Water Heater Repair in Bahama, NC

What happens after you call

The number on this page connects you with an independent plumber who works in northern Durham County. Explain what the heater is doing, whether it's electric or propane and about how old it is. Once there, the plumber checks the power or fuel supply, tests elements or burner parts, inspects the relief valve and drain valve and looks over the connections and tank base. With well water, expect them to drain some water from the bottom to see how much sediment has built up. You'll know whether it's a repair or a replacement before work begins.

What affects cost

• Electric or propane. Electric repairs tend to be elements and thermostats. Propane units involve the control valve, thermocouple and burner, and the plumber may need your supplier to confirm the tank and lines.
• Sediment from the well. Heavy buildup can mean extra flushing time or a scaled element.
• Old-house access. In farmhouses, heaters can be in tight closets, porches or crawlspace-level rooms.
• A full replacement. That adds the new heater and a permit.

Bahama conditions

Bahama is a rural crossroads village in northern Durham County, with 19th- and early 20th-century farmhouses and stores along Bahama Road and a country setting near Lake Michie. The lake supplies City of Durham customers, but Bahama is outside city limits, and the City generally requires annexation before extending water or sewer. So many homes here draw from private wells, permitted and tested by Durham County Environmental Health.

Piped gas is rare. In ZIP 27503 only about 0.7% of homes heat with utility gas, compared with about 35% on propane and 62% on electricity, so a water heater here is far more likely to be electric or propane than natural gas.

Durham County well testing found manganese above the federal health advisory in about 38% of tested wells and iron above its advisory in about 23%. That's why Bahama heaters often collect sediment, and why staining at the hot taps is common. Permits for a replacement come from Durham City-County Building & Safety, which covers the unincorporated county.

A quick checklist before the visit

• Close the cold water valve above a leaking tank
• Turn off the breaker on an electric heater
• Know your propane supplier's name and how full the tank is
• Smell gas from a propane heater? Leave the house and call 911 from outside, then your propane supplier