Water heater repair, replacement and tankless conversion
Water heaters give you warning before they quit. The recovery time stretches, the hot runs out earlier than it used to, the tank starts making a popping noise as it heats. Most people book the replacement the week after the first cold shower, which is a week later than they needed to.
What this covers
- Diagnosing why there is no hot water, or not enough of it
- Thermostat, heating element and gas control valve replacement
- Anode rod replacement and tank flushing
- Tank water heater replacement, gas or electric
- Tankless installation and conversion from a tank
- Expansion tank and temperature relief valve work
- Relocating a heater to free up closet or garage space
Call about this when
- Hot water runs out faster than it did a year ago
- Rusty or metallic smelling hot water
- Popping or rumbling from the tank while it heats
- Water pooling under or around the base
- The pilot will not stay lit, or the breaker keeps tripping
Worth knowing before you call
Tank or tankless is the question everyone asks, and the honest answer is that it depends on your house rather than on which is better. Tankless units need gas supply and venting that a lot of older Grand Strand houses do not already have, and adding them is most of the cost. If the gas line and vent are already right, the gap between the two estimates narrows a long way.
Ask any company quoting a replacement what the total includes. A heater swap usually involves more than the heater: a new expansion tank if the old one has lost its charge, a drain pan and line if the unit sits above a finished space, and sometimes a code upgrade to the shutoff or the venting. Those items are where two estimates on the same job end up hundreds apart.
Batch it. The trip charge is the expensive part of a small plumbing job, and it is the same whether the plumber fixes one thing or five. Before you call, walk the house and write down everything: the toilet that runs, the shower that will not hold temperature, the faucet you have been meaning to replace since last year. Hand over the whole list at once. It is the single easiest way to spend less.
Coverage
Water heaters across the Grand Strand
Other work we book
Free estimates
Describe the job and we will find somebody for it
Free estimates, licensed and insured companies, no obligation to book.