Free plumbing inspection ($89 value). No hot water? Same-day water heater repair in the Triangle.
No hot water usually means one of five things: a failed heating element, a tripped reset button, a bad thermostat, sediment buildup in the tank, or a pilot light that went out. The fix depends on whether you have a gas or electric water heater — and how old it is.
Electric water heaters have a red reset button on the upper thermostat, usually behind an access panel. If the water overheated, this safety switch trips. Press it once. If hot water returns within an hour, you're good. If it trips again within a few days, the thermostat or element is failing and needs to be replaced.
Electric tanks have two heating elements — upper and lower. The upper element heats incoming cold water first. If it fails, you get no hot water at all. If the lower element fails, you'll get a small amount of hot water that runs out fast. Elements cost $10-20 for the part, but replacing them requires draining the tank and working with electrical connections.
If you have a gas water heater and the pilot light went out, there's no flame to heat the water. Relighting instructions are on a sticker on the tank. Turn the gas knob to "pilot," hold down the button, and use the igniter (or a long lighter). Hold for 30-60 seconds after the flame appears. If the pilot won't stay lit, the thermocouple is likely bad — that's a $20 part but a repair best left to a pro since it involves the gas valve.
Over time, minerals in your water settle at the bottom of the tank. This layer of sediment insulates the water from the burner (gas) or lower element (electric), making the unit work harder and longer to heat water. You might hear popping or rumbling sounds from the tank. Flushing the tank annually prevents this problem. If it's been years since your last flush, sediment may be severe enough that flushing alone won't fix it.
The thermostat tells the elements (electric) or gas valve (gas) when to fire. If it fails, the heating cycle never starts. On electric units, you can test this with a multimeter. On gas units, a failed gas valve thermostat means no gas reaches the burner even when the pilot is lit.
Try these in order:
- Check the breaker (electric) or pilot light (gas) — this solves it about 25% of the time
- Press the red reset button if you have an electric tank
- Turn up the thermostat on the tank — someone may have bumped it. Factory setting is usually 120°F
- Check if other hot water fixtures work — if the kitchen has hot water but the bathroom doesn't, the problem might be a mixing valve or crossover, not the water heater
- Listen to the tank — popping sounds mean sediment, hissing means a leak, silence when it should be heating means an element or gas issue
If none of that works, Element Service Group offers a free plumbing inspection (an $89 value) and same-day water heater repair across the Triangle.
Here's a straightforward way to think about it:
- The tank is less than 8-10 years old
- The issue is a single failed component (element, thermostat, thermocouple)
- There are no signs of tank corrosion or leaking
- Repair cost is under 50% of a new unit
- The tank is 10-15+ years old
- You see rust-colored water from the hot side only
- The tank is leaking from the bottom (internal corrosion — not repairable)
- You're making repairs more than once a year
- You want to upgrade to a tankless or heat pump water heater for energy savings
A standard 50-gallon tank water heater lasts 8-12 years on average. Tankless units can last 20+ years with maintenance.
Triangle water has moderate hardness — typically 3-7 grains per gallon depending on your municipality. That's not extreme, but over a decade it adds up. Sediment builds on heating elements and coats the bottom of tanks, cutting efficiency and shortening the unit's life.
A huge number of homes in the Triangle were built during the housing boom from the mid-90s through the 2000s. If your home falls in that window and you still have the original water heater, it's at or past its expected lifespan. It hasn't "failed" yet, but a proactive replacement on your schedule beats an emergency replacement when the tank finally gives out — usually at the worst possible time.
Our techs handle both repair and installation for tank, tankless, and heat pump water heaters. We serve Apex, Cary, Holly Springs, Fuquay-Varina, Raleigh, and Durham with same-day service and honest repair-vs-replace guidance.
28 recent jobs across 10 cities by our technicians.
Recent work
Recent work
TRecent work
Recent work
Recent work
Recent work
Our experts diagnose and resolve any issue.
If your water gets warm but not hot, or takes much longer to reheat between uses, the lower heating element (electric) or a sediment-covered burner (gas) is likely the cause. Heavy sediment from Triangle-area hard water insulates the tank bottom, forcing the system to work harder.
A thermocouple that can't sense the pilot flame signals the gas valve to shut off fuel supply. This safety device wears out over time and is one of the most common gas water heater repairs we perform.
If the temperature and pressure relief valve is dripping or periodically releasing water, it may indicate excessive pressure in your system, a failed expansion tank, or a faulty valve — all of which require professional evaluation.
When the anode rod is fully consumed, bacteria can react with residual magnesium or aluminum in the tank, producing hydrogen sulfide gas — the rotten egg smell in hot water. Replacing the anode rod and treating the tank eliminates this issue.
Working with the Element Service team, in particular the Plumbing department, has been an absolute pleasure this last month. Starting with an inspection of my plumbing, where Chris came out did a very thorough inspection of all the plumbing and was very knowledgeable talking through everything he was looking at and why then giving good quality details on things that didn’t look great made me feel comfortable in decisions going forward on any work that I wanted to get done. Estimates were also very fairly priced and easy to work through getting the work scheduled. I decided on doing a new water heater installation, whole house water line re-pipe, and a shower replacement. Chris, Nick, and Manny were timely with their arrival to the project, walked me through what the plan was for the day and proceeded to complete the re-pipe and water heater installation on day 1. Chris and Nick came back on day 2 and worked through the shower replacement. The shower materials were of excellent quality and all turned out fantastic in the end! Through the whole process Chris made sure to keep me in the loop on how the work was progressing, if he was having issues, and on anything else I may need to know. These guys at Element Service group pride themselves on the work they do and ensure their customers are happy in the end! I really appreciate Chris and the team for the work on this large project and will definitely be using them for future projects and referring them to friends around the area.
Jordan Matthews
Verified Google ReviewRaleigh
Chris was amazing! From the estimate to the completion of the install of a new water heater he never missed a step. He was clear and professional in his communication, detailed in his work, and left the site better than he found it. His whole crew, including Tay (and I forgot to ask the other gentleman's name) were also all great!
Paige Darlington
Verified Google Review
Chris D. showed up this morning to replace my water heater and repair my plumbing. He assessed what problems he would be working against quickly, and adapted to what parts/tools were missing without ever missing a beat. Chris was quick, friendly, professional, and had a calming demeanor about him that put future anxieties about my water heater at ease. He was great about communicating (without being a bother) about what he was doing, how he was progressing, etc. and I could not be more thankful for that transparent communication. Thank you Chris, for what felt like a genuine textbook example of how I hope any service call goes. The work was top, the work ethic was top, and the professional and friendly attitude was mint. This is what the standard should be. (Our apartment complex has a contract with the company, so I did not have to pay out of pocket for this replacement unit. I asked Chris if he had an estimate, but he was unable to provide that information without contacting someone else who handles the contract and estimates between the two parties. I did not want to press the issue, so I'm unable to give you an adequate review on price, but they seem to be at market rates for their services and the unit they selected.)
Matt Nicholson
Verified Google Review
Tim was professional, empathetic but most importantly thorough in his delivery of what the next steps are in resolving my water heater issue. His follow through and completion of my install was beyond the five star rating I am able to leave.Thank you Tim and Element Service Group for being the BEST PLUMBING COMPANY IN APEX!!!
Ryan Franklin
Verified Google Review
Nick and his crew were outstanding. I also was very appreciative that they offered a free estimate. Several other big companies would not even give a rough order of magnitude without a $79 fee for one and $89 for the other company, their price was right. His response to our call was prompt. He was able to schedule us to meet our timeline. He did not try to force up sales after a short recommendation and discussion. The work was done efficiently. We are very happy with our choice using Element Service Group to replace our 14 year old water heater. I am going to use him for our ageing HVAC system.
Alex Wellman
Verified Google ReviewApex
Since we use Element Service Group for our HVAC services, we contacted ESG to inquire about the new plumbing services they now offer. Nick Pleasants, the plumber, can in and did a plumbing assessment in our home. He inspected all of our plumbing fixtures and connections under the sinks, the toilets, the water heater and outside faucets. Nick went about his thorough inspection in an efficient manner while answering all of our questions. Upon completion of his inspection, he provided us a list of items that needed attention along with an estimate for the recommended repairs which we found to be a reasonable amount. We will be contacting ESG in a couple of weeks to schedule Nick to make repairs. We found Nick to be very knowledgeable and most courteous. Thank you!
Gwen Ferrone
Verified Google Review
Explore our other plumbing services.
Tank and tankless water heater options properly sized for your household. Professional installation with same-day availability.
Learn moreEndless hot water on demand with energy-efficient tankless systems. Save space, save energy, and never run out of hot water.
Learn moreClear stubborn clogs fast with professional drain cleaning for kitchen, bathroom, and main sewer lines using camera inspection.
Learn more
Jun 19, 2026 · 7 min read
A look at the real plumbing jobs Nick Pleasants and Chris Dick handled across Apex, Cary, Raleigh, and the rest of the Triangle this June, with the cause and the fix for each.
Read article
Jan 13, 2026 · 6 min read
Your tankless water heater was supposed to deliver endless hot water. So why does it go cold halfway through a shower? Here's what's actually happening — and what to do about it.
Read article
Jan 8, 2026 · 6 min read
Popping, rumbling, screeching, hammering — your water heater is trying to tell you something. Here's a guide to decoding every sound and knowing when it's time to act.
Read articleCommon questions about our water heater repair services.
Common causes include a tripped circuit breaker or blown fuse (electric), a pilot light that's gone out (gas), a faulty thermostat, a broken heating element, or sediment buildup in the tank. For gas heaters, check if the pilot light is lit. For electric, check your breaker panel. If these basics don't solve it, call us for a diagnostic—we can usually identify the issue quickly.
Traditional tank water heaters typically last 8-12 years, while tankless water heaters can last 15-20 years with proper maintenance. Signs your water heater is failing include rusty water, rumbling noises, leaks around the base, inconsistent temperatures, and water that's not as hot as it used to be. If your unit is over 10 years old and having issues, replacement is often more cost-effective than repair.
Consider replacement if: the unit is over 10 years old, repairs would cost more than 50% of a new unit, you're seeing rust or corrosion, or you're experiencing frequent breakdowns. Repair makes sense for: newer units, minor issues like a faulty thermostat or heating element, or if you're not ready for the upfront cost of replacement. We'll give you an honest assessment and options.
Licensed & Insured
Fully licensed and insured for your protection
24/7 Emergency
Available when you need us most
16+ Years
Decades of trusted service