause the same problem, so a contractor will check the thermocouple first and then look at what else might be pulling the flame out. This is a gas appliance repair, so it should go to a licensed contractor rather than something you troubleshoot yourself.
- Can a tankless water heater be repaired?
- Yes, most problems with a tankless water heater are repairable. Mineral buildup on the heat exchanger is a common issue, especially since tankless units run water through narrow passages that scale can clog over time. Igniter failures, sensor faults, and venting problems are also things a contractor can diagnose and fix. Full replacement is usually only needed when the heat exchanger itself has failed.