Water Heater Repair in Madison, WI
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Groundwater this cold makes your water heater work harder for months
Your water heater pulls in groundwater that runs cold from October through May, and it has to raise that temperature a lot more than it would in a warmer stretch of the year. That extra work falls on the heating element or the burner, and on the thermostat that tells them when to fire. Over enough winters, those parts wear out and you notice hot water that doesn't last as long as it used to, or doesn't get hot at all.
Dane County has had 22 winter storms and 128 damaging wind events over the past ten years, and storms like these knock out power. Statewide, 18% of households went at least a day without it in 2024. A gas water heater with a standing pilot will keep running through an outage, but most electric units and many gas ones with electronic ignition go cold until the power comes back, and some need a hand relighting the pilot once it does.
- 14°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 and started to fail. Water heater tanks corrode from the inside over years of use, and once the tank wall is breached, water finds a way out at the lowest point. It can also be a loose drain valve or a fitting on the bottom that has failed, which is a much simpler fix. A contractor can tell you within a few minutes whether it is the tank or a part, but if the tank is cracked, the water heater needs to be replaced, not patched.
- Why won't the pilot light on my water heater stay lit?
- The most common cause is a worn out thermocouple, the small sensor that tells the gas valve the pilot is burning. When it wears out, it fails to hold the valve open and the flame goes out. A dirty pilot orifice or a draft in the area can also blow the flame out. This is a repair a licensed contractor should handle, since it involves the gas line, and in Wisconsin any contractor doing this work has to be registered with the Department of Safety and Professional Services.
- Can a tankless water heater be repaired?
- Yes, most problems with a tankless water heater are repairable. Mineral buildup on the heat exchanger is the most common issue, especially in a home on hard water, and it is cleared with a descaling flush. Igniters, flow sensors and venting problems can also be fixed without replacing the unit. A contractor will need to check the error code the unit is showing to know which part is at fault.