Should you repair or replace your water heater?
Repair it when the tank is sound and a part has failed: an electric element, a thermostat, a gas valve or igniter, a dripping relief valve. Replace it when the tank itself leaks, when rust shows at the base or in the hot water, or when the repair would cost a big share of a new unit. A tank leaking from its body can’t be patched.
Megan Glenn’s was the replace kind. She called on a Wednesday morning, the new heater went in on Friday, and the install took about an hour. Her review, on this page, mentions the part people forget: everything put back the way it was, and her questions answered before Jamie left.
What does a tankless water heater need?
More than a spot on the wall. A gas tankless needs a gas supply sized for it and its own venting; an electric one needs heavy dedicated circuits, often more than an older panel has to spare. The photo at the top is from our gallery: two tankless heaters feeding a PEX manifold.
This is where one company earns its keep. Jamie holds a gas line certification and both trade licenses, so the gas run, the water lines and the electrical are one plan on one estimate. The DOE’s Building America program notes that tankless units can last more than 20 years, which is a big part of the case for them.
Does Nashville’s water wear out water heaters?
It leaves scale. Metro Water Services’ 2025 Water Quality Report puts Nashville’s calcium hardness at an average of 75.3 mg/L, in a range from 63.9 to 92.6. Heated water drops some of that calcium as scale, in the bottom of a tank and inside a tankless heat exchanger. Flushing a tank and descaling a tankless on a schedule keeps it in check.
Heat pump water heaters, rebates and the new rules
A heat pump water heater pulls heat from the surrounding air into the tank, and TVA EnergyRight pays a $900 rebate on a qualifying one. The federal 25C credit that used to stack on top ended for property placed in service after December 31, 2025. The DOE also finalized new efficiency standards for residential water heaters in April 2024, with compliance in 2029, so what’s on the shelf will keep changing.
What changes the price of a new water heater?
Tank or tankless; gas, electric or heat pump; the capacity; whether it stays in the same spot; the venting; the gas line or circuit it needs; a drain pan where a leak would do damage; and the permit, since Metro’s electrical permit application lists water heaters by name. Each is a line on the estimate.
“Jamie was great! Very punctual and professional. He really helped us out in a pinch. Our water heater went out and he had a new one to is within a 2 day period. Called him Wednesday morning. He came friday to replace it. He knew exactly what he was doing when he put it in and was in and out in about an hours worth of time. Loved that he put everything back as it was when he was done. He made sure we had any questions answered and that I knew what to do after he left. Great experience!! Would definitely use him again and recommend him to anyone needing his services!”