Gas & Electric Water Heater Repair in New Braunfels

Gas repairs

pilot, thermocouple, gas valve, vent

Electric repairs

elements, thermostats, breaker

Typical repair visit

$200–$850

Gas leak line

888-876-5786

A gas water heater and an electric one fail in different ways, and the fix starts with the parts that belong to each fuel. Tell us what yours is doing, whether that's a pilot that keeps going out or a tank that only gives lukewarm water, and you'll get a call right back. You'll hear a price before any work starts, anywhere in 78130, 78132 or Canyon Lake's 78133.

Is my water heater gas or electric?

Look at the top of the tank before you call. A metal flue pipe rising from the top, a gas pipe coming in low and a control box with a dial near the bottom mean gas. No flue, a cable or conduit entering the top, and two rectangular access panels on the side mean electric.

Propane looks like gas, but the fuel comes from a tank on the property rather than a street meter. Say so up front: a propane burner uses a different orifice from a natural gas one, and the parts aren't interchangeable.

Choosing a fuel for a new heater, sizing one, or switching from one fuel to the other is a separate question, and the gas vs electric and sizing guide covers it.

Gas water heater repair in New Braunfels

Most gas water heater repairs trace back to the small flame at the bottom of the tank and the parts that keep it safe. Natural gas and propane heaters share the same layout, so the symptoms read the same way.

• Pilot won't light: often a clogged pilot tube or a dead igniter. A pilot or igniter repair typically runs $50–$175.
• Pilot lights, then goes out: the thermocouple, or the flame sensor on newer models, is the usual cause. It tells the gas valve the flame is there, and when it weakens, the valve shuts the gas off. Replacing one typically costs $125–$250.
• No pilot and no burner after the thermocouple checks out: the gas control valve may have failed. It typically runs $250–$450, and on an older tank that price usually points toward a new heater.
• Burner lights but the water stays cool: sediment on the tank floor, a dirty burner, or a dip tube that has broken off inside.
• Soot, scorch marks or a flame that rolls out of the burner door: a venting problem. The flue has to carry combustion gases up and out, and a blocked or loose vent can push them back into the room. Turn the gas control to OFF and call.
• A rotten-egg smell in the air near the heater: treat it as a gas leak, not a repair. A sulfur smell in the hot water itself is a different problem, usually the anode rod.

Relighting a pilot that simply blew out is often a homeowner job: the lighting steps are printed on the label. Elevation is never the culprit here. At about 620 feet, New Braunfels sits well below the 2,000 feet gas water heaters are built for, so a burner needs no derating for altitude.

Electric water heater repair in New Braunfels

An electric tank heats with two elements, an upper and a lower, each switched by its own thermostat. Power comes from a dedicated high-voltage circuit on a double breaker, so safety comes first: switch that breaker off before anyone opens an access panel.

• Lukewarm water, or hot water that runs out early: a burned-out lower element or a failed lower thermostat. An element typically costs $150–$325 to replace, and a thermostat $125–$275.
• No hot water at all: check the breaker, then the red reset button behind the upper panel. That button is the high-limit switch; if it trips again, a thermostat or element is usually at fault.
• Breaker trips when the heater switches on: a shorted element or a wiring fault on the circuit. Don't keep resetting it.
• Water far too hot: a thermostat stuck on. Cut the breaker, because water at 140°F can scald in about 5 seconds (opens in a new tab).
• Popping or hissing from the tank: hard-water scale building up around the lower element.

The breaker is the electric version of the gas control dial. If you ever see water on the floor around an electric heater, switch it off before you go near the tank, and never leave a draining tank powered.

What do gas and electric repairs cost?

Gas repairs are mostly pilots, thermocouples and gas valves. Electric repairs are mostly elements and thermostats. The visit itself typically runs $200–$850, about $550 on average, and the failed part decides where you land.

Ranges by fuel are compiled from national cost guides and rounded; how they are calculated.

Should I repair or replace a gas or electric water heater?

The fuel doesn't change the basic rule, but it moves where the line falls. Tanks typically last 8 to 15 years, and the build date is coded into the serial number on the label.

• Under about 8 years old with one failed part: worth repairing on either fuel.
• About 8 years or older, gas: a thermocouple or igniter is still a sensible fix on a dry tank; a gas control valve usually isn't.
• About 8 years or older, electric: an element or thermostat is a small, inexpensive part, so it's worth fixing on a tank that isn't leaking.
• Water from the tank body or rust on the tank wall: replace it, whatever the fuel. See water heater replacement.

A photo of the label helps on the call. It settles the age question in seconds.

How does hard water affect each fuel?

New Braunfels water is very hard. New Braunfels Utilities (NBU)'s 2019 water quality report (opens in a new tab) (2018 data) put hardness between 8.1 and 19.5 grains per gallon; newer NBU reports publish no figure. The minerals do different damage depending on the fuel.

• Gas: sediment insulates the tank floor from the burner, so the steel runs hot and the tank rumbles.
• Electric: sediment piles up around the lower element until it burns out, which is often why the lower one fails first.
• Both: a yearly flush slows the damage, and a tank flush typically costs $100–$225.

Gas and electric repairs across New Braunfels

Repair calls for both fuels come from all over town: Veramendi, where the community's own FAQ (opens in a new tab) lists CenterPoint for gas and NBU for electricity; Voss Farms off FM 1044 near County Line Road; the new streets of Mayfair and Meyer Ranch; 2019-built homes around Heather Glen and Kowald Lane; and gated acreage in Copper Ridge. Call or text (830) 243-5644 any hour, or get your price and say which fuel you have.

Broader questions about permits, tankless or replacement cost are on the water heater FAQ page.

Last updated: October 1, 2026