Repairing a tank heater
If the heater has stopped heating, drips at a valve or rumbles, a part may be all it needs. The plumber inspects it and tells you whether repair or a new unit is the better route.
Water Heater Repair and Installation in El Cajon
Maybe the heater leaks, the shower runs cold or the pilot keeps going out. We cover repairs, tank replacements, first installations and tankless conversions in El Cajon, and a plumber works out which fits.
Swapping a heater here involves a permit and an inspection list. Both are covered below, so you know what to expect before work starts.
Water heater work we take on
Replacing a tank
Once the tank itself has failed, the replacement comes with new connections plus the relief valve, straps and cold-side shutoff the city looks for.
Going tankless
Rather than keeping a tank full, a tankless unit warms water as it passes through. Before quoting one, the plumber looks at the gas supply, venting and electrical service.
Adding or moving a heater
Remodels, garage conversions and a second unit all mean a heater in a new spot. New gas, water and vent runs go with it.
Permits for a new heater
Under the California Plumbing Code a water heater needs a permit before it is installed, removed or replaced. El Cajon’s replacement handout then lists what the inspector looks for.
What a replacement heater must have
On the inspector’s list are seismic straps in both the upper and lower thirds of the tank, a fullway shutoff valve on the cold water supply and a temperature-and-pressure (T&P) relief valve. Expansion tanks are typically not required on replacements, though the handout recommends them.
Earthquake bracing is a state matter as well. Heaters sold in California on or after July 1, 1991 fall under AB 1890, which says new and replacement units must be strapped, braced or anchored.
Who may put one in
The C-36 Plumbing Contractor classification names installing any type of equipment to heat water, so a heater swap belongs with a licensed plumbing contractor.
Choosing a size
Before calling, you can use the water heater size calculator, which takes household size and simultaneous hot water use and returns a tank size. The tankless flow calculator totals fixtures running together, and the serial number decoder reads a heater’s age off its label.
A heater leak that reached the floor may need leak detection, and extra hot lines for a remodel fall under repiping. The home page holds the full list.
Call for a free plumbing quote
Call us to discuss your current issue and how we can assist you. The call is free and you get a free, personalized estimate with no obligation. We're here to help.
Call (855) 321-3426