Cost To Repair a Tankless Water Heater

When you’re having issues with your tankless water heater, you want to know how much it will possibly cost to repair.

While we cannot provide an exact estimate without an in-person inspection, we’ll go over the cost factors that impact the potential price range. On average, repairing a tankless water heater in Iowa costs anywhere from $400 to $5,000.

This price range is greatly affected by these 4 factors:

Below, we’ll go into more detail about each of these cost factors so you can better understand how much your tankless water heater repair could be.

The cost factor that has the biggest impact on your tankless water heater repair is whether replacement parts are necessary. But you won’t know for certain whether a spare part is required until you contact a professional plumber for an inspection. After inspecting the faulty part, they will provide a quote based on the parts and time needed to repair.

Let’s look at common repairs for tankless water heaters:

• $ Water heater flush: If your tankless water heater is clogging up or overheating, a tankless water heater flush can remove any mineral buildup that could be the cause.
• $$ Repair or replace broken burners or heating elements: If your water is not properly heating, a plumber might replace any faulty burners or heating elements.
• $$$ Repair or replace broken circuit board: If your water is lukewarm, your tankless water heater’s circuit board might be faulty and need replacing.

The older your tankless water heater is, the more likely you will pay more for a repair.

As your water heater ages past 15-20 years old, its parts start to wear out and need either repairing or replacing. Depending on how old the system is, some parts may no longer be in production or are challenging to find. Your repair cost could go up due to the short supply and need for more time to locate parts.

If multiple parts malfunction, you’re looking at a more expensive repair. Certain parts that need replacement could cost as much as a full replacement. Generally, if your repair is around 50% of the cost of a new tankless water heater, the plumber will recommend replacing the whole system.

A valid labor or parts warranty could help you save on a tankless water heater repair.

The plumber who installs your water heater will typically provide a labor warranty for up to a year. This warranty will cover the cost of labor for any problems created by a poor installation.

The water heater manufacturer provides a parts warranty that lasts 5-10 years, depending on the brand. This warranty will cover damaged parts that need replacement, but only for faulty parts due to a manufacturing problem.

It’s important to note that the manufacturer warranty only stays valid if you’ve met certain stipulations, such as:

• Registering your water heater within 6 months of installation
• Maintaining your water heater annually with a licensed plumber
• Repairing or replacing parts only with parts from the same manufacturer

You can check if your warranties are still valid by reaching out to the installer or your water heater manufacturer. Or you can look up your water heater’s model number on the brand’s website. The plumber you hire for the repair can also help check your warranty status.

Golden Rule registers your tankless water heater warranty for you when we perform the installation.

The more experienced your plumber is, the more you might pay for labor. However, it's worth it for expert advice and quality repairs. An inexperienced plumber might not have the skill needed to fix your problem properly, or they could cut corners, and you could end up paying for expensive repeat work down the line.

When looking for a high-quality plumber, you should be able to answer the following questions:

• Does their website or Better Business Bureau (BBB) profile list their license number and insurance? The BBB will only list companies with valid licensing and insurance.
• Do they have positive reviews on Google, Facebook, and the BBB?
• Does their website say they provide upfront estimates? You want to make sure you’ll get an upfront estimate to protect yourself from any surprise fees.
• Do they have more than 10 years of experience?
• Do they operate out of a physical office instead of just a truck?
• Do they offer guarantees and warranties on their tankless water heater repairs?
• If you can answer “yes” to the questions above, chances are the plumber will meet high technical and customer service standards.