Water Heater Repair in Roswell, NM
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Cold nights mean your water heater works longer to keep up
From October through April, the water coming into your tank starts out cold, and on winter nights here that average 27°F, the burner or heating element has to run longer to bring it up to temperature. That is seven months of the year with a heavier load on the thermostat and the heating element or burner assembly, and that is where wear shows up first.
Chaves County has also logged 11 winter storms and 108 damaging wind events over the past ten years. When the power goes out, an electric water heater stops heating until power is back, and most units start up again on their own once it returns. A gas water heater with a standing pilot keeps running through the outage, but one with an electronic igniter will not relight itself and needs someone to start it again.
- 27°F
- the average winter night, and colder incoming water means longer heating
- 7 months
- October through April, the months homes here need heat
- 13%
- of New Mexico 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 $230 a year off hot water for a typical New Mexico home.
Estimates for a typical New Mexico home, compared with an older unit built to the federal minimum, from EIA household energy data and New Mexico 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 and is cracked from the inside. Water heaters aren't built to be repaired once the tank goes, so at that point the unit needs to be replaced, not fixed. Sometimes what looks like a bottom leak is actually the drain valve or a loose fitting on the cold water line above it, and those can be repaired. A contractor can tell the difference by drying the area and watching where the water shows up first.
- 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 it wears out, it shuts the gas off even though the flame is fine, and the pilot won't hold. A dirty pilot tube or a draft in the room can also blow the flame out. If relighting it doesn't hold past a minute or two, the thermocouple usually needs to be replaced.
- Can a tankless water heater be repaired?
- Yes, most problems with a tankless unit are repairable. Mineral buildup on the heat exchanger is the most common issue, and it causes error codes, weak flow, or water that won't get hot. A flush clears that in most cases. Igniters, sensors, and fans can also fail on their own and get swapped out without replacing the whole unit.