How Much Does it Cost to Fix a Water Heater?
- By: Amer ZaghloulehWater HeaterComment: 0
Water heater problems can vary from minor ones to irreparable ones. That’s one of the reasons why it’s hard to tell how much money you should prepare for a fix before you know exactly what went wrong.
Water heaters don’t have a lot of parts, so there’s only so much that can be wrong with them. Still, you will have to figure out if your problem can safely be fixed with a DIY, if you have to call a plumber or if you need to replace the whole system.
In this article, we will list some of the most common problems water heaters have, and how much an average repair would cost.
Limescale Buildup
If you have hard water (water that is rich in minerals like calcium or magnesium) you can get limescale build-ups on the interior walls of the water heater tank or at the bottom of it. If left untreated, this issue can lead to damage, as the heater’s pressure regulators are not performing as they should and there is no effective heat transfer because of the layer of limescale.
Depending on the type and size of your tank, removing mineral deposits in your water heater can cost between $150 and $450. To prevent this problem from occurring in the first place, you have to add a water softener to the water supply.
Broken Ignitor
Some water heaters need an ignitor to light up the fuel (in most cases, gas). If the ignitor is broken, you are suddenly left with no hot water. Depending on whether the ignitor is just disconnected from the electric supply or it’s defective, such a repair can cost between $175 and $485.
Replacing an Expansion Tank
Problems with your expansion tank can be signaled by leaks coming out of your temperature and pressure valve during the heat cycle of your heater. The cost of this repair will depend on the state of the tank, and it will be between $200 and $600.
Leaking Pipes
A leaking pipe can be a sign of a simple loosening of a joint, or of bigger damage that is costly to repair. This kind of problem depends a lot on the cause of the leakage, and it can cost between $50 and $350, depending on how much needs to be done.
Can We Help?
As you can see, there is no way of knowing exactly how much you’re going to pay before the problem is correctly identified. If you don’t have plumbing experience, we recommend that you call a professional for diagnosis and repairs, as meddling with water heaters yourself can be very dangerous. We at Anytime Plumbing are ready to help anytime!
Get in touch with us and we will come, inspect the issues, give you an estimate, and tackle the problem successfully.
