No hot water, water pooling around the tank, or a rumble like gravel in a can. This is an emergency when the floor is getting wet, and we dispatch licensed plumbers 24/7. While you wait, switch the heater off at its breaker or gas control, leave the cold supply valve open unless the tank is leaking, and keep kids and pets off any wet floor.
Most failures come down to a short list of parts. A gas unit usually fails at the pilot assembly, thermocouple or igniter. An electric unit usually fails at a heating element or thermostat. A leak decides whether repair even makes sense. Call (503) 974-3329 and describe what you see, hear and smell, and we will line up the right visit.
Gas Smell or Scalding Water Right Now
If you smell gas, do not touch a switch, a lighter or the heater. Walk everyone outside, then call NW Natural at 800-882-3377 or 911 from outside the building. We do not diagnose gas leaks over the phone, and the heater can wait until the gas company says the home is safe.
Scalding water at the tap is the other true emergency. It usually points to a thermostat stuck on. Turn the heater off, keep everyone away from the tank and its discharge pipe, and call. A tank that is hissing, steaming or running hot water from the relief valve pipe is a safety problem. Turn the heater off, stay clear and call right away.
Symptom, Likely Cause, Usual Fix
A plumber starts with what the heater is doing, because the symptom narrows the cause fast. This table covers the calls that come up most. It is general knowledge, not a diagnosis of your unit.
| What you notice | Likely cause | Usual fix |
|---|---|---|
| No hot water, gas unit. | Pilot out, bad thermocouple or failed igniter. | Relight and test, or replace the part. |
| No hot water, electric unit. | Tripped reset, dead element or bad thermostat. | Reset, test with a meter, replace the part. |
| Hot water runs out fast. | Failed lower element or heavy sediment. | Replace the element or flush the tank. |
| Water too hot or too cool. | Thermostat out of calibration. | Adjust or replace the thermostat. |
| Rumbling or popping | Sediment baked onto the tank bottom. | Flush, or replace if scale is heavy. |
| Water at the base of the tank. | Fitting leak or a failed tank. | Tighten a fitting, or replace the heater. |
Not sure which row sounds like your heater? Talk it through with a licensed plumber now.
Call (503) 974-3329Gas Heaters: Pilot, Thermocouple and Igniter
A gas tank heater needs a flame that stays lit and a safety device that proves it. The thermocouple is a small probe sitting in the pilot flame. If it goes bad, it tells the gas valve there is no flame and the burner shuts down. Newer heaters use an electronic igniter instead, which can fail or get sooty.
Relighting from the label instructions is as far as DIY should go. A pilot that keeps dying points to a draft, a dirty burner or a weak thermocouple. Anyone who installs or repairs LP gas appliances or piping in Oregon has to be licensed, homeowners included, so this is not a weekend job.
Electric Heaters: Elements, Thermostats and the Reset Button
An electric tank has two heating elements, one high and one low, each run by its own thermostat behind a metal cover. When the upper one fails you get lukewarm water. When the lower one fails the hot supply runs out quickly. A high-limit reset button near the top trips if the tank overheats.
Flip the breaker off before anyone removes a panel, because these circuits carry 240 volts. If the reset trips again right after you press it, stop pressing it. Something is shorting or overheating. If the power dropped at the street, Forest Grove Light & Power is city-owned and answers at 503-992-3250.
Leaks, Drips and the Relief Valve
Where the water shows up matters. A drip at a fitting on top is often a cheap repair. A leak from the temperature and pressure relief valve (the T&P valve, a safety valve that opens when the tank gets too hot or too pressurized) can mean a worn valve or rising pressure in the house. EPA WaterSense advises checking it at least once a year.
Water coming from the shell or bottom of the tank is different. A rusted-through tank cannot be repaired. Shut the cold supply valve above the heater, turn the power or gas control off, and call. If water keeps spreading, close the main shutoff valve at the house and never the one at the city meter. If it will not close, Public Works at 503-992-3258 can help. A hidden drip may need leak detection equipment to trace.
Rumbling, Popping and Sediment
Minerals and debris settle in the bottom of any storage tank. Heat bakes that layer into a crust, and trapped water boils underneath it, which makes the popping sound. The crust also acts like a blanket, so burners run longer and elements burn out sooner. The Department of Energy suggests draining a quart every three months.
Hardness is not in the City's water quality reports, so we do not quote a number for Forest Grove. To learn how much scale to expect, call the City water treatment team at 503-992-3259. A noisy tank that has never been flushed is showing its age.
Fix It or Replace It
The Department of Energy puts the life of a storage water heater at roughly 10 to 15 years. A failed part on a tank in its first decade is usually worth fixing. A tank leaking from the shell never is. In between, plumbers weigh age, the repair bill and rust on the fittings.
Forest Grove's median home was built in 1982, and about 48 percent predate 1980, so plenty of tanks sit in old closets with corroded fittings. If yours is past saving, we explain why and price a full tank replacement before work starts. Replacing a heater needs a City permit, so ask about that step early. A tankless unit is another route if the tank is done.
What a Water Heater Repair Costs
According to Angi, water heater repair in Portland averages about $690 with a typical range of $266 to $1,114. A tank flush alone runs about $75 to $150 (HomeGuide). Those are guide figures, not our price. We give you a clear price before work starts, and you can say no.
The failed part
A thermocouple or thermostat is a small repair. A gas control valve or a burst fitting costs more.
Gas or electric
Electric elements are simple to swap. Gas units need combustion and venting checks on top.
Age of the tank
Rusted fittings on an older tank can break during repair, which adds to the visit.
Access
A heater in a tight closet or a crawlspace takes longer to service than one in an open garage.
Time of the call
Cost guides say after hours calls often cost more, and the price is stated before work starts.
Homeowners insurance often covers sudden water damage from a failed tank but usually not the heater itself, and wear and tear is normally excluded. Photograph the leak and damage before you clean up, then ask your insurer what applies.
For a real number on your heater, call (503) 974-3329 and talk to a licensed plumber.
No hot water tonight? Call now for a same-day visit when one is available.
Call (503) 974-3329