Repair gas water heater

When a gas water heater keeps going dark, suspect a dirty pilot, a tired thermocouple or a gas control valve on its way out. Fixr prices a thermocouple replacement near $150 to $325 and a gas valve near $150 to $300, against $700 to $2,700 for a new gas tank installed, per Bob Vila. This page sits under water heater repair for Santa Monica and the Westside.

Gas appliances come with legal and safety limits, so the page also marks the line between what you may do and what a plumber must.

What if the room smells of gas right now?

Everyone out of the building, immediately. Once clear of it, SoCalGas answers emergencies on 1-800-427-2200. Skip light switches, indoor phones and any hunt for the leak. If someone is hurt or the utility does not answer, 911 is the number. Nothing else here matters until the odor is gone.

SoCalGas publishes these same steps on its safety page. With the house cleared, a plumber is free to examine the heater, connector and shutoff. Felt a quake? Read up on the quake-triggered gas shutoff before relighting anything.

What usually breaks when a gas heater stops making hot water?

Five faults account for nearly every call: the pilot flame won't hold, thermocouple or thermopile worn, control valve dead, vent or air supply blocked, and sediment in the tank. Price and the right person for the job differ for each.

• Pilot out. A draft, dirt in the pilot tube or a weak flame can blow it out. Following the label's lighting steps is typically something an owner can do.
• Thermocouple worn. The pilot lights while you hold the button and dies when you let go. The part is inexpensive; the call is mostly labor.
• Gas control valve. The thermostat and valve unit on the front of the tank. If the burner will not ignite or the temperature wanders, this is the suspect, and it is the costly part.
• Vent or air problems. A blocked flue or too little combustion air produces soot, a yellow flame and carbon monoxide. This is a safety issue.
• Sediment. Rumbling, popping and slow recovery point to scale in the tank. See hot water pressure low for the flush steps.

What do gas water heater repairs cost?

In Fixr's national guide, a thermocouple replacement runs about $150 to $325, a gas valve about $150 to $300, and a pilot light repair $75 to $175, with a plain visit and diagnosis less. Bob Vila puts a new gas tank installed at $700 to $2,700. Treat these as guides; your written estimate counts.

Costs in the Los Angeles area may differ from these national guides. The price also depends on access, the model and whether the vent or gas line needs changes. Pricing a new unit? The replacement cost guide goes into more depth.

Should you repair it or replace it?

Lean toward a new heater once yours is beyond roughly a decade, or whenever a repair quote creeps toward half the cost of replacing. Gas tanks usually give 10 to 12 years. Patching one that is rusting or weeping buys little time; a thermocouple on a younger unit is money well spent.

Fixr suggests weighing replacement once a repair quote reaches about $1,000. If water seeps through the tank wall itself, there is no fixing it; replace. When a plumber gives you the repair price, ask for a replacement quote too, and compare. The guide on how often water heaters need replacement covers lifespan and warning signs.

What may a homeowner do, and what is for a plumber only?

Plenty of owners can relight a pilot using the heater's label, reset a tripped thermostat, and flush sediment. Work that opens a gas line, swaps the control valve or thermocouple, alters the vent or replaces the heater belongs to a plumber, while swapping a heater out requires a permit.

Gas piping counts as plumbing, and anything priced above $1,000 requires a contractor license in this state. In Santa Monica a heater replacement is handled under a city building permit; the city's homeowner guide lists hot water heater change-outs among single-trade plumbing permits. Los Angeles neighborhoods such as Brentwood use LADBS. A separate state rule covers bracing for earthquakes (HSC 19211), and inspectors can look for it.

Carbon monoxide is the danger specific to gas heaters. Soot, a lazy yellow flame, an overheated flue or a pilot that repeatedly dies can signal poor combustion. If anyone has a headache or nausea near the heater, get outside and call for help. Keep a working carbon monoxide alarm on each level.

How can you prevent the next failure?

Drain sediment each year, keep boxes and chemicals away from the heater, test the pressure relief valve as the maker directs, and have the anode rod checked around mid-life. Santa Monica's reported tap hardness near 160 ppm makes scale a reasonable thing to watch.

Check the anode rod guide for when to swap it. A plumber can also look at the vent, the gas connector and the strapping on the same visit. When you want a visit priced, the quote page begins it.

Common questions

How long will I be without hot water?

Relighting a pilot or swapping a thermocouple is commonly done inside an hour. A control valve needs one to two. Replacing the whole heater takes about half a day. After looking, the plumber should name a window and say if parts must be ordered.

What keeps killing my pilot flame?

Usual suspects: a worn thermocouple, a gummed pilot tube, drafts, or a blocked vent. Dying within hours points at the thermocouple, dying only in wind at drafts. Should gas ever be noticeable, step outside and use the SoCalGas emergency line.

Is relighting a DIY task?

For many heaters, yes, provided the label is followed and the room is free of any gas odor. Quit at the first whiff, if the pilot refuses to hold, or if the flame turns yellow and sooty. Those mean the trouble is beyond a relight and needs a plumber.

Is a second opinion worth it?

For a replacement or control valve, yes. Have one plumber price both fixing and replacing, then compare scope, parts coverage and who handles the permit. Verify the license at the state board first, and cap any deposit at the state limit (a tenth of the price, or $1,000 if smaller).