Water Heater Repair and Replacement in Carrollwood, Town 'n' Country and Westchase

What's in this district

This district covers West Tampa and Westshore, Egypt Lake, Town 'n' Country, Carrollwood, Northdale, Citrus Park and Westchase. West Tampa has some of the city's oldest small frame houses alongside newer infill. Westshore mixes apartments, condos and offices. Town 'n' Country began in 1958 and grew over the next twenty years into thousands of single-family homes and townhouses. Carrollwood followed in the 1960s and 1970s, Northdale in the 1970s and 1980s, and Citrus Park and Westchase largely from the late 1980s into the 2000s. Along Old Tampa Bay, the Rocky Point and waterfront areas add condos and bayfront homes.

Local installers take Carrollwood, Town 'n' Country and Westchase calls from 33607, 33614, 33615, 33618, 33624, 33625, 33626, 33634 and 33635.

Your home's age, and what it tells you

Homes from the 1950s to the 1970s

Town 'n' Country, Egypt Lake and much of Carrollwood were built in this era. Nearly all of these homes are on their second, third or fourth water heater, usually in the same garage, carport or utility room as the original. The current heater could be almost any age, which is why checking its label matters. The connections and shutoff valve may be older than the heater, and replacements here often include new connectors, a new shutoff and a drain pan.

Homes from the 1970s and 1980s

Northdale and the later sections of Carrollwood and Town 'n' Country typically have garages with the heater inside. Many of these homes also have had several heaters. Townhouses from this period often keep the heater in a utility closet, where a leak reaches living space quickly.

Homes from the late 1980s to the 2000s

In Citrus Park and Westchase, many homes still have the heater the builder installed, or its first replacement. Builder heaters from the same few years tend to fail within a season or two of each other on the same street. If yours is original, it's worth checking now.

Reading the age off the heater

Don't go by the age of the house; go by the heater. The rating label on the side of the tank carries a serial number, and most manufacturers code the manufacture date into it, usually as a year plus a month or week, though each brand uses its own pattern. Some installers also write the installation date on the tank. Photograph the label or read it to us when you call, and the technician can decode it.

Signs a heater is near the end

• Rusty or brown hot water, when the cold is clear.
• Popping or rumbling while it heats, from years of sediment.
• Moisture, rust or a mineral trail at the base of the tank.
• Corrosion on the fittings at the top.
• Hot water that runs out noticeably sooner than it used to.

Water from the tank body or bottom seam means the tank has failed and needs replacing. The other signs mean it's time to plan rather than wait. See leaking water heater.

Repair or replace at each age

On a heater a few years old with a sound tank, a failed element, thermostat or valve is an easy repair. On one well into its second decade, the repair may be just as cheap, but the tank behind it is ageing, and the chance of a leak in the next year or two is higher. The technician lays out both options with prices, and you decide. See replacement.

Garage heaters and the heat pump option

Most homes here keep the heater in an attached garage, which in Tampa is hot and humid for much of the year. That's hard on connectors and fittings, which corrode faster than indoors, but ideal for a heat pump water heater, which draws warmth from exactly that air. At replacement time, it's worth pricing one against a standard electric tank.

Dripping relief valves in newer homes

Many homes in Westchase and Citrus Park, and some older homes that have had plumbing upgrades, have a check valve or backflow device on the water supply. Heated water then has nowhere to expand, pressure rises each cycle, and the relief valve may drip during or just after heating. An expansion tank on the cold supply usually solves it. Never cap the valve. See expansion tank installation.

Rocky Point and the bay edge

Condos and homes along Old Tampa Bay face salt air that corrodes exposed fittings, connectors and valves faster than inland. In condo units, the heater usually sits in an interior closet; check your association's requirements before a replacement, and add leak protection if the unit sits empty for long spells.

Electric faults

Most heaters here are electric. No hot water usually means the upper element, a thermostat or a tripped cutoff; water that runs out fast usually means the lower element. A tripped breaker is a fault to report rather than reset. See electric water heater repair.

Other Tampa districts

• South Tampa and Downtown

  Downtown, the Channel District, Hyde Park, Davis Islands, Bayshore, Palma Ceia, Ballast Point, Interbay and Port TampaZIP codes 33602, 33606, 33609, 33611, 33616, 33621 and 33629

• Seminole Heights, Ybor City and East Tampa

  Tampa Heights, Seminole Heights, Sulphur Springs, Ybor City, East Tampa, Palm River and Clair-MelZIP codes 33603, 33604, 33605, 33610 and 33619

• North Tampa, USF and New Tampa

  North Tampa, the University area, Temple Terrace and New TampaZIP codes 33612, 33613, 33617, 33637 and 33647

Or return to the Tampa overview.

Services most used here

• Water Heater Installation
• Expansion Tank Installation
• Heat Pump Water Heater Installation
• Leaking Water Heater
• Electric Water Heater Repair

Carrollwood, Town 'n' Country and Westchase questions

My Town 'n' Country home was built in the 1960s. How old is the water heater likely to be?

There's no way to tell from the house, because homes of that age have usually had several heaters. The manufacture date is coded in the serial number on the tank's label. Read it out when you call and the technician can decode it and tell you what to expect.

Our Westchase water heater is original to the house. Should we replace it now?

If it's showing rust, rumbling, moisture at the base or reduced hot water, planning a replacement is sensible. If it's quiet and dry, it may have time left, but builder heaters in the same community tend to fail around the same time. A technician can assess it.

Why does my Carrollwood water heater's relief valve drip after it heats?

Often because the plumbing is closed by a check valve or backflow device, so heated water can't expand back into the mains and pressure rises each cycle. An expansion tank usually solves it. Never cap the valve; have a technician check pressure and the valve itself.

Is it worth repairing a 14-year-old water heater in Northdale?

Only if the fault is small and the tank is clean and dry. At that age, the risk of a tank leak in the next year or two is higher, so many owners choose to replace. Ask for both prices on the same visit and decide with the numbers in front of you.

Can a heat pump water heater go in my Citrus Park garage?

Very likely, if there's space around the unit and somewhere for condensate to drain. Tampa garages stay warm for most of the year, which suits heat pump units. The installer checks the space and the electrical supply before recommending one.

My townhouse in Town 'n' Country has the heater in a closet. What should I watch?

Moisture on the closet floor or in the drain pan, rusty hot water, and rumbling as it heats. A closet leak reaches living space quickly, so a drain pan with a working outlet and a leak detector are worth having, and the heater's age is worth checking.

Do bayfront condos near Rocky Point need special attention?

Salt air corrodes exposed fittings faster, and condo closet heaters raise the usual concerns about units below and association rules. A periodic check of the connections, and leak protection for units left empty, are sensible. Check any association requirements before replacement.

Can the old shutoff valve be replaced with the water heater?

Yes, and in older homes it's often a good idea, since an old valve that won't close fully is no help in a leak. Replacing it during the heater replacement, when the water is already off, adds little time. The installer includes it in the price if needed.