If water is pooling around your heater right now, shut off its power or gas and close the cold-water valve on top, then call us. Our 24/7 line is staffed for exactly this, and we offer same-day appointments when available. Keep reading while you wait, because the next few minutes decide whether you mop a puddle or replace a ceiling.
Water heater repair means finding which part failed and fixing only that part: a heating element, thermostat, gas control valve, igniter, thermocouple, relief valve, drain valve or a fitting. Some failures are cheap to correct. A tank that has rusted through is not one of them, and an honest plumber tells you which kind you have before any work starts.
Leaking water heater or no hot water: what to do right now
Do these in order. They take about two minutes and stop most damage.
Cut the power or gas
Electric heater: switch off its breaker only if you can reach the panel while standing on dry ground, otherwise stay out and call 911 or the electric utility. Gas heater: turn the gas control knob to OFF or close the gas valve on the supply line. If you smell gas, leave the house, call 911 and Dominion Energy from outside, and do not flip switches.
Close the cold-water inlet
The shutoff valve sits on the pipe feeding the top of the tank. Turn the handle clockwise until it stops. If it will not move, close the main shutoff at your house.
Keep hot water away from people
A relief valve that is discharging can spit scalding water. Keep children and pets out of the room and do not touch the discharge pipe.
Protect the floor and your insurance claim
Lay towels, move boxes, and photograph the heater, the water and any damaged items before you clean up. Your carrier will ask.
Call and stay reachable
Tell dispatch whether the water is dripping, steady or gushing, and where the heater sits (garage, closet, attic, crawlspace). That decides what we bring.
Tank, fittings, relief valve or condensate: tracing a water heater leak
Not every wet spot under a heater means the tank has failed. Plumbers sort leaks into four sources, and the source decides whether this is a repair or a replacement. Dry everything with a towel, wrap a strip of dry toilet paper around each suspect joint, and see which one darkens first.
A leak from the top is usually a fitting. The cold inlet, hot outlet and their flexible connectors are small, cheap and common failure points, and tightening or replacing them is a short repair. Water running down the side from the temperature and pressure relief valve points to either a worn valve or pressure that is climbing too high, so the valve alone may not be the real problem.
Water at the bottom is the one to worry about. A weeping drain valve is a minor part. A steady seep from the tank's lower seam or through the jacket means the steel liner has corroded through, and no patch holds on a pressurized tank. High-efficiency gas units add a fourth source: condensate, the acidic water that forms when exhaust is cooled, which can drip from a clogged drain line without any tank failure at all.
Where the water is coming from and what it usually means
A quick field guide. A plumber confirms it with the unit open and the water pressure measured.
| Where you see water | Likely cause | Typical outcome |
|---|---|---|
| Top of tank, around pipes | Loose or corroded inlet and outlet fittings, failed flex connector | Repair |
| Pipe running from the side valve | Worn relief valve or excess pressure or heat | Repair, but find the cause of the pressure |
| Small drip at the spigot near the floor | Drain valve seat or loose cap | Repair |
| Wet burner area, gas unit | Condensate line clog or a leak from above running down | Repair after tracing |
| Steady seep from tank bottom or seam | Corroded tank shell | Replacement |
| Rust-colored puddle, flaking metal | Interior corrosion, often at the end of tank life | Usually replacement |
If you are unsure, shut the heater down and call. A slow tank leak can turn into a full release without warning.
Water or sewage problem right now?Call the 24/7 line. A licensed plumber, a clear price before work starts.
Call (855) 575-2890No hot water: checks that take five minutes
Work through these before you assume the heater is dead.
- Electric: check the breaker, then press the red reset button on the upper thermostat after cutting power at the panel. A tripped high-limit switch is common after a power surge.
- Gas: look through the viewing window for a pilot flame or listen for the igniter clicking. A blown-out pilot after a gust, a draft or a gas interruption is a simple relight on many models. Follow the label on the tank.
- Check the temperature setting. A dial knocked down to vacation or a very low number looks like a failure.
- Feel the hot pipe leaving the tank. Hot at the tank and cold at the fixture means a pipe or valve problem, not the heater.
- Lukewarm water that runs out fast points to a dead lower element on an electric tank or a dip tube problem on any tank.
- Hot water at some faucets and not others suggests a mixing valve or crossover issue, which is a plumbing repair, not a heater repair.
If the pilot goes out again within a day, stop relighting it. The thermocouple or gas valve needs replacing.
In Hanahan, anode rods and age usually beat scale
Charleston Water System reports moderately soft water, about 3.4 grains per gallon, and its 2024 monthly results show pH between 8.6 and 8.8. Heavy mineral scale is the classic reason a water heater fails early in hard-water towns. Here, it is rarely the story, so a plumber looking at your heater thinks about age and the sacrificial anode rod first.
The anode rod is a magnesium or aluminum rod inside the tank that corrodes so the steel does not. When it is used up, the tank wall becomes the next thing to corrode. Checking it on a tank under about eight years old can add years. On a tank at 10 or 12 years, it is usually too late to matter, and that is the point where repair money is better saved toward replacing the tank.
If your heater is the original from a 1970s house, or even the second one from the 2000s, the date code on the data plate tells you more than any symptom. Our brief guide to reading it is on the replacement page.
Gas, electric and hybrid water heater repair
Each type fails in its own way. Here is what we look at first.
Gas tank
Thermocouple, pilot assembly, gas control valve, burner tray and flue draft. Soot on the top of the tank, a yellow flame or a scorched draft hood means stop using it until a plumber checks the venting.
Electric tank
Upper and lower heating elements, thermostats and the high-limit switch. We test each with a meter, because a bad element often looks identical to a bad thermostat from the faucet.
Hybrid (heat pump) tank
Condensate drain, air filter, fan, compressor and the backup resistance elements. Many hybrids keep heating in electric mode when the heat pump fails, so a bill that suddenly climbs can be the only symptom.
Venting and combustion air
A backdrafting gas heater can push carbon monoxide into the house. Install a carbon monoxide alarm near any gas appliance, and call us if it sounds. Leave the house first.
What a water heater repair visit looks like
The order matters. We diagnose before we quote.
- 1
Make it safe
Power or gas off, water isolated, standing water controlled. If the heater is in an attic, we protect the ceiling below.
- 2
Read the data plate
Model, serial, capacity and manufacture date tell us the age and whether parts are available.
- 3
Test the failed circuit
Meter on the elements and thermostats, pressure gauge on a hose bib, combustion check on gas units.
- 4
Give you a clear price
We explain repair versus replacement in plain terms and quote the work before we start it.
- 5
Repair and test
New part installed, system refilled and purged of air, then cycled and checked for leaks and temperature.
What affects the price of a water heater repair
The same symptom can be a small part or a big job. These factors move the total.
- The part that failed
- A thermostat or element costs far less than a gas control valve or a hybrid compressor.
- Age and tank condition
- Putting a new part on a tank that is 12 years old can be money spent twice.
- Access
- Attic, crawlspace and tight closet installs take longer than a garage wall mount.
- Code and safety updates
- If venting, a relief valve discharge line or a drain pan is missing, bringing it up to the plumbing code adds work.
- After-hours timing
- Night and weekend calls cost more to staff than a weekday appointment.
Home insurance often covers sudden water damage from a failed heater, such as the flooring and drywall it soaked, but not the heater itself when it simply wore out. Ask your carrier before you throw anything away.
Call and describe what you see, and we will tell you what a clear price should include.
Replacing a part is routine. Replacing the heater, changing fuel type or altering venting may need a permit. Ask the City of Hanahan Building and Codes department, and verify any plumber you hire with SC LLR.
When a repair stops making sense
A repair makes sense when the failure is a single part and the tank is sound. It stops making sense when the tank leaks, when parts for an old model are hard to find, or when you are on the second repair in a year. Our installation service covers the swap if you land there.
If you want to step down to a unit that heats on demand, read about a tankless water heater first, since the gas line and vent often need changes. For leaks that may be hiding elsewhere, leak detection finds them without opening walls.
Where we repair water heaters around Hanahan
We serve Hanahan and nearby towns. We serve North Charleston, including older housing near Park Circle, and Goose Creek along Rivers Avenue. For Remount Road and the rest of the city, we start from our own street.
Confirm that your water is supplied by Charleston Water System on your street before you assume a pressure problem is the heater's fault. A pressure spike from the utility side can open a relief valve even on a healthy tank.
Frequently asked questions
Do you handle water heater repair emergencies at night or on weekends in Hanahan?
Yes. Dispatch is 24/7 and we take same-day appointments when available. For a leaking tank at 2 a.m., the first thing we tell you is how to stop the water.
Why is my water heater leaking from the bottom?
Usually a corroded tank or a failed drain valve. Check the drain valve first. If water is coming from the seam or through the base of the jacket, the tank itself is leaking, and tank leaks are not repairable.
Why does my water heater only give lukewarm water?
On an electric tank, one failed element is the leading cause. On gas, a clogged burner or low gas pressure does it. On either type, a broken dip tube lets cold water mix with the hot at the top.
Is it safe to keep using a heater that is dripping?
Not if it drips from the tank itself. Even a small drip can grow, and water near an electric heater is a shock hazard. A slow drip from a fitting is less urgent, but shut the water off and call the same day.
My relief valve is dripping. Is the valve bad?
Sometimes. Often it is doing its job because pressure or temperature is too high, and the cause is a failed thermostat or a closed system with no expansion tank. Replacing the valve alone hides the problem.
How do I tell if my pilot is the problem?
If a gas heater has no flame in the window and no igniter click, relight it by the label. If it stays lit, the pilot was the issue. If it goes out again, the thermocouple or gas valve is failing.
Does Hanahan water damage water heaters?
CWS water is soft, with a reported average of 3.4 grains per gallon, so scale buildup is not the usual cause of failure. Age and a spent anode rod are more common. A flush still helps if you have never had one.