Water Heater Repair and Replacement in Jacksonville, FL

A very large city, district by district

Since Jacksonville and Duval County consolidated, the city has covered most of the county, and its 31 mailing ZIP codes reach from the St. Johns River's historic neighborhoods out to rural land near Baldwin in the west and the Mayport area near the ocean in the east. Around 806,000 people live across them. The beach towns of Jacksonville Beach, Atlantic Beach and Neptune Beach have their own ZIP codes and their own pages.

The housing reflects more than a century of growth. Riverside and Avondale grew after the Great Fire of 1901, with bungalows from the 1910s to the 1930s making up a large share of the district. Springfield's historic homes date largely from the 1880s through the 1920s. Arlington grew fastest in the 1950s and 1960s after the Mathews Bridge opened. Mandarin and much of the Southside developed from the 1970s onward. We've split this guide into four districts so each speaks to the homes you'll actually find there.

Local installers take Jacksonville calls from 32099, 32202, 32204, 32205, 32206, 32207, 32208, 32209, 32210, 32211, 32212, 32216, 32217, 32218, 32219, 32220, 32221, 32222, 32223, 32224, 32225, 32226, 32227, 32234, 32244, 32246, 32254, 32256, 32257, 32258 and 32277.

Find your district

• Riverside, San Marco and the Urban Core

  Downtown, Riverside, Avondale, Murray Hill, Springfield, San Marco and the older neighborhoods north and west of downtownZIP codes 32202, 32204, 32205, 32206, 32207, 32208, 32209 and 32254

• Southside and Mandarin

  Southside, Baymeadows, Deerwood, San Jose, Mandarin, Bartram Park and the Kernan and UNF areaZIP codes 32216, 32217, 32223, 32224, 32246, 32256, 32257 and 32258

• Arlington, Northside and Mayport

  Arlington, Fort Caroline, Oceanway, Dinsmore, the northside and MayportZIP codes 32211, 32225, 32277, 32218, 32219, 32226 and 32227

• Westside, Ortega and Baldwin

  Ortega, Lakeshore, Cedar Hills, Argyle, Jacksonville Heights, the naval air station area, Baldwin and MaxvilleZIP codes 32099, 32210, 32212, 32220, 32221, 32222, 32234 and 32244

Winter and your water heater

From December through February, the water coming into Jacksonville homes is noticeably colder than it is in summer. Every heater has to raise it further to reach the same temperature, so tanks recover more slowly between showers and a household that never ran short in July can run out in January. That doesn't mean anything is broken; it means the heater's margin is thinner in winter.

Tankless heaters feel it most, because they can only raise water temperature so far at a given flow. A unit sized with summer water in mind can struggle on cold mornings. Heat pump water heaters in unheated garages draw less warmth from cold air and lean more on their backup elements. Installers here size heaters for winter, not for the average year. Related: water heater not heating enough and the sizing guide.

More natural gas than most of Florida

Natural gas reaches more Jacksonville homes than it does in most Florida cities, particularly in the older neighborhoods and some newer developments. That makes gas tank and gas tankless heaters a more common sight here. Gas heaters recover quickly, which helps in winter. They're serviced by technicians qualified for gas appliances, and the only thing to do yourself is this: if you ever smell gas, leave the building and call your gas utility and 911 from outside. Learn more about gas water heater service.

Older homes and long-serving heaters

In Riverside, Avondale, Springfield, San Marco and Ortega, heaters sit in utility rooms, enclosed back porches, closets and garages added long after the houses were built. Many older homes stand on raised foundations with wood floors, which makes a drain pan with a working outlet more important than in a house on a slab. In the mid-century neighborhoods of Arlington, the Westside and the Northside, the garage or carport is more usual, and many heaters have been in service for a long time. The manufacture date is usually coded in the serial number on the tank's label.

Southside and Mandarin suburbs

From the 1970s onward, Jacksonville's growth moved south and east: Mandarin after the Buckman Bridge, then Baymeadows, Deerwood and the areas toward the county line. Most homes have garages with the heater inside, and builder-installed heaters from the 1990s and 2000s are now reaching replacement age, often on the same streets together. Garages here suit heat pump water heaters for most of the year, with the caveat about cold winter days.

Electric faults

Most Jacksonville heaters are still electric. No hot water at all usually means the upper element, a thermostat or a tripped high-limit cutoff. Hot water that runs out quickly usually means the lower element, though in winter it can also simply be colder incoming water. A tripped breaker means an electrical fault to report rather than reset. Related: electric water heater repair.

Water and sediment

Jacksonville draws its water from the Floridan aquifer, and like most Florida supplies it leaves scale on elements and sediment in tanks over time. Private wells are more common on the rural edges, particularly out west, where they can also bring the rotten-egg smell on the hot side. Flushing helps tank heaters; descaling is routine for tankless units. More on flushing and maintenance.

Along the river and the coast

Homes on the St. Johns and its creeks, and in the Mayport area near the ocean, see more humidity and, closer to the coast, salt air. Exposed fittings, connectors and valves on garage heaters corrode faster there, and a periodic check of the connections on top of the tank is worthwhile.

Planning a replacement here

Because so many Jacksonville homes have both gas and electric available, a replacement is often a real choice rather than a like-for-like swap. A standard electric tank is the simplest and usually the lowest-cost to install. A gas tank recovers faster, which helps in winter, but needs a sound vent. A gas tankless unit saves space and never runs out, though it may need a larger gas line and new venting. A heat pump tank uses far less electricity in a roomy garage. The installer prices the options that suit your house side by side, and the full price comes before any work. More on water heater replacement and tankless installation.

Know your heater's age

Whatever district you're in, the heater's age is the most useful thing to know before calling. It's on the rating label on the side of the tank, usually coded into the serial number as a year plus a month or week, though each brand uses its own pattern. Read it out and the technician can decode it before arriving.

Water heater services in Jacksonville

• Water Heater Not Heating Enough
• Gas Water Heater Service
• Tankless Water Heater Installation
• Heat Pump Water Heater Installation
• Water Heater Sizing Guide
• Electric Water Heater Repair

Nearby communities

We also connect callers with local pros in the beach towns, Clay and St. Johns counties and across North Florida.

• Orange Park
• Jacksonville Beach
• Atlantic Beach
• Neptune Beach
• St. Johns
• Yulee
• Fleming Island

Jacksonville water heater questions

Do you cover all of Jacksonville, from Mandarin to the Westside?

Yes. We cover all 31 ZIP codes with a Jacksonville mailing address, including Riverside, San Marco, Springfield, Arlington, the Northside, Mandarin, the Southside, Ortega, the Westside and the Baldwin area. The beach towns have their own pages. Give us your ZIP code and we'll connect you with a local pro.

Why do I run out of hot water in winter but not summer in Jacksonville?

Incoming water is much colder in winter, so the heater has to raise its temperature further and delivers less hot water in a busy hour. If the heater is sound, it may simply be sized for summer conditions. If it's also old or noisy, a failing element or sediment may be adding to the problem.

Are gas water heaters common in Jacksonville?

More than in most Florida cities, because natural gas reaches more homes here, especially in older neighborhoods. Gas heaters recover quickly, which helps in winter. They're serviced by technicians qualified for gas appliances. If you smell gas, leave and call your gas utility and 911 from outside.

Is a tankless water heater a good idea in Jacksonville?

It can be, provided it's sized for winter. Colder incoming water reduces the flow a tankless unit can heat to a comfortable temperature. With gas available in more homes here, gas tankless is an option for many owners. The installer checks your supply and sizes for January.

Does a heat pump water heater work in a Jacksonville garage?

Yes, for most of the year. On cold winter days, it draws less heat from chilly garage air and relies more on its backup elements, so savings are smaller then. Over a full year it still works well for many homes. The installer considers your garage and winter use.

My Riverside home has the water heater on a back porch. Is that a problem?

It's common in homes of that era. Check that there's a drain pan with a working outlet, especially over a wood floor, and that the relief valve line runs somewhere sensible. An unheated porch also means colder conditions around the heater in winter. A technician can look at the setup.

Do you work in homes near NAS Jacksonville and Mayport?

Yes, in the neighborhoods around both. Housing on the bases themselves has its own maintenance arrangements, so residents there should use those first. For homes off base, call with your ZIP code and we'll connect you with a local pro.

Why does the hot water smell like rotten eggs at my Westside home?

On the rural edges, some homes use private wells, and well water can carry sulfur compounds that react with the heater's anode rod. If only the hot water smells, an anode change usually helps. If the cold smells too, the well itself is the source.

How do I know which Jacksonville district I'm in?

Your ZIP code decides it. The urban core with Riverside and San Marco, the Southside with Mandarin, Arlington with the Northside and Mayport, and the Westside with Ortega and Baldwin each have their own page. If you're unsure, call and we'll tell you.