Repairing the heater you have
A heater that runs but gives too little hot water, or none, can have a failed part rather than a failed tank. The plumber you hire finds which it is and repairs what can be repaired.
Water Heater Repair and Installation in Indianapolis
No hot water, a tank that leaks at the base or a heater that rumbles and pops while it heats are all reasons to call. The plumber you hire repairs the heater you have or puts in a new tank or tankless unit.
Your free estimate covers repair or replacement, and the sections below cover the city permit, hard water and sizing.
Repair, replace or switch
A new tank of the same type
A new tank that runs on the same fuel and vents the same way as the old one goes in where the old one stood. The permit section below explains why that matters in Indianapolis.
Changing to tankless
A tankless heater has no storage, so it is chosen by gallons per minute instead of tank size, and switching over can mean new venting, a bigger gas supply or more electrical capacity.
Changing the fuel
Moving from gas to electric, or from electric to gas, changes the energy the heater runs on and can mean new wiring, a new gas line or a different vent.
When a new water heater needs a city permit
Indianapolis requires a permit for any construction activity related to a plumbing system, apart from a list of exceptions. One of them is replacing a water heater with one that is identical in its venting arrangement and its type of fuel or energy input.
Changing the fuel or the venting leaves that exception behind, so the job needs a permit. A permitted job is inspected by the city, and the final inspection starts when the certificate of completion is submitted.
Hard water and your tank
Citizens Energy Group reports hard water in Indianapolis, about 19 grains per gallon on average. Minerals in hard water can settle at the bottom of a tank as sediment, which is one reason a heater starts to rumble.
Sizing a new heater
Your household’s busiest hour of hot water use decides the size, so the old tank’s gallon figure is a starting point and not the answer.
Our water heater size calculator asks who lives in the house and what runs in the busiest hour, then gives a first-hour rating and a tank. Planning tankless instead? Indianapolis, with its 22°F January low, falls in the coldest band of the tankless flow calculator, so incoming water counts as 42°F and a unit must add 78°F to reach 120°F.
How old is your heater
Every heater label carries a serial number with the build date coded in, and our serial number decoder reads that code for the tank and tankless brands it supports.
Before you decide on a new tank, check the permit rule above. A wet floor that may not be the tank at all belongs under leak detection, worn supply lines under repiping, and the home page lists everything else we connect you with.
Call for a free plumbing estimate
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