Q & A

Answers to commonly asked questions from the experts on Thumbtack.

When is it time to replace a water heater?

Although regular water heater maintenance and water heater repair may extend the life of your hot water heater, it won’t last forever. Most water heaters have a life expectancy of about 10 years. Many water heaters need to be replaced when they’re 8-12 years old — that’s when they start to show signs of fatal wear, such as leaking around the base of the tank. A water heater should be replaced when it fails to sufficiently heat water for the home; if your heater is operating erratically, check first for a blown fuse or a tripped breaker to make sure an electrical issue isn’t causing the problem. Another time to replace a water heater is when you want to upgrade to either a larger model or a more energy-efficient one.

Who can fix a water heater?

When a water heater stops running effectively, it’s best to hire a water heater repair professional to troubleshoot the problem. Whether it’s a plumbing company that offers water heater repair services or a provider specializing in water heater repair and maintenance, most repair companies offer same-day service as well as weekend and after-hours emergency calls. Usually, water heater repair professionals are experts in both electric and gas systems, as well as tank and tankless heaters, and can repair any kind of unit.

Why is my hot water not working?

The most common complaint among homeowners is that their hot water isn’t working — and the water heater is generally the culprit. Typically, it isn’t making the water as hot as you’d like it to be. When the water isn’t hot enough — or isn’t hot at all — run through this troubleshooting checklist for basic water heater repair tasks:

Make sure the power is connected to the heater, then reset the thermostat.
If it’s a gas water heater, make sure the pilot light is lit.
Raise the temperature setting on the thermostat.

If these stops don’t lead to hot water, it’s time to either check the heating element in an electric water heater or the burner unit and gas control valve in a gas-powered heater. A water heater repair and maintenance company can handle these repair jobs. However, if your hot water heater is eight years or older, it may be time to replace the water heater instead of repairing it.

How much do new water heaters cost?

The cost of a new water heater depends largely on the type and size of the heater. The average national cost for a new water heater installation including a 40- to 50-gallon tank is $350-$780. Most homes don’t need larger tanks, but they are available — for a price. The average difference between a 50-gallon tank and a 75-gallon tank (the next most common size) ranges from $400 to $600. Hundred-gallon tanks are also available, and they can cost double or triple the price of a 50-gallon tank from the same manufacturer. New water heaters tend to be far more energy-efficient, so they can cut energy costs; homeowners may also be eligible for a new water heater rebate from their local utility company.

Typically, tankless water heaters, which heat water only when you need it, cost more but can save about 25 percent of annual water heating costs, on average. They also lose only 5 percent of their energy compared with a tank unit’s 30 percent energy loss. Note, too, that a water heater with a tank has a life expectancy of 10 years, while tankless units generally last about twice as long.

The final expense to consider is a possible disposal fee to get rid of the old water heater; some companies include it in the price, while others charge an average of $35-$150.

Melissa L.

Verified review

So Sergio comes out on short notice, has the parts for my water heater, fixes it, remains honest, friendly, and professional the whole time, and charges a very fair price. What's there not to like? Will definitely call him again!

Bob D.

Steve proved himself to be an excellent choice for me to have some home improvement work taken care. Within 10 minutes of placing my request on Thumb Tac, I had received a response from Steve with an estimate of how much it would cost to do the work site unseen. Within an hour he was onsite looking over the project; we were able to quickly negotiate a fair price to have the work done with Steve including the demolition and haul-away of a weathered wooden shed and the spa pump, heater, and other items stored within it. My primary request was to have a somewhat large, very weathered wood deck demoed and hauled away to a landfill/dump. Steve turned out to be an easy-going, personable, and exceptionally hard worker very knowledgeable in many areas of home improvement, construction and demolition. He carefully and expertly executed the demolition and haul away of the entire wood deck. – A lot of work. Steve worked his a$$ off to demo the deck and haul it away in an efficient, timely, and proper manner. As a result, I asked Steve to also provide a power wash to my house paying special attention to my very weathered front walkway pavers. Throughout the project Steve followed through on every promise and worked especially hard to bring out the best with the power washing of the pavers providing an exceptionally noticeable improvement after removing a lot of baked in dirt, grime, and fungus. There were a couple of times when Steve could not make it back to continue the work at the agreed upon time due to unexpected ‘life’ events, which I understand happens to all of us. However, even given a couple of unexpected hold-ups, he made it to the site every day, kept me in the loop with what was going on, and gave me a discount to compensate for the inconvenience and hold-up in getting to the site due to these interruptions. He went so far as to show up on a Sunday to coat and seal the newly power washed front walkway pavers. All-in-all, it was a great experience working with Steve. He was reliable, a hard worker, very proficient and knowledgeable, and very competitively priced. I look forward to having him back for other home improvements in the near future. Thanks for a great job, Steve! -Bob

Jeff V.

Diamond Plumbing was reliable/on-time to our scheduled appointment. Esteban provided options to repair my water heater. We agreed and he performed the repairs in a timely and professional manner. I will be using Diamond Plumbing in the future.

Colleen U.

We had a relief Valve leak. We had for weeks. My husband wanted to Purchase a new water heater thinking it needed to be replaced. Tyler diagnosed it prior to coming out. Showed up right away on Dec23 rd. Fixed the problem . Pricing was incredible. Will definitely call them again.

Kathie S.

Roger had the absolute best price to assemble my patio swing which I purchased from Costco. He was prompt, friendly, hardworking & cleaned up when finished. All around good work ethic. I plan to use him for future repairs around my house and will definitely recommend him to family & friends.

Doug P.

Adrian showed up on time, clean and professional manored. He had knowledge of the job and was able to address several complex electrical and plumbing issues. The job was finished and at a very affordable rate. I would hire Adrian again and will most likely do so soon!

A. M.

When I had an unfortunate problem with my water heater, Jerry helped me tremendously. Upon calling him at 6:40 in the morning, I figured to leave a message for someone to call me as most businesses do on off hours. To my surprise he actually answered. After explaining my problem to him, he decided to stop by first thing in the morning. I saw him within an hour later as he had promised, before 8. After taking a look, he took the time to explain the problems that could not be mended, so we decided a new one was best. He was very reasonable and professional on his installation price. He also took the time to look at all the additional parts to the water heater, as there were a couple of missteps on the previous unit installed that could have been potential hazards for my family. My wife and I were very appreciative of that. I would absolutely use Jerry's Pro Handyman Service again.

Tony M.

They repiped my home fast. Chris and his co-worker were very knoeledgable. Very professional will definately rehire for future work like waterless water heater, repipe water lines.

Jill H.

Isidrio is the BEST plumber (and tech) I've worked with. He was very professional, prompt, clean, and offered a very fair price. I've used him to install my water heater, fix a bathroom faucet leak, and he just remodeled by bathroom. It's hard to find people who are not just good at their job but who are also honest. I would recommend Isidrio for any job.

Maricela N.

I called Bob to get a quote for water heater pipe leak. After describing the problem, Bob gave me an quick estimate. He came out within couple hours later to fix the leak. While performing the repair, Bob called to let me know it would be an additional $30 to replace the shut off valve. The cost of the entire repair was exactly what he had quoted me. I was very happy with the service and repair. I would highly recommend Muller Plumbing Services.

Sean Y.

Chris did a great job replacing my garbage disposal. He was quick, professional, and reasonably priced. He is a CA licensed and insured plumber which was not the case with the other bidders on this job. Water damage is so expensive that you just have to use a licensed and insured plumber.

Thumbtack Customer

First to respond on a Friday late afternoon. He's doing a job in Palm Springs. Tells me on his way back home that he will stop in Redlands to check on a rental unit with no hot water. Arrives at tenants home and calls me to tell me its a thermocouple gone bad in the water heater and that he has one on hand and will be able to repair the water heater. Completes repair and has a customer for life. Great job Luis!

Jon M.

Jay is the real deal. He goes the extra mile and provides a completely painless plumbing experience. And he is the nicest guy you'll meet. Swift has my plumbing and water heater business from now on.

Ed H.

What can I say about these guys, that all of the other extremely satisfied customers haven’t already said? I had a leaking 40 gallon water heater and looked at the various companies provided to me by Thumbtack. I was presently surprised to see so many positives reviews on R & R Plumbing on Yelp, so I sent them an email and received a call from Ryan R within 30 minutes. Ryan R asked if I could send him a picture of the water heater, which I told him I could not, but I explained that it was a 40 gallon propane water heater, located in the garage. I requested a quote to replace my 40 gallon propane water heater with 30 gallon propane water heater, because I thought that it would be less expensive, (retired on a fixed income). Ryan R told me that a 40 gallon replacement propane water heater would be less expensive than a 30 gallon water heater and that the cost to run a 40 gallon propane water heater over a 30 gallon propane water heater was very small. Ryan R said that he could fit it in on Saturday, but I said why don’t we just schedule it for next week, (it was still working but leaking). Ryan R said that he would schedule it for the first thing Monday morning, (7:00am – 8:00am). Ryan called at 7:10 am Monday morning and told me he would be there within 20 minutes. He arrived on time and replaced my 40 gallon propane water heater. He also spent his valuable time cleaning up the area around the old leaking water heater, prior to installing the new water heater. Ryan R was able to get the job done very quickly, (you could tell that he has done this a number of times before, ha, ha, ha) he was very efficient and the quality of his work was second to none. Thank You Ryan R for a job well done! Since he was already at my home, I asked him to provide me with a quote on three leaking outside hose bibs, which he did. We will be scheduling a time for him to repair those as well. I could not see calling anyone else for any of my plumbing needs and neither should you.

Esteban M.

Chad was very generous with his knowledge and time. Helped me come to a solution I was comfortable with. He installed a new water heater at a fair price. I would hire him again for future jobs.

Amber M.

Our hot water heater was close to 16 years old and it finally went out. I don’t know anything about hot water heaters. The technician gave me a lot of useful information. They changed out surprisingly quick and I had running hot water within a few hours. I definitely recommend.

Jessica T.

George went above and beyond when it came to fixing my kitchen sink. I now have new pipes, water line and garbage disposal. All were installed quickly and with great skill. Will definitely hire again.

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