//Quick answer
- Gas: thermocouple, pilot, gas valve, burner, venting. Combustion and venting get checked on every visit.
- Electric: upper and lower elements, thermostats, wiring and the breaker.
- Shared: sediment, anode rod, relief valve, and a tank that leaks at the base, which is a replacement on either type.
01Definition
What goes wrong on a gas water heater?
A pilot that will not stay lit is usually a thermocouple or a dirty burner. No ignition with the pilot lit is the gas valve. Yellow flame, soot or a smell at the unit is a burner or venting problem, and venting is a safety item: a blocked or badly routed vent can push combustion gases into the house. The gas connection is leak-tested whenever it is disturbed.
What goes wrong on an electric water heater?
Lukewarm water is one failed element; no hot water is both elements, a thermostat or the breaker. Elements burn out faster under sediment. The high-limit switch trips when a thermostat sticks. Electric repairs are parts and wiring; there is no combustion or vent to inspect, but the power is off at the breaker before anything is touched.
02Which fits
Who should repair rather than replace?
Either type with one identifiable failed part on a unit that is not old: a thermocouple, a gas valve, an element, a thermostat. Those are repairs. The operator's rule is the same for both fuels: once a unit is old enough to be failing, replacement usually beats repeated repairs.
Who should think about replacement?
Anyone whose tank is wet at the base, on either fuel; the tank shell is the one part that cannot be replaced. Anyone with repeated part failures on an aged unit. A tank replacement is $2,300 to $3,200 installed with a Bradford White unit, and the tune-up is a flat $150.
//Side by side
Gas water heater repair
- Parts are inexpensive and common
- Fast recovery once it is running
- Combustion and venting checks on every visit
- A gas smell is a leave-the-house event
Electric water heater repair
- No combustion, no vent to inspect
- Elements and thermostats are straightforward swaps
- Sediment burns elements out faster
- Power must be off and verified before any work
03What goes wrong
What is different about safety on the two?
Gas: carbon monoxide from bad combustion or venting, and gas leaks at the connection. That is why a gas repair includes checking the flame, the draft and the vent, and why a gas smell at the unit means leaving the house and calling the utility first. Electric: shock. The breaker is off and verified before the access panels come off. Neither is a homeowner repair.
04Proof
- 1 year minimum warranty on labor. Manufacturer warranty handling varies by manufacturer.
- Six plumbers averaging more than 9 years in the trade each, plus a General Manager with 25+ years.
- Jason Shen, Google, September 16, 2026: "Daniel did an excellent job installing my whole house carbon filtration and water conditioning system. He also flushed out my tankless water heater."
- No trip charge, a 1-hour response time, and 24/7 emergency service.
05Action
Book the repair or the tune-up
Water heater repair on gas and electric units, $150 flat for the tune-up, no trip charge, and a 1 year minimum labor warranty on the work.
//Keep going
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//Terms used in this guide
Where this applies
Done-Rite runs these calls across Orange County from its shop in Anaheim, CA, with no trip charge in any city it serves.
Common questions
Yes. Both types, tank and tankless, with emergency service around the clock and no trip charge.
They carry the carbon monoxide and gas leak risks that electric units do not, which is why the flame, draft and vent are checked and the gas connection is leak-tested. Electric units carry a shock risk instead. Neither is a homeowner repair.
No. Water at the base means the tank shell has failed, and that is a replacement on gas or electric.
