Water Heater Repair in Janesville, WI
Tell us what your water heater is doing, and a licensed contractor who covers Rock County will get in touch.
Tell us about the job
It takes about a minute.
What a long Janesville winter does to a water heater
Cold groundwater runs into your house from October through May, eight months of the year, and your water heater has to work harder the whole time to make up the difference. On nights that average 16°F, a tank sitting in an unheated basement or garage loses heat faster too, so the burner or element runs longer and cycles more often just to hold temperature.
That long stretch of hard running is what wears down a heating element or a thermostat before its time. You will usually notice it first as water that never gets quite as hot as it used to, or a tank that takes longer to recover after a shower or a load of laundry.
- 16°F
- the average winter night, and colder incoming water means longer heating
- 8 months
- October 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 from the inside, and once that happens the tank has to be replaced, not patched. Sediment builds up at the bottom of the tank over the years and corrodes the steel until it lets go. It can also be a loose drain valve or a fitting that's failed, and those a contractor can actually repair. Shut off the power or gas to the unit and have someone look at it before more water gets out.
- Why won't the pilot light on my water heater stay lit?
- A pilot that won't stay lit is usually a thermocouple that's worn out and no longer telling the gas valve the flame is there. It can also mean a dirty pilot orifice or a draft blowing the flame out. A standing pilot uses no electricity, so this isn't a power problem. A contractor can test the thermocouple and replace it if it's the cause.
- Can a tankless water heater be repaired?
- Yes, most tankless problems come down to a part that can be replaced rather than the whole unit. A dirty inlet filter, a failed igniter, or mineral scale built up on the heat exchanger are common causes, and each has a fix. Hard water speeds up that scale buildup, so units that haven't been descaled in a while are more likely to need service. A contractor can flush the unit or replace the failed part.