Water Heater Repair in Frederick, CO

Signs it is time to call

• Showers turn lukewarm partway through
• The heater clicks but the burner never lights
• Popping or ticking sounds while it heats
• Water in the drain pan or rust at the fittings
• A relief valve pipe that drips
• An electric heater that keeps tripping its breaker

Local conditions in Frederick

Frederick began as a coal-mining town, founded as McKissick and renamed in 1907, and has become one of the fastest-growing family suburbs in the Carbon Valley. Most homes are newer, so many water heaters are the originals and are now reaching the age when tanks and their parts wear out.

Who supplies your water depends on which side of I-25 you live on. The Town of Frederick serves everyone east of I-25, Left Hand Water District serves residents west of I-25, and Central Weld County Water District also serves part of town. The Town's supply is Colorado-Big Thompson water from Carter Lake, treated at the Carter Lake Filter Plant and disinfected with chlorine. The Town's report does not list a hardness figure, so sediment in your tank is something a plumber checks by draining it.

Permits and inspections run through the Town of Frederick Building Department on Locust Street. The page we reviewed does not say whether a water heater replacement needs a permit, so ask the plumber or the Building Department before the job. One thing the Town is clear on: inspectors may verify the identity of the plumber listed on a permit at inspection and can fail it until that is confirmed, so make sure the person doing the work is the one named.

What affects the cost

• The failed component. Elements and thermocouples are small parts; gas control valves and burners cost more.
• Heater location. Basement mechanical rooms are easier to work in than tight closets.
• Add-on fixes. A failing drain valve, missing expansion tank or corroded shutoff adds time.
• Replace instead. A leaking tank becomes a replacement job.

What happens when you call

You'll be connected with an independent local plumber who works in Frederick. Have the fuel type, the date on the label and a short description ready. Gas in Frederick comes from Black Hills Energy. If you smell gas, leave the house first, then call 911 and Black Hills Energy from outside, using the emergency number on your gas bill. Sewer questions go to St. Vrain Sanitation District, which treats the building sewer line as the owner's responsibility.