Water Heater Repair in Dickinson, ND
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Ten months of hard water heater use in Dickinson
Your water heater runs September through June here, ten months out of the year. Water coming into the tank starts out cold, and on the nights that average 7°F from December through February, it starts out colder still. The burner or heating element has to work longer to catch up, and that extra run time wears on the parts that do the heating.
Power loss adds to it. Stark County has seen 23 winter storms and 95 damaging wind events over the past ten years, and across North Dakota 7% of households went at least 24 hours without power in 2024. An electric water heater stops heating the moment power drops. A gas water heater with electronic ignition needs that power too, so it will not relight on its own once it comes back. Either way you notice the same thing. The water that was hot yesterday is not hot today.
- 7°F
- the average winter night, and colder incoming water means longer heating
- 10 months
- September through June, the months homes here need heat
- 7%
- of North Dakota 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 $50 a year off hot water for a typical North Dakota home.
Estimates for a typical North Dakota home, compared with an older unit built to the federal minimum, from EIA household energy data and North Dakota 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. Sediment builds up on the bottom of the tank over years, and it holds moisture against the steel until it corrodes and cracks. A leak could also come from a loose drain valve or a fitting on the bottom of the tank, which a contractor can tighten or replace. But once the tank itself is leaking, it needs to be replaced, not patched.
- Why won't the pilot light on my water heater stay lit?
- The most common reason is a worn thermocouple, the small sensor that sits in the pilot flame and tells the gas valve it is safe to keep the gas flowing. When it wears out, it can't sense the flame properly and shuts the gas off even though the pilot is lit. A dirty pilot orifice or a draft blowing the flame around can cause the same thing. A contractor can test the thermocouple and replace it if it's the problem.
- Can a tankless water heater be repaired?
- Yes, most tankless water heater problems can be repaired without replacing the whole unit. Common issues are a scaled up heat exchanger, a failed igniter, or an error code pointing to a specific sensor or valve. A contractor can flush the unit, clean or replace the failed part, and get it running again. Replacement usually only comes up when the heat exchanger itself has cracked or corroded through.