Key Takeaway
Repair a water heater when the tank itself is sound and a replaceable part has failed: a pilot or thermocouple, a heating element or thermostat, the relief valve, or a leaking fitting. Replace it when the tank is leaking, the hot water runs rusty, or the heater is past about 10 years old and needs a significant repair. ENERGY STAR advises considering replacement once a water heater is more than 10 years old. Tank heaters typically last 8 to 12 years and tankless units 15 to 20. SKS Plumbing completes a standard tank replacement in 3 to 5 hours, in one visit. Call (503) 319-9348, open 7 days, 8am to 9pm.
If your water heater is acting up, repair it when the tank is sound and a replaceable part has failed, and replace it when the tank is leaking, the hot water runs rusty, or the heater is past about 10 years old and needs a significant repair. Most no-hot-water calls are repairs; a leaking tank never is.
That rule of thumb holds for most homes in Hillsboro, Beaverton and the rest of Washington County. Here is how to tell which side of the line your heater is on.
Problems That Are Usually a Repair
These faults involve a part that can be swapped while the tank stays in place:
- No hot water on a gas heater. Often the pilot has gone out, the thermocouple has failed, or the gas control valve is faulty.
- No hot water, or only lukewarm water, on an electric heater. Usually a burned-out heating element, a failed thermostat, or a tripped high-limit reset.
- Water dripping from the relief valve pipe. The temperature and pressure relief valve may be worn, or the pressure in the system may be too high. Either way it needs attention, because that valve is a safety device.
- A leak at a pipe connection or the drain valve. Fittings and drain valves can be replaced.
- Hot water that runs out faster than it used to. Sediment on the bottom of the tank, or a failed dip tube or lower element, are common causes.
Signs It Is Time to Replace
Some problems mean the tank itself is failing, and no part swap will fix it:
- Water leaking from the tank body. A corroded seam or a wet tank bottom means the steel has failed.
- Rusty or discoloured hot water. When only the hot side runs rust-coloured, the inside of the tank is usually corroding. Once the lining fails, replacement is the only option.
- Visible rust on the tank, especially around the base and fittings.
- Loud rumbling or popping on an older unit, which points to heavy sediment that has been cooking on the tank bottom for years.
- Age. Tank water heaters typically last 8 to 12 years, and tankless units 15 to 20.
How Age Changes the Answer
Age is the tiebreaker. On a four-year-old heater, replacing a failed thermostat or thermocouple is an easy call. On a heater that is 11 or 12 years old, even a reasonable repair may only buy a few months before the tank lets go.
ENERGY STAR puts it plainly: "If you suspect your water heater is more than 10 years old—it is time to consider replacing it" (ENERGY STAR, When Should You Replace Your Water Heater?). The age is usually printed in the serial number on the label, and a plumber can read it for you.
A useful way to think about it: if the heater is past about 10 years and the repair is anything more than a small part, put that money toward a new unit instead. You choose the timing, rather than having a tank fail on a cold weekend.
Repair or Replace: A Quick Guide
- Repair: under about 8 years old, a part has failed, and the tank is dry.
- Repair: a leak at a fitting, the relief valve or the drain valve.
- Replace: water coming from the tank itself.
- Replace: rusty hot water.
- Replace: over 10 years old and needs a major part.
- Replace, sized correctly: hot water no longer keeps up with the household.
If you are replacing anyway, it is worth asking whether a tank or a tankless unit suits your household better. Our tank vs. tankless comparison walks through the trade-offs.
What a Replacement Involves
When SKS Plumbing replaces a water heater, we check the fuel type, venting, water connections and space, and size the new unit to how your household actually uses hot water. We drain and remove the old heater, set the new one, connect the water and gas or electrical lines, install proper venting, then fill and test the system.
A standard tank-to-tank replacement typically takes 3 to 5 hours. A conversion from a tank to tankless takes 5 to 8 hours because it often needs gas line, venting and electrical work. Both are finished in one visit, so you have hot water by the end of the day.
When It Cannot Wait
A tank that is actively leaking needs the water and power or gas shut off now. Close the cold-water valve above the heater, turn the gas control to off or switch off the breaker, and call. If water is spreading, our emergency plumbing team can help the same day.
SKS Plumbing repairs and replaces tank and tankless heaters through our water heater installation and replacement service across Hillsboro, Beaverton, Tigard, Tualatin and the rest of the west side. We are open seven days a week, 8am to 9pm. Call (503) 319-9348 or request an estimate and we will tell you honestly whether yours is worth fixing.
Frequently Asked Questions
Usually only for a small, inexpensive part such as a thermocouple or a relief valve. A tank water heater typically lasts 8 to 12 years, so a major repair on a 10-year-old unit often buys little time. ENERGY STAR advises considering replacement once a water heater is more than 10 years old.
It depends where the water is coming from. A leak at a pipe connection, the drain valve or the temperature and pressure relief valve can usually be repaired. Water coming from the tank itself, through a corroded seam or the bottom of the tank, cannot be repaired and means the heater needs replacing.
On an electric heater, the usual causes are a failed heating element, a failed thermostat or a tripped high-limit reset. On a gas heater, it is often the pilot, the thermocouple or the gas control valve. These are repairs, not replacements, as long as the tank is sound.
For SKS Plumbing, a standard tank-to-tank replacement typically takes 3 to 5 hours. Converting from a tank to a tankless water heater takes 5 to 8 hours because of extra gas line, venting and electrical work. Both are completed in a single visit.
Rust-coloured water from the hot tap only usually means the inside of the tank is corroding. Once the tank lining fails, the heater cannot be repaired and should be replaced before it starts leaking.