Water Heater Repair in Houma, LA
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Power outages are the real threat to your water heater here
Terrebonne Parish doesn't get hard freezes often. Water heaters here mostly run through mild, humid weather, with only a few cold months from November through February to worry about. That's not what breaks them.
What breaks them is the power going out. Nearly half of Louisiana households lost power for at least 24 hours in 2024, and the parish has logged 28 damaging wind events over the past ten years. Every time the power drops and comes back, an electric water heater's heating element and thermostat take a jolt. Gas units with an electric igniter can fail to relight after an outage, leaving you with a tank full of cold water and no hot water until someone resets or repairs it.
- 48°F
- the average winter night, and colder incoming water means longer heating
- 4 months
- November through February, the months homes here need heat
- 49%
- of Louisiana households lost power for a day or more in 2024, and a heater with an electric element or electric ignition stops without it
NOAA nClimDiv, 1991–2020 normals
A new water heater would cut about $250 a year off hot water for a typical Louisiana home.
Estimates for a typical Louisiana home, compared with an older unit built to the federal minimum, from EIA household energy data and Louisiana fuel prices. Your home will differ.
Repair makes sense when an element, thermostat or gas valve has failed.
Replacement makes sense when the tank itself is leaking.
- Why is my water heater leaking from the bottom?
- The tank has rusted through from the inside and is losing water it can no longer hold. Sediment builds up on the bottom of the tank over years, and it traps moisture against the steel until it corrodes a hole. A leak from the bottom almost always means the tank itself has failed, not a loose fitting or valve that can be tightened. Once the tank is leaking, the water heater needs to be replaced, and a contractor can confirm that before you spend money on anything else.
- Why won't the pilot light on my water heater stay lit?
- The most common cause is a worn thermocouple, the small sensor that tells the gas valve the pilot is burning. When it wears out, it shuts the gas off even though the flame is lit, so the pilot goes out again soon after you relight it. A dirty pilot orifice or a draft in the area can cause the same thing. A licensed contractor can test the thermocouple and replace it if that is the problem.
- Can a tankless water heater be repaired?
- Yes, most problems with a tankless water heater are repairable. Mineral buildup on the heat exchanger, a failed igniter, or a faulty flow sensor are common issues, and each of those parts can be serviced or replaced on its own. Whether repair makes sense depends on the age of the unit and what's actually failed, which a contractor can check in person.