Water heater repair and installation in Toronto

Common water heater problems

• No hot water: on gas units, often the pilot, thermocouple, flame sensor or a venting fault; on electric units, an element or thermostat.
• Not enough hot water: sediment build-up, a failed lower element, or a heater too small for the household.
• Rumbling or popping: sediment on the bottom of the tank. Lake Ontario water is moderately hard, so minerals settle out over the years.
• Rusty or smelly hot water: a worn anode rod or corrosion inside the tank.
• Water on the floor: a fitting or the relief valve is usually repairable; a leak from the tank itself is not.

Repair or replace?

Valves, elements, thermocouples, igniters and venting parts can all be replaced. A leaking tank can’t. Age matters too: a conventional tank often lasts roughly 8 to 12 years, and past that, a costly repair is rarely money well spent. Our guide on whether to repair or replace a water heater walks through the decision.

If your water heater is a rental

Many Toronto homes rent their water heater instead of owning it. Look for a rental company’s sticker on the tank, or a monthly rental charge on a utility bill. Rented tanks are generally the rental provider’s job to fix. If you want to replace it with a heater you own, contact them about returning it or buying it out, and read your agreement first, since some contracts include buyout or removal charges.

Choosing a new water heater

Tank

Gas tanks recover quickly and suit most families. Many Toronto basements have power-vented units, which vent out through the side wall with a fan instead of up a chimney. Electric tanks are simpler to install but recover more slowly.

Tankless

A tankless water heater heats water as you use it and frees up floor space, but it needs the right gas supply and venting.

Sizing

We size by the number of bathrooms, how many showers run back to back, and whether there’s a large soaker tub.

Gas work and safety

In Ontario, gas water heaters have to be installed by a certified gas technician, and that work includes testing the venting and gas connections. Every installation we do includes a relief valve discharge line, a venting check and a full test run.

On the job, step by step

1. 1
   Read the plate

   Age, size, venting type and fuel taken off the rating label.

2. 2
   Test the controls

   Thermocouple or element tested with a meter, gas valve and draft checked.

3. 3
   Drain and swap

   Tank drained to the floor drain, connectors and T&P line replaced.

4. 4
   Fire and check

   Burner lit, flue draft and leak checks done, temperature set before we leave.

Questions we get about water heater repair & installation