Repairing a tank
Sometimes a weeping fitting or a cold tank needs nothing more than a new heating element, thermostat or valve. The plumber examines the failed part first, then says whether mending it is sensible.
Water Heater Repair and Installation in Fort Worth
When a water heater leaks, stops heating or runs out of hot water too soon, the fix is either a repair or a replacement. Call us, and the plumber you hire inspects the heater and tells you which it is.
The sections below cover tank repair, replacement, tankless models, the city permit, expansion tanks and reading a heater’s age.
Repair, replace or switch
Replacing a tank
A tank that leaks through its body cannot be patched, so it is swapped for a new unit. The replacement is matched to how much hot water the household draws.
Going tankless
A tankless water heater heats water as it flows, so there is no tank to fill and no stored supply to run out. Gas units suit larger households, and an electric unit needs an electrical service that can carry its load.
Tankless upkeep
Even without a tank, a tankless unit needs servicing now and then. Scale is flushed from the heat exchanger, and the venting and connections get checked.
Permits for a new water heater
Water heaters and shower pans sit inside Fort Worth’s permit for changing, installing, moving or repairing plumbing. The city says plumbing fixture replacement and cosmetic remodels need no permit. The state’s own list covers repairing leaks, replacing lavatory or kitchen faucets, ballcocks or water control valves, garbage disposals and water closets.
Applicants for a Fort Worth plumbing contractor registration shall hold a valid Texas master plumber license. The first page of an estimate gives the Responsible Master Plumber’s name and license number.
Expansion tanks on a closed system
When a backflow assembly such as an RPZ closes the water system on a property, the Plumbing Code calls for a thermal expansion tank on the cold water pipe to the water heater. The tank is its own plumbing permit and is inspected by a city residential inspector.
Eliminating thermal expansion in a closed system is the property owner’s responsibility. On an open system, pressure from the water heater relieves back through the meter.
Getting the size right
Tank heaters are matched to the hot water a household draws in its busiest hour, tankless ones to the gallons per minute they have to deliver. Showers, the dishwasher and laundry all count toward either number.
Plug your household into the water heater size calculator to get tank and tankless ratings. Fort Worth’s 36°F January low feeds the tankless flow calculator, which uses it to guess how cold the incoming water is.
How old is the heater
Each brand hides the build year in its serial number, and the serial number decoder translates it once you choose the brand. That age helps you judge whether a failing heater is worth mending.
If water is collecting around a heater, the leak may be in the piping, and a new heater may call for new lines. Read about leak detection and repiping, or go to the homepage for the rest.
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