Water Heater Repair in St. Louis, MO
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St. Louis storms leave water heaters cold
From October through April, groundwater coming into your house is colder, and your water heater runs longer to make up for it. That extra run time wears on the heating element in an electric tank and the burner in a gas one.
Missouri also sees storm outages. Statewide, 19% of households went at least 24 hours without power in 2024, and the St. Louis area has had 9 winter storms and 28 damaging wind events over the past ten years. A gas water heater with a standing pilot keeps making hot water through an outage. An electric one stops until the power comes back, and you'll notice when the tap runs cold.
- 26°F
- the average winter night, and colder incoming water means longer heating
- 7 months
- October through April, the months homes here need heat
- 19%
- of Missouri 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 $80 a year off hot water for a typical Missouri home.
Estimates for a typical Missouri home, compared with an older unit built to the federal minimum, from EIA household energy data and Missouri 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 of the time this means the tank itself has rusted through and is starting to fail. Water heater tanks are lined, but once that lining wears out the steel underneath corrodes and small leaks start at the bottom or the seams. A leak can also come from a loose drain valve or a fitting, which a contractor can check and tighten before assuming the worst. If it's the tank itself, there's no repair for that. It needs to be replaced.
- Why won't the pilot light on my water heater stay lit?
- The most common reason is a worn thermocouple, the small sensor that tells the gas valve the pilot is burning. When it wears out, it shuts the gas off even though the flame is lit, so the pilot goes out again soon after you light it. A dirty pilot orifice or a draft in the area can also blow the flame out. A contractor can test the thermocouple and replace it if it's reading weak, which usually solves the problem.
- Can a tankless water heater be repaired?
- Yes, most tankless water heater problems are repairable. Issues like a failed igniter, a clogged inlet filter, mineral buildup on the heat exchanger, or an error code from a bad sensor can usually be fixed without replacing the unit. A contractor can pull the fault code from the display and diagnose it from there. Tankless units run for years when the heat exchanger stays clean, so repair is usually the right first step before considering replacement.