Nobody thinks about the heater until the shower runs cold. Plumbers of Little Rock fixes gas and electric tanks, replaces the ones that have quit and fits tankless units for homes that want them.
Yours may be tucked in a garage, a laundry closet or a basement corner, and we have worked in all of those. After a look at the unit we tell you whether another repair is worth it.
Look for a dry tank with one part that has failed. An electric unit that gives lukewarm water may need a new element or thermostat. A gas unit that will not stay lit may need an igniter or a thermocouple. The steel shell still holds, so a part is all you pay for.
A puddle under the tank that keeps coming back, or brown water from the drain valve, says the inside has rusted through. Spending on parts at that stage only delays the swap. We choose a new tank to match your fuel and the size of your household.
A tankless unit heats water only while a tap is open and gives hot water for as long as the flow lasts. Each model has a flow ceiling, so it needs to be matched to how many showers and appliances run together. Gas models may need a wider gas pipe, and electric ones draw a very large current.
A new bathroom or a kitchen remodel can leave the old heater in the wrong place, and sometimes a second tank is warranted. Either way, new water, drain and gas or electric lines are needed, and the plumber lays out the route before making a cut.
A tank is chosen for the hour when your household uses the most hot water. A tankless unit is chosen for how many fixtures run together and how cold the supply is. On our tankless flow calculator every place on this site uses 52°F incoming water and a 68°F rise to reach 120°F, since January lows run from 29°F to 31°F. Compare a unit’s rating at that rise.
Your own habits set the size. Tell the water heater size calculator how your household uses hot water and it suggests a tank size with a first-hour rating, and give the tankless flow calculator the same details to see the flow and temperature rise a tankless unit must meet. Neither replaces a plumber’s check of fuel, venting and space.
Start with the serial number on the tank’s rating label. The water heater age by serial number tool converts it into a build year. Once you know the age, weigh the condition, because heavy rust on an old tank points to replacement and a lone dead part on a young one points to repair.
See also leak detection and slab leaks and the main page.
Which fuel does it use, is it a tank or tankless, and what is it doing? Answer those and, where the job allows, we quote by phone for nothing. The room it sits in is useful to know as well.
Call (855) 321-3426