Water Heater Repair in Bloomington, IL
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Cold groundwater eight months a year wears on your water heater
From October through May your water heater is pulling in cold groundwater and holding a much bigger temperature climb than it does in summer. That means longer burner or element run times to get a full tank up to heat, more cycles, and more wear on the thermostat and the heating element or burner assembly. A weak element or a failing thermostat shows up as water that starts hot and turns lukewarm partway through a shower.
McLean County has also seen 11 winter storms and 136 damaging wind events over the past ten years, and 16% of Illinois households lost power for 24 hours or more in 2024. A gas water heater with a standing pilot will keep working through an outage, but one with electronic ignition will not restart until power is back. Electric water heaters go dark the moment the power does, and most come back on by themselves once it returns.
- 20°F
- the average winter night, and colder incoming water means longer heating
- 8 months
- October through May, the months homes here need heat
- 16%
- of Illinois 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 $60 a year off hot water for a typical Illinois home.
Estimates for a typical Illinois home, compared with an older unit built to the federal minimum, from EIA household energy data and Illinois 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 failed. Sediment builds up on the bottom of the tank over years, and it can eat through the steel from the inside until water finds a way out. A leaking valve or fitting can also drip down the side and pool at the bottom, which looks the same but is a much smaller fix. A contractor can tell you in a few minutes whether it's the tank or a part, but once the tank itself is leaking, the water heater needs to be replaced.
- Why won't the pilot light on my water heater stay lit?
- The most common reason is a worn thermocouple. That's the small sensor that sits in the pilot flame and tells the gas valve it's safe to keep the gas flowing. Once it wears out, it can't hold that signal, so the valve shuts the gas off and the pilot goes out. A dirty pilot orifice or a draft in the room can also blow the flame out or keep it too weak to satisfy the sensor. A gas water heater with a pilot that won't hold has no backup, so it's worth getting looked at before you're without hot water.
- Can a tankless water heater be repaired?
- Yes, most problems with a tankless unit are repairable. Mineral scale on the heat exchanger is the most common issue, and it can usually be flushed out rather than replaced. Sensors, igniters, and fans can also fail on their own and be swapped without touching the rest of the unit. A contractor can check the error code on the unit's display, which usually points straight to the part that's failing.