Water Heater Repair in Plattsmouth, NE
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Cass County winters put weeks of strain on your water heater
Your water heater works harder from October through May, when the water coming into the tank is coldest. On nights that average 18°F, it runs longer to bring a full tank up to temperature, and it does this for eight months of the year.
The cold isn't the only thing working against it. Cass County has seen 63 damaging wind events and 16 winter storms over the past ten years, and a quarter of Nebraska households lost power for at least a day in 2024. A gas water heater with a standing pilot keeps working through an outage. One with electronic ignition will not light again until the power is back, and if the tank sat full of cold water during that time, you will notice it the moment you turn on the tap.
- 18°F
- the average winter night, and colder incoming water means longer heating
- 8 months
- October through May, the months homes here need heat
- 25%
- of Nebraska 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 Nebraska home.
Estimates for a typical Nebraska home, compared with an older unit built to the federal minimum, from EIA household energy data and Nebraska 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 failing, and that means replacement, not repair. Water heaters leak from the bottom when the steel tank corrodes from the inside out after years of use, and once that happens no patch will hold. It can also be a loose drain valve or a fitting at the bottom of the tank, which is worth checking before assuming the worst. A contractor can tell you which one it is and what the tank replacement involves for your house.
- Why won't the pilot light on my water heater stay lit?
- The most common cause is a worn thermocouple, the small sensor that tells the gas valve the pilot is burning. When that sensor wears out or gets coated with soot, it shuts the gas off even though the flame is lit. A dirty pilot orifice or a draft in the area can also blow the flame out. A standing pilot does not need power to run, so a power outage is not the cause. This is a repair a contractor can usually make without replacing the whole unit.
- Can a tankless water heater be repaired?
- Yes, most problems with a tankless water heater are repairable. The igniter, the flow sensor, and the heat exchanger are the parts that fail most often, and each can be replaced on its own. Mineral buildup inside the unit is also common and can usually be flushed out rather than requiring a new unit. A contractor can diagnose which part is failing and tell you whether repair or replacement makes more sense for your unit.