Water Heater Repair in Kankakee, IL
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Long heating season, harder-working water heater
Water heaters here run from October through May, close to eight months of the year. That long stretch of steady use adds up to more hours on the burner or heating element than a water heater in a milder climate would ever see, and parts like the thermocouple or heating element wear accordingly.
Power is the other factor. In 2024, 16% of Illinois households lost power for at least 24 hours, and this area has recorded 99 damaging wind events and 9 winter storms over the past ten years. A gas water heater with a standing pilot keeps running through an outage. One with electric ignition will not, and some tanks need the pilot relit by hand once power comes back.
- 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 often the tank itself has rusted through from the inside and is starting to fail. Water heaters aren't built to be repaired at the tank, so once it's leaking there, the tank needs to be replaced. The leak can also come from a fitting, the drain valve, or the temperature and pressure relief valve rather than the tank, and those can sometimes be fixed. Shut off the water to the tank and have a contractor look before more water damage builds up underneath it.
- Why won't the pilot light on my water heater stay lit?
- Usually the thermocouple has worn out and isn't telling the gas valve the flame is lit, so the valve shuts the gas off. A weak or dirty pilot flame, a draft blowing on it, or a bad gas valve can cause the same thing. A standing pilot doesn't run on electricity, so a power outage isn't the cause. Have a contractor check the thermocouple first since it's the most common failure point.
- Can a tankless water heater be repaired?
- Yes, most problems with a tankless water heater are repairable. Mineral buildup on the heat exchanger, a failed igniter, a clogged inlet filter, and sensor faults are all common issues a contractor can fix. Descaling the unit on a regular schedule helps prevent the buildup problems in the first place. If the heat exchanger itself has cracked or corroded through, that's the one failure that usually means replacing the unit instead.