Water heater service covers the repair, replacement, and installation of residential and commercial tank and tankless water heaters, including gas, electric, hybrid heat pump, and solar-assisted systems.
No hot water on a Sunday morning means somebody is taking a cold shower. We get that fixed. Most water heater calls split into a few patterns. The tank is leaking from the bottom and needs replacement. The pilot will not light or stay lit. The thermocouple gave out. The dip tube broke and the hot water lasts six minutes instead of forty. Each one has a different fix, and once we see the heater we tell you straight what it needs and whether a repair or a swap makes more financial sense.
Florida water is hard. Most of the Greater Orlando metro pulls from the Floridan Aquifer through municipal utilities, and the hardness shows up as scale that builds inside the bottom of every tank. Hard-water scale insulates the heating elements and burner from the water, makes them work harder and run hotter, and shortens tank life. The average Orlando tank lasts 8 to 12 years instead of the 10 to 15 you would see in soft-water regions. Anode rod replacement on a regular schedule slows the damage. Most homeowners do not know they have an anode rod. We do, and we check it when we are out for routine service.
On gas tanks, the usual cause is the pilot going out or the thermocouple failing. On electric, a tripped reset switch (the red button on the upper thermostat) or a burned-out heating element. Diagnosis takes 15 minutes and the parts are stock items. If the tank itself is leaking from the bottom seam, that is a different conversation, and replacement is the only answer.
A tank that used to give a full hot shower and now gives ten minutes usually has a broken dip tube, a sediment-filled bottom, or one of two heating elements out (on electric). We pull the elements, check the dip tube, and flush the tank. If sediment has hardened into a layer of scale on the bottom, the fix is replacement because flushing will not remove fused scale.
Bottom leaks mean the tank is at end of life. The steel liner has corroded through, and there is no repair. We cap the leak, drain the tank safely, replace it the same day if at all possible, and haul the old one. New tanks come with a 6, 8, or 12 year warranty depending on the model you choose. We tell you which makes sense for your situation.
Tankless heaters cost more up front but last 20 plus years and never run out of hot water. They also require a properly sized gas line and 240V electrical in some configurations. We size and quote both options when we are on-site, because the right answer is not the same for every house. See our tankless water heater page for the deep dive.
| Tank (gas or electric) | Tankless (gas or electric) | |
|---|---|---|
| Lifespan | 8–12 years (hard water shortens it) | 20+ years |
| Hot water supply | Limited by tank size | Effectively unlimited |
| Up-front cost | $ | $$$ |
| Operating cost | Higher (constant standby loss) | Lower (heat on demand) |
| Install complexity | Drop-in replacement usually | Gas line + venting upgrade often needed |
| Job | Typical range |
|---|---|
| Water heater repair (per call) | $165–$450 |
| 40–50 gal gas tank replacement | $1,400–$2,400 |
| 50–80 gal electric tank replacement | $1,200–$2,200 |
| Tankless conversion (gas) | $3,200–$6,500 |
| Anode rod replacement | $165–$295 |
Ballpark Orlando-area ranges. Your exact price depends on the job, and we give a firm, free quote before any work starts.
FBC-P 504 covers all water heater requirements: 504.4 requires a T&P relief valve and discharge to within 6 inches of the floor, 504.5 requires the T&P discharge to terminate where damage cannot result, and 504.6 requires a drain pan with a separate drain when installed above any finished area. Electric units fall under NEC 422.11(E) for circuit and disconnect.
Repair runs $200 to $500 in the Orlando metro for 2026 with a $295 median (thermostat, element, T&P valve, or anode rod). A 40-50 gallon gas tank replacement is $1,400 to $2,600 installed, with $1,850 as the typical median for a standard atmospheric vent install. A 50-80 gallon electric tank replacement is $1,200 to $2,200.
Permit issuance in Orange County is 2 to 3 business days for residential water heater replacement. Install is 3 to 5 hours including drain-down, removal, set, T&P discharge, expansion tank, and connections. Inspection is 1 to 2 business days after install.
Tank brands we stock and install: AO Smith ProLine (40-gal GCV-40 and 50-gal GCV-50), Rheem Performance Plus (XE40T06 and XE50T06), Bradford White Defender Safety System (RG240T6N and RG250T6N), and State Premier (PR6 40 NORT and PR6 50). Electric: Rheem Performance, AO Smith Signature Premier, and Bradford White M-1-40R6DS.
Replacement demand follows housing-stock age. Highest-volume ZIPs for tank replacement are 32789 (Winter Park, 12-15 year cycle), 32803 (College Park), 32806 (SoDo), 32812 (Conway), and 32792 (Goldenrod). Tankless conversions cluster in renovation ZIPs 32789 and 32814 (Baldwin Park).
Same-day service in most cases. Call (407) 964-8940 and we will tell you over the phone whether it sounds like a repair or a replacement, then send a plumber out.
Water heater work often involves tankless conversion and the gas line work that goes with it. Hard-water mitigation pairs with repiping if the supply lines are aging too. Common in Altamonte Springs and Deltona homes.
Tank heaters last 8 to 12 years here, shorter than the national average because Florida water is hard and scale builds up inside the tank. Tankless units last 20 plus years with periodic descaling. Anode rod replacement extends tank life if done on schedule.
Most likely a failed thermocouple, which is the safety sensor that confirms the pilot flame is lit. It is a $35 part and a 20 minute repair. If the thermocouple is good, the next suspect is the gas valve. That is a more expensive part but still cheaper than a new heater.
If you are flushing for maintenance, turn off the gas or power, connect a garden hose to the drain valve at the bottom, run it to a safe location, and open the valve. We recommend flushing once a year. If the heater is leaking and you need to drain it before replacement, the same process works, just be aware the water comes out hot if the burner has been running recently.
If you already have natural gas service at the house, gas is generally cheaper to operate. If you do not have gas, electric is the practical choice (running new gas line just for water heating rarely pays back). Hybrid heat pump water heaters are very efficient in the Florida climate and can pay back the upfront cost in 5 to 7 years.
If the tank is leaking from the bottom, replace. No exceptions. If a major component (gas valve, control board) has failed on a tank that is 7 plus years old, replacement usually makes more sense than repair. Minor repairs (thermocouple, element, dip tube) are worth doing on younger tanks.
Rule of thumb: 30 gallons for 1 to 2 people, 40 gallons for 2 to 3, 50 gallons for 3 to 4, 65 to 80 gallons for 5 plus. Tankless sizing is by flow rate and incoming water temperature. We size on-site based on actual usage patterns.
Yes, in every Florida jurisdiction. The permit is straightforward, takes a day or two to pull, and includes the inspection by the city or county. We pull the permit and handle the inspection coordination as part of the installation price.
The anode rod is a sacrificial metal rod inside the tank that corrodes instead of the steel tank walls. Every tank has one. They need to be checked every 3 to 5 years and replaced when they are worn down. Skipping anode replacement is the #1 reason tanks fail at 8 years instead of 12.
Tank-for-tank replacement usually takes 2 to 4 hours. Tankless conversion takes 4 to 8 hours because of the venting, gas line, and electrical work. We schedule same-day for repairs and next-day for most installs.
Our team is available around the clock to better assist you. Call now for fast, friendly help.
We work across eight regions of Greater Orlando. Reasons the service matters change by neighborhood, county, and home era.
College Park and Audubon Park older slab homes call us most often for emergency tank failures on aging gas water heaters. Tankless conversions are increasingly common during renovations.
Downtown Orlando, Thornton Park, College Park, Audubon Park, Baldwin Park, Delaney Park, Parramore, and Fairview Shores
Lake Nona's newer construction usually has 5-to-10-year-old tanks. Conway and Belle Isle older homes are at the natural tank-replacement age (12-plus years).
Lake Nona, Waterford Lakes, Avalon Park, Alafaya, Azalea Park, Rio Pinar, Union Park, Conway, Belle Isle, Pine Castle, Sky Lake, Hunters Creek, Meadow Woods, Williamsburg, and Lake Buena Vista
Doctor Phillips and Windermere upscale homes increasingly run tankless or hybrid heat pump water heaters. Pine Hills 1960s-80s homes are in routine tank-replacement cycle.
Pine Hills, MetroWest, Doctor Phillips, Windermere, and Goldenrod
Apopka and Ocoee subdivisions have mid-1980s to 1990s housing stock at peak replacement age. Rural east Orange wells need pressure-tank service in addition to standard water heater work.
Apopka, Maitland, Winter Park, Ocoee, Winter Garden, Oakland, Gotha, Zellwood, Clarcona, Bithlo, Wedgefield, and Christmas
Lake Mary, Heathrow, and Sanford homes span every install era. Older Sanford historic-district homes occasionally have classic atmospheric-vent gas water heaters that need full upgrade for safety and efficiency reasons.
Sanford, Lake Mary, Heathrow, Longwood, Altamonte Springs, Casselberry, Fern Park, Forest City, Wekiwa Springs, Winter Springs, Oviedo, Geneva, and Lake Monroe (community)
Deltona's thousands of similar-spec slab homes from the 1960s through 1980s create steady demand for tank replacement on a predictable cycle. DeBary lakefront homes occasionally have LP propane setups.
DeBary, Deltona, Orange City, Enterprise, Osteen, DeLand, and Cassadaga
Mount Dora and Eustis historic homes often have older gas water heaters needing upgrade. Clermont newer subdivisions span natural gas (urban) and LP propane (rural) installations.
Eustis, Tavares, Mount Dora, Sorrento, Montverde, and Clermont
Vacation rental properties in Davenport, Reunion, and Celebration go through water heaters faster than owner-occupied homes because of constant heavy guest use. Replacement at 6 to 8 years is normal versus 10 to 12 in owner-occupied homes.
Kissimmee, Saint Cloud, Buenaventura Lakes, Poinciana, Intercession City, Davenport, Four Corners, Reunion, and Celebration
A few of the communities we serve. View all →
We provide water heater service across 75 cities and neighborhoods in Greater Orlando. Click your city for local detail, pricing, and what we typically see there.