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Water Heater Repair Across the Hill Country

Gas, electric or tankless, fixed or replaced by a licensed plumber out of Spring Branch. We also serve Bergheim, Boerne, Bulverde, New Braunfels, Leon Springs and North San Antonio.

No charge to come out. We look first, then tell you whether it is worth fixing and what it costs, before any work. Water on the floor? Start here

Call 210-264-1432

Is It an Emergency?

Signs You Need Water Heater Repair

A leak or a gas smell can't wait. Most other signs can wait a few days, but not a few months. Here they are, worst first.

Water Under the Tank
Call now. Turn the gas or power off and close the cold water valve.
You Smell Gas
Call now. Leave, and call the gas company from a neighbor's phone.
Soot at the Burner
Call now. Turn the gas off and leave it off until it is fixed.
Pilot Won't Stay Lit
Call this week. The makers say a pilot that keeps going out needs a tech.
No Hot Water
Call this week. Check that the breaker or the gas is on first.
Rusty Hot Water
Call this week. Rust on the hot side only can mean the tank is rusting.
Rumbling or Popping
Worth a look. The makers trace that sound to scale and sediment in the tank.
Hot Water Runs Out Fast
Worth a look. Scale takes up room in the tank, or a part is failing.
Heater Is Getting Old
Worth a look. Tank heaters last 10 to 15 years, per the Department of Energy.

Water on the Floor? Do This First

Turn the gas dial or the breaker off.
Close the cold water supply valve.
Then call Bergheim Plumbing.

Call 210-264-1432

Young technician in a blue shirt standing at the door of the white service truck

Fix It or Replace It

Fix a Part, Replace a Leaking Tank

A failed part is a repair. Water coming out of the tank itself means a new heater. We look first, then tell you which one and what it costs.

We repair parts: thermocouples, gas valves, burners, elements, thermostats and relief valves.
We replace a tank that leaks from its body. A rusted tank can't be patched.
Age counts. A tank heater lasts 10 to 15 years, so a big repair on an old one rarely pays.
David’s rule: “Be upfront and say okay, this is what it is going to cost, here we go.”

Tank or Tankless

Tankless Lasts Longer but Costs More to Put In

Tankless costs more to buy and put in, but it lasts longer and costs less to run. Here is how the two compare.

Tank Heater

How long it lasts: 10 to 15 years, per the Department of Energy.
What the install takes: Often a straight swap in the same spot.
How the hot water runs: Hot until the tank runs out, then a wait to reheat.
The house it fits: Most houses, at the lowest price up front.

Tankless Heater

How long it lasts: More than 20 years, per the Department of Energy.
What the install takes: Often a bigger gas line, new venting and a wall mount.
How the hot water runs: Hot water that doesn't run out, 2 to 5 gallons a minute.
The house it fits: A shower and the dishwasher at once can push it to its limit.

David likes a tankless swap and will tell you straight if your house fits one. If it doesn't, a new tank is the right call.

White Dodge Ram service truck with a utility bed lettered for Bergheim Plumbing

“Colten and the crew did a great job with our new water heater.”

J M Google Review

Gloved hands turning a wrench on the expansion tank of a wall mounted heater

What an Install Includes

Every Install Gets the Code Parts

San Antonio builds to the 2024 plumbing code, and New Braunfels and Boerne to the 2021 code. Each one calls for parts that keep a leak or a stuck valve from doing damage.

An expansion tank where a check valve or pressure regulator closes the line. San Antonio requires the tank.
A drain pan under a tank that sits where a leak would do damage.
A relief valve line run to a safe spot. In San Antonio it can't end on the floor or in the pan.
A city permit where one is required, as in New Braunfels.
The old heater hauled off when we leave.

Why Heaters Wear Out Here

Hard Water Wears Heaters Out Here

The water here is hard. The state water board calls Trinity Aquifer water fresh but very hard. SAWS puts its water at 15 to 20 grains per gallon. Boerne’s 2025 report averages 321.6 parts per million.

Hard water leaves deposits in the bottom of the tank. Rheem says to drain a few quarts every month to clear them. The Department of Energy says upkeep can make a heater last longer.

Freezes are the other risk. In February 2021 a winter storm hit South Central Texas, and pipes burst across the state. San Antonio’s airport stayed below freezing for 4 days and 12 hours.

Technician in a blue cap checking the valve on a tank water heater

How a Heater Call Goes

From the Call to the Hot Shower

Six steps, the same at every house, from a quick repair to a tankless swap.

Call and Say What It Is Doing
Cold water, a leak, a noise or a pilot that won't stay lit. David watches the phone and the email himself.
Look It Over, at No Charge
We check the tank, the burner or the elements, the venting and the water pressure. Coming out and looking costs you nothing.
Hear Repair or Replace, With the Price
You get one answer and one price before anything is touched. Then you decide.
Approve It, Then We Get the Parts
Repairs use parts off the truck when we have them. A new heater is sized to the house before we come back.
Set It, Vent It, Test It
Old unit out, new one in, the gas or power hooked up and the venting checked. Then we run it and check every fitting for leaks.
Walk You Through It
You see the shutoff, the temperature setting and what the warranty covers. Then you get your hot shower.

Fifty Miles in Every Direction

Where We Work Across the Hill Country

West to Kerrville, south to Leon Springs and North San Antonio, east to New Braunfels, with Boerne, Bulverde and Bergheim in between. About 50 miles out of the shop. Not on the list? Call and ask.

Spring BranchThe shop Bergheim Kerrville Boerne Bulverde New Braunfels Leon Springs North San Antonio

No Hot Water Tonight?

After hours emergency service available. Call the number and say it is an emergency. No charge to come out.

Call 210-264-1432

Technician in a blue shirt and cap leaning against the open door of a service truck

Straight Answers

What Callers Ask About Heaters

Is My Water Heater Worth Fixing?

Usually yes, if the tank itself is not leaking. Thermocouples, elements, valves and thermostats are repairs. Water from the tank body means a new heater. We tell you which one, with the price, before any work.

What Does a New Water Heater Cost?

You get the price before any work, and coming out and looking costs you nothing. Gas or electric, tank or tankless, the size, an attic spot and the code parts all set the price. On a long drive out, we talk about the trip on the phone first.

How Long Does a Water Heater Last?

A tank heater lasts 10 to 15 years, and tankless more than 20, per the Department of Energy. Hard water shortens that. Draining the tank and a water softener help it last.

How Often Should I Drain My Water Heater?

Follow the maker of your heater. Rheem and Bradford White say drain a few quarts every month. A. O. Smith says drain and flush every 6 months. We can show you how on your tank.

Should I Go Tankless?

Go tankless if you want hot water that doesn't run out and plan to stay a while. It costs more to put in and lasts longer. We check your gas line, venting and water first, and we say so if a tank fits better.

Do You Work After Hours?

After hours emergency service available. A leaking tank, or no hot water in a freeze, counts. Call the number and say it is an emergency.

Do You Come Out to Boerne and New Braunfels?

Yes. From the shop in Spring Branch we cover Boerne, New Braunfels, Bulverde, Bergheim, Leon Springs and North San Antonio. We go about 50 miles out. Not sure about your town? Call and ask.

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