Water Heater Repair in San Leandro, CA

You may be considering installing a new water heater and deciding whether to go for a gas or electric one. Before looking at the maintenance and repair differences, just a quick explanation of how each works and their pros and cons.

An electric water heater is essentially a tank that heats water using high-voltage electric heating rods that run vertically. Water is heated from the center of the tank, radiating outward.

Pros: they are cheaper to install, cleaner, safer than gas, and easier to connect because all houses have electric power.

Cons: They are slower than gas, take longer to heat the tank, and don’t work if there’s a power failure. They are also more expensive to run.   

Common repairs: We’ve already mentioned some of the repairs we often carry out on electric water heaters, including leaks, corrosion, and sediment build-up. Other common faults we deal with regularly involve replacing faulty heating elements, malfunctioning thermostats, and circuit breakers.  

A gas water heater utilizes a gas-fired burner that heats the water at the bottom of the tank. Hot water then rises to the top of the tank, where it is drawn off by a discharge tube.

Pros: The operating costs are lower than electric heaters; they heat the tank quicker and can work during power failures.

Cons: the initial cost is higher than electric heaters, they are less safe, sometimes need re-igniting of the pilot light, don’t last as long, and are not as environmentally friendly.

Common repairs: the most common faults on gas heaters involve the flow of gas and include faulty pilot lights, blocked burners, leaking gas lines or connections, faulty thermocouples (which detect whether the pilot light is lit), or pressure relief valves.

Some repairs are easy for the home handyman to carry out, but we strongly advise homeowners and those who use water heaters commercially to use professionals such as Total UC to ensure their safety – that is particularly the case with gas water heaters.