Can a plumber fix a water heater, or does it need replacing?
Yes, in most cases. A heater that quits is rarely worn out everywhere at once. One component gives up and the rest carries on.
Which component depends on the fuel. Electric heaters lose an element or the thermostat that switches it. Gas heaters tend to lose the thermocouple, the burner assembly or the control valve. Both kinds can drip from a relief valve, a drain valve or a connection on top, and each of those is a swap of one piece.
The case with no fix is a seeping tank body. Once water comes through the shell, the lining has given out from the inside, and patching the outside does nothing for it.
A short diagnosis tells you which case you are in. We test the heat source, check the valves and look hard at the shell. That takes the guessing out of the decision.
You hear the finding before any work, with a written price for the repair or the replacement.
Want it looked at?
Send a photo of the label on the heater and tell us what it is doing. We will tell you if it sounds like a part or the tank.