Water Heater Repair and Installation in Roswell, GA

A trip of a week or two, a season away or a house standing empty between owners all raise the same question: what should happen to the water heater? Leaving it on wastes energy and risks an unnoticed leak, while switching it off the wrong way can cause trouble at restart. In Roswell homes the right steps depend on the heater type, and they can spare you a water heater repair on return.

Know which heater you are leaving

Gas tank heaters have a flue on top and a gas supply with a shutoff at the base. Electric tank heaters have no flue and draw power from a dedicated circuit. Tankless heaters hang on a wall with no storage tank at all. Type-specific service: gas water heaters in Roswell, electric water heaters and tankless water heaters.

Before you leave

• Gas tank: many controls have a vacation or pilot setting that keeps the pilot lit while the burner stays off; use it as the label describes.
• Electric tank: switch off its breaker, or use the vacation mode if the heater has one.
• Tankless: it uses almost nothing when no tap runs, so it can usually stay on; follow the manual where freezing is possible, since some units need power for freeze protection.
• Any type, for a longer absence: closing the main water valve, or at least the heater's cold-water valve, limits what a failed fitting can release.

If you close the water supply, it is safest to set the heater to off or vacation as well.

Restarting after you return

Open the water supply first and run a hot tap until water flows steadily, which shows the tank is full and pushes out trapped air. Only then switch the breaker back on for an electric tank, since an element powered in an empty tank burns out quickly. Return a gas control to its normal setting, relighting the pilot by the label instructions if it went out. Give the tank time to recover before anyone showers.

What to check on return

Look for water on the floor or in the drain pan, rust streaks on the jacket and drips at the relief valve pipe. A rotten-egg smell from hot taps after a long absence can come from water that sat in the tank, and it often clears after flushing; if it lingers, the anode may need changing. If water has spread while you were away, close the cold-water valve and call emergency plumbing in Roswell. If you smell gas when you open the house, step back outside and call the gas utility or 911, and switch off the breaker before touching an electric heater that stands in water.

Roswell permits for a replacement

The city's Building Division issues permits for installing, altering, repairing or replacing plumbing, and those permits go to contractors who hold a license, or to an owner who lives in the home. If your return turns up a heater that needs replacing, check with the division before the work starts. For choosing that replacement, see gas, electric and tankless heaters compared.

Questions about water heaters and time away in Roswell

Should I drain my water heater before a long absence?

Usually not. A full tank set to vacation or off is fine for weeks or months in a heated house. Draining makes sense mainly where the home will sit unheated through freezing weather, and then the water lines need draining too. Draining an old tank can stir up sediment or leave a drain valve that will not reseal, so weigh that before doing it.

Does a vacation setting really save energy?

Yes. A tank kept at full temperature loses heat through its walls around the clock, and the burner or elements keep replacing it even when nobody uses hot water. Vacation mode or the pilot setting stops most of that standby loss while keeping the heater ready to restart. Tankless units have little standby loss to begin with.

Before or after a trip

If the heater will not restart properly or something looks wrong when you get home, call Alpha Plumbing and Sewer at (404) 409-4448.