60-minute guarantee · Coupon
Later than 60 minutes from call to door?
Here’s $60 off.
No code to remember: tell your plumber or our dispatcher and $60 comes off the invoice. Good 24/7 on emergency calls in our service areas. Guarantee terms
Open 24/7 · 60-minute guarantee
Water Heater Repair & Installation
A tank water heater holds 40 to 80 gallons — and when it fails at the bottom, all of it ends up on your floor. We repair and replace tank and tankless water heaters, gas and electric, and we haul the old one away.
At your location in 60 minutes or you save $60.
The short answer
If the tank is leaking, turn off the cold-water valve on top of the heater, then switch off its breaker (electric) or set the gas control to Pilot or Off (gas), and call us. A leaking tank can’t be repaired — but a failed thermostat, element, igniter or valve usually can. We tell you which you have, give you the price for repair or replacement, and when the unit is in stock, replace a tank the same visit.
Is this an emergency?
Call now if…
- The tank itself is leaking
- The relief valve is discharging hot water
- You smell gas near a gas water heater
Can usually wait for a scheduled visit
- Water takes a while to get hot
- Mild rumbling with hot water still working
Not sure? Call anyway — we’ll tell you honestly.
Do this right now
- Turn the cold water supply valve on top of the heater to off.
- Gas heaters: turn the gas control to “Pilot” or “Off”. Electric: switch off its breaker.
- Don’t touch the relief valve pipe — the water can scald.
Signs you need us
- Water around the base of the tank
- No hot water, or it runs out fast
- Lukewarm water no matter how high it’s set
- Rusty or rotten-egg-smelling hot water
- Popping or rumbling from the tank
- Relief valve dripping or discharging
- A pilot light that won’t stay lit
- A tankless unit showing an error code or cutting out mid-shower
How we handle the call
- 01
Make it safe
Water off, gas or power off, and the venting checked on gas units before anything else.
- 02
Find the failed part
Thermocouples, igniters, elements, thermostats and valves fail far more often than tanks do.
- 03
Check age and condition
The serial number tells us how old the tank is; rust and leaks tell us how long it has left.
- 04
Repair or replace — your call
When it’s close, you get the price for both with a straight recommendation. A leaking tank can’t be repaired, so we quote replacement upfront.
- 05
Install to code, haul away
Proper venting, relief valve piping and an expansion tank where required — and we take the old unit with us.
Know your building
Hot water in houses, apartments and restaurants
In houses, older rowhouses and small walk-ups, the water heater usually sits in the basement, a garage or a utility closet — and when a tank lets go, 40 to 80 gallons end up on the floor. Where it’s in a closet inside the living space, a drain pan and a leak alarm are worth having. In bigger apartment buildings, hot water often comes from a central system in the basement, so a cold shower on one floor can be the building’s heater, mixing valve or recirculation pump rather than anything in your apartment. If your co-op or condo apartment has its own heater, check the house rules before it fails — replacing it may need the board’s sign-off and has to fit the building’s work hours.
Water hardness varies by area: hard water builds scale faster, which wears out elements and tanks sooner, and your utility’s annual water-quality report lists how hard yours is. Whatever the water, the other big threats are age, sediment and a worn-out anode rod. Restaurants and other businesses that run through a lot of hot water need a heater sized for their busiest hour, not an average one. Many cities and states also require landlords to provide hot water all year, so in a rental building, a central system that can’t keep up is the owner’s problem to fix, not just an inconvenience.
One visit, whole job
Everything covered on the call
- No-hot-water diagnosis
- Gas and electric tank heaters
- Tankless repair and replacement
- Thermostat, element and ignition faults
- Leaking tanks and fittings
- Relief valves and expansion tanks
- Sediment flushing
- Same-visit replacement when the unit is in stock
- Old unit hauled away
Upfront price, every time
What water heater repair and replacement cost
A repair depends on which part failed. Thermostats, elements, thermocouples and relief valves are small parts-and-labor jobs; gas controls and tankless components cost more. A replacement depends on the size and type of the new unit, the venting it needs and how hard it is to move the old one — a basement with a straight staircase is a different job from a closet on the fourth floor of a walk-up.
You get the price before any work starts. When a repair costs close to a new unit, we quote both so you can decide.
Honest advice
Repair or replace the water heater?
Repair it when the tank is under about ten years old, isn’t leaking, and the problem is a part — an element, thermostat, thermocouple, igniter or valve.
Replace it when the tank itself is leaking (a leaking tank can’t be fixed), when the hot water runs rusty, or when a heater past ten or twelve years needs a major part. If you’re replacing anyway, it’s worth asking about tankless or a different size — we’ll price the options.
Mistakes that make it worse
- Sealing or taping a leaking tank — once the tank leaks, it’s finished
- Setting the temperature above 120°F — it scalds and wears the tank out faster
- Capping or plugging a dripping relief valve — that valve is what keeps the tank from bursting
- Ignoring rumbling — it’s sediment overheating the bottom of the tank
Keep it from happening again
- Drain a few gallons from the tank every six to twelve months to clear sediment
- Have the anode rod checked every few years and replaced when it’s worn
- Keep the temperature at 120°F
- Keep the space around a gas heater clear so it can draw air and vent properly
The 60-minute guarantee
The clock starts when our dispatcher confirms your job. If we’re late, $60 comes off your invoice. No forms, no fine-print games. Read the terms
FAQ
Water Heater Repair & Installation questions
Can a leaking water heater be repaired?
If the leak is from a fitting or valve, often yes. If the tank itself is leaking, it needs to be replaced.
Why does my hot water run out so fast?
On an electric heater it’s often a failed lower element, so only the top of the tank heats. On any tank it can be sediment taking up room. Both are fixable — unless the hot water is also rusty, which points to a tank that’s wearing out.
How long do water heaters last?
A tank heater typically lasts around 8 to 12 years; a well-maintained tankless unit can last much longer. Age alone doesn’t mean replace — but a leak, or rust in an older tank, does.
Is the hot water problem mine or the building’s?
If your apartment shares a central hot-water system, a sudden loss of hot water is usually the building’s heater or circulation. Tell your super; owners and managers can call us to fix the central system.
Tank or tankless?
It depends on your hot water use, gas supply and venting. We’ll walk you through the trade-offs and the price of each.
How long does a replacement take?
A like-for-like tank replacement is usually done the same visit when the unit is in stock.
More we handle
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Water on the floor? Call now.
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