Water Heater Repair in Eau Claire, WI
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Long winters and storm outages wear on your water heater here
Eau Claire County needs heat from September through May, nine months a year, and winter nights average 9°F from December through February. Your water heater runs harder and longer through that stretch, and the extra strain shows up in the heating element and the thermostat first. You notice it as water that never quite gets hot, or a tank that runs out faster than it used to.
The county has seen 27 winter storms and 35 damaging wind events over the past ten years, and storms like that bring power interruptions with them. Statewide, 18% of households went at least 24 hours without power in 2024. Most electric water heaters come back on by themselves once power returns, but a gas unit with an electronic ignition may need to be relit by hand.
- 9°F
- the average winter night, and colder incoming water means longer heating
- 9 months
- September through May, the months homes here need heat
- 18%
- of Wisconsin 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 $40 a year off hot water for a typical Wisconsin home.
Estimates for a typical Wisconsin home, compared with an older unit built to the federal minimum, from EIA household energy data and Wisconsin 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 once that happens the tank has to be replaced, not patched. Water pools at the bottom either because the tank is failing from the inside or because a fitting, the drain valve, or the temperature and pressure relief valve is dripping down the side and collecting there. A contractor can tell within a few minutes which one it is. If it's the tank itself, get the water shut off to it soon. A tank that's rusted through only gets worse, and a full tank of water landing on your floor is a bigger problem than the leak you have now.
- 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 anymore, so the valve shuts the gas off even though you just lit it. A dirty pilot orifice or a draft pulling the flame sideways can cause the same thing. A standing pilot doesn't use any electricity, so this isn't related to a power issue. It's a straightforward part to test and replace.
- Can a tankless water heater be repaired?
- Yes, in most cases. The parts that fail most, the igniter, the flow sensor, the heat exchanger, and the venting, can usually be replaced without swapping out the whole unit. Mineral buildup inside the heat exchanger is a common cause of poor performance, and that can often be flushed out rather than replaced. A contractor will need to look at the specific fault code or symptom to say whether repair or replacement makes more sense for your unit.