Plumbing Services in Lithia Springs, GA

Few household problems get noticed faster than a cold shower, so hot water trouble often opens a plumbing services call with Alpha Plumbing and Sewer in Lithia Springs. The symptom usually points toward the cause, and the heater type matters as much, because a gas tank, an electric tank and a tankless unit fail in different ways. Each has its own service: gas water heater repair for burners, pilots, venting and gas supply, electric water heater repair for elements, thermostats and circuits, and tankless water heater service for descaling, venting and flow-rate sizing.

No hot water at all

On an electric tank, the first suspects are a tripped breaker, a high-limit switch that has cut power after overheating, or a burned-out heating element. On a gas tank, look for a pilot that has gone out, an igniter or flame sensor that no longer proves the flame, or a closed gas valve. A tankless unit usually shows an error code that narrows things down, often an ignition fault or a flow too low to trigger the burner. Resetting a breaker once is reasonable; if it trips again, stop and have the circuit and elements tested. If you ever smell gas near the heater, leave the house and call the gas utility or 911 before anything else.

Hot water that runs short or runs lukewarm

In a tank heater, sediment settles on the bottom and takes up room, and on gas units it can make the tank rumble or pop while heating. Electric tanks have two elements, and when the lower one fails, the heater still makes some hot water but much less of it. A broken dip tube, which carries incoming cold water to the bottom of the tank, can produce the same short supply. If every fixture runs lukewarm, a thermostat setting, a failing thermostat or a weak element is the likely source. A tankless unit never runs out, but it cannot keep up when too many fixtures draw at once, and scale in its heat exchanger can make the temperature swing.

If only one shower swings between hot and cold when someone flushes a toilet, the heater is probably fine. The shower valve's balancing cartridge is the more likely culprit, and that belongs to faucet and valve repair.

Rusty, cloudy or smelly hot water

Run the cold tap and the hot tap side by side. If only the hot water is brown or smells like rotten eggs, the heater is the likely source: rust can mean the tank lining is corroding, and a sulfur smell is commonly linked to a reaction involving the tank's anode rod. If both sides are discolored, look upstream at the supply pipes, particularly old galvanized steel, which may lead to a conversation about whole house repiping.

Water around the base of the heater

Not every puddle means the tank is finished. A dripping temperature and pressure relief valve may be reacting to high pressure or thermal expansion, which points to the regulator and expansion tank and to water pressure service. A leaking fitting at the top can often be repaired. Water seeping from the tank body itself, though, means the steel has failed, and replacement is the only real fix. If water is spreading, shut the cold supply to the heater, turn off its power or gas, and call for emergency plumbing.

Plumbing beyond the water heater

Alpha's work in Lithia Springs also covers the rest of the house. A shower that leaves water around your feet, or a kitchen sink that empties slowly, is a drain repair job; a toilet that bubbles when the washer drains suggests the building sewer, which a sewer camera inspection can check from the cleanout. A meter that turns with every tap closed calls for leak detection, and a soggy strip of yard along the water service can mean the main water line is leaking.

Douglas County permits for Lithia Springs

Lithia Springs is unincorporated, so building permits come from Douglas County. The county's Building Permits & Inspections office requires plumbing permits for new and renovation work, and under the county code those permits generally go to master plumbers with a state license, or to a homeowner working on the single-family home they live in. Whether a particular heater job counts as new or renovation work is a question for that office.

Hot water questions from Lithia Springs

Why does my hot water smell like rotten eggs?

When the smell comes only from the hot side, it usually starts inside the water heater, where certain water conditions react with the anode rod and produce a sulfur odor. Changing the anode type and flushing the tank often helps. If the smell is in the air near a gas heater rather than in the water, treat it as a possible gas leak and get out.

How long does a water heater usually last?

Tank heaters commonly last somewhere around eight to twelve years, depending on water quality, how often the tank is flushed and whether the anode rod is ever replaced. Tankless units often last longer with regular descaling. Age alone does not mean a heater must go, but an older tank with rust, rumbling or moisture at the base is worth planning to replace.

Why does my tankless heater go cold when two showers run?

A tankless unit heats water as it flows, and each model can only raise so many gallons per minute by the amount your incoming water needs. Two showers plus a sink can exceed that limit. Scale buildup lowers capacity further, so descaling helps, but a unit that is simply too small for the household may need upsizing.

Get your hot water back

Tell us what type of heater you have and what the water is doing, and we can plan the right repair. Alpha answers at (404) 409-4448.