Water heater repair in San Jose, and an honest answer on whether it's worth it.

Common calls we fix

• No hot water. On gas units, often a thermocouple, pilot assembly or gas valve. On electric units, an element or thermostat.
• Pilot won't light or stay lit. Usually a thermocouple or gas valve, sometimes a draft or venting problem.
• Hot water runs out faster than it used to. Sediment eating the tank's capacity, or one element in an electric unit has quit. Often a repair, not a replacement.
• Banging, rumbling, popping. Hardened sediment on the tank floor. It drives your gas bill up and is the beginning of a cracked tank.
• T&P valve dripping or discharging. The safety valve is doing its job, which means something else isn't: pressure, temperature, or a missing expansion tank. Never plug it or cap it off.

When a repair isn't worth it

Water pooling at the base usually means the tank itself is weeping, and a tank that weeps rarely stops. Rusty or brown water from the hot tap but not the cold usually means the lining or anode rod is spent. And a tank past ten years old is often cheaper to replace on your schedule than on the heater's. In those cases we'll quote a replacement and explain why.

Not sure it needs a visit?

Call and describe it. We'll tell you on the phone whether it can wait, including when the answer is that it can. The serial number on the label carries a date code, and we can read it for you over the phone.

Brands we service

A.O. Smith, Bradford White and Rheem most often, plus most other major brands.