Service · Water Heaters
Water heaters — tank, tankless, and the diagnosis that comes first.
A failing water heater rarely fails all at once. It leaks, drips, makes noise, runs cold, runs short, or trips its T&P valve. Sometimes it's a small repair and sometimes it's a full replacement. We diagnose first, write three options, then you decide.
What we do
The work covered under water heaters.
- Tank water heater diagnosis, repair, and replacement (gas and electric, 40–80 gallon)
- Tankless water heater installation, repair, and descaling (Rinnai, Navien, Rheem, Noritz)
- T&P valve, gas valve, thermocouple, anode rod, and dip-tube replacements
- Expansion tank installation — required by current California code on closed water systems
- Recirculation pump installs for instant hot water at distant fixtures
How it works
What a visit looks like.
- 01
Diagnostic visit
We identify the failure mode — sediment, sacrificial anode, thermocouple, leaking dip tube, tank corrosion — and assess whether repair or replacement makes economic sense.
- 02
Three written options
Repair when viable, mid-range replacement, premium replacement (extended warranty, recirculation pump, upgraded venting). You see all three numbers before any work begins.
- 03
Same-day installation when possible
Most standard tank water heaters we can pull and replace same day. Tankless installs require permitting and venting work and typically schedule out one to two weeks.
- 04
Photos, invoice, and warranty
Before, during, and after photos plus a line-item invoice emailed within two hours. We register the install with the manufacturer and hold the warranty paperwork on file.
What we see most
Common situations.
- Tank water heater past 10 years old, leaking from the bottom — rusted tank, replacement only
- Pilot won’t stay lit — usually a thermocouple, typically under an hour
- Tankless throwing error codes — descaling after hard-water exposure, or sensor failure
- Hot water runs cold halfway through a shower — broken dip tube, repair not replacement
- Older install missing the code-required expansion tank — most pre-2010 installs lack one
Common questions
Water Heaters FAQ.
How long do water heaters typically last?
Tank water heaters in Sonoma County's hard water typically last 8 to 12 years before tank corrosion makes replacement the right call. Tankless units, when descaled annually, last 15 to 20 years. We'll tell you which stage yours is in.
Tank or tankless?
Tankless saves space, runs longer, and delivers hot water on demand — but costs roughly two to three times what a tank install does. For a small household with stable hot-water demand, a tank is often the better economic call. For larger households or remodels with relocation flexibility, tankless tends to win.
Can you do same-day replacement?
Usually yes for standard tank installs (40 to 50 gallon, gas or electric). Tankless installs need more permitting and venting and typically schedule out one to two weeks.
Do you handle the warranty if a part fails later?
Yes. We register every install with the manufacturer, keep the records, and handle warranty claims for parts that fail within the warranty window. Labor is covered by our own workmanship warranty.
Ready when you are.
Call between 8am and 4pm, Monday through Friday. Or send us a note and we'll get back to you the same day.