Water heater failed or leaking right now? Do these first
- If you smell gas, leave the house and call the gas utility or 911 before you call us. Do not flip switches or hunt for the source.
- Close the cold water supply valve on the pipe that feeds the top of the tank. A lever or a round wheel, either one stops the refill.
- Cut the energy: the double breaker for an electric tank, or the gas control knob to off for a gas tank.
- Keep children and pets back, and stay out of standing water near outlets, power strips or the panel.
- Call the line and tell us the fuel, roughly how old the tank is, and whether it is dripping, pooling or spraying.
Repair or replace? What the tank is telling you
| What you see | What it usually means | Our honest take |
|---|---|---|
| Water seeping from the tank body, a seam or the bottom | The inner steel tank has corroded through | Replace. A hole in the tank cannot be patched. |
| Rust-colored hot water or rust at the base fittings | Corroded tank or a used-up anode rod | Replace if the tank is well past its first decade, otherwise we look at the anode rod first. |
| No hot water but the tank is dry and sound | Dead element, thermostat, igniter or thermocouple | Repair, unless the tank is old and a second repair is already likely. |
| Third repair in a short stretch | The tank is wearing out as a whole | Replace. Stacking repairs on a tired tank rarely pays. |
| Drip from the relief valve discharge pipe | Worn valve, high pressure or thermal expansion | Repair first. Replace only if the tank itself checks out as failing. |
We tell you if a repair is the better buy, even when that means a smaller job.
Sizing and fuel: what we match before we quote
Most households do best with a like-for-like swap: same fuel, similar capacity, similar footprint. That keeps the gas line, vent and circuit as they are and keeps the job short. We read the rating plate, then ask how many people shower in the morning.
Changing fuel is a bigger job. Gas to electric needs a proper circuit, and electric to gas needs a gas line and a vent path. If you are weighing tankless or a hybrid, water heater installation covers the planned route. A tank that quit overnight is usually best replaced like for like and upgraded later.
Venting, permits and inspection
On a gas tank the exhaust path matters most. We check the flue slope, connector, draft, gas shutoff and sediment trap before the new burner lights. Electric tanks get breaker size, wire condition and terminal checks.
In Allendale Township, plumbing and mechanical permits and inspections go through Professional Code Inspections. Michigan's plumbing code currently adopts the 2021 International Plumbing Code, and your inspector can tell you which edition applies to your permit.
What happens on the visit
Make it safe
We confirm gas, power and water are off and find where the tank is actually leaking.
Confirm the diagnosis
If the leak is a fitting or a valve, we say so. Sometimes the honest answer is a repair.
Swap the tank
We drain the old unit, set the new one, fit new connectors, a relief valve and discharge pipe, and add an expansion tank if needed.
Test and show you
We fill it, purge air, light or power it, check for leaks and combustion, and show you the shutoffs.
Allendale tanks: younger houses, mineral water, busy rentals
The median home in the township was built in 2003, and about 32% of units went up after 2010, so most tanks here are not ancient. A 2003 house can still be on its second tank, so read the manufacture date on the rating plate.
The township buys its water from the City of Grand Rapids, and that system reported a 2025 plant-tap average of 8.3 grains per gallon (142 mg/L). That is a system average, not a measurement at your tap, so test your tap if you want your own number. Minerals settle as sediment on the tank floor, which is why a flush and an anode rod check are worth doing on a schedule.
About 47% of households in the Allendale CDP rent, and a rental tank often goes unchecked until the hot water stops. If you manage the unit, say on the call who will give us access.
Census heating figures show 5,900 township households on utility gas and 1,651 on electricity. That is space heating, not water heating, but both fuels are clearly common, so we ask which one your tank uses first. In Jenison, where the median home dates to 1973, tank age matters even more.
Sources: ACS 2020-2024 estimates, township Master Plan, Grand Rapids Water System 2025 average water analysis.
What decides the price of a replacement
You get a clear price before work starts. We keep dollar figures off this page because the number moves with the five things below.
Like for like gas or electric is the baseline. Changing fuel or moving to a hybrid adds circuit, gas line or vent work.
A bigger tank costs more to buy, takes more floor and sometimes needs a larger vent.
A corroded vent, a new expansion tank, discharge piping or a drain pan all change the parts list.
A tank in a tight utility closet or down a steep stair takes more labor than one in an open garage corner.
A tank that leaked for days may have hurt shutoff valves, nearby piping or the floor drain, and that is priced separately.