Water heater repair in Naperville, IL

Lake water through the DuPage Water Commission

Naperville once depended on deep wells, but since the early 1990s the city has bought Lake Michigan water from the DuPage Water Commission. The commission takes treated water from Chicago's lakefront purification system, pumps it west through large transmission mains and stores it in reservoirs before handing it off to member communities. Naperville's Department of Public Utilities then distributes it to homes and keeps a few wells on standby for emergencies.

Lake Michigan water lands in the moderately hard range, typically 7 to 9 grains per gallon by the time it reaches Naperville taps. That is enough for a tank to collect some sediment over a decade and for a tankless unit to slowly lose efficiency, but it is far gentler than the deep-well water many neighboring towns used to drink. Some Naperville homes still have softeners that were installed back in the well-water era and may not be set correctly for lake water.

The bigger factor is temperature. Water drawn from deep in the lake and piped across DuPage County arrives in the 30s in winter, and in a bad February it can feel nearly ice cold at the tap. A heater that delivers plenty of hot water in September may run short by mid-January.

Basements, sump pits and finished lower levels

Naperville grew from a small farm town into one of Illinois's largest cities, and most of that growth happened between the 1970s and the 2000s. Neighborhoods such as Cress Creek, Maplebrook, Country Lakes, White Eagle, Ashbury and Tall Grass are full of two-story homes with full basements. The heater stands in a utility room beside the furnace, the water softener and a sump pump, and in many homes the rest of the basement has been finished into a family room or home office.

Closer to downtown and the Riverwalk, the historic district holds older homes, some from the nineteenth century, with fieldstone or brick basements and tight mechanical rooms. South Naperville, the Will County side of the city around 95th Street and the 111th Street corridor, includes some of the newest construction, where heaters may be power-vented or tankless units sidewall-vented from the basement.

Sump pumps, storms and cold snaps

The DuPage River and its West Branch wind through Naperville, and July cloudbursts can send both branches up fast. More often, though, basement water comes from a sump pump that fails or loses power during a storm. Even a shallow puddle across a Naperville utility room floor can rise into a gas heater's burner compartment. If the control valve or burner was underwater, the heater should be replaced rather than restarted.

Naperville's municipal electric utility is generally reliable, but ice storms and summer wind events can still interrupt service. Power-vent heaters and tankless gas units stop working when the electricity goes out, even though Nicor Gas keeps flowing. A battery backup on the sump pump protects the heater as much as the basement carpet.

Winter cold snaps also send inlet water to its lowest temperature of the year, and that is when old heaters with weak burners or failing elements finally give out.

The problems plumbers see most in Naperville

• Leaks into finished basements where the utility room shares walls with carpeted family rooms.
• Undersized tanks in larger homes with multiple bathrooms and soaking tubs.
• Sump pump failures that flood the utility room and reach gas controls.
• Power-vent motor and pressure switch failures in newer high-efficiency installations.
• Softeners left at well-water settings that wear anodes quickly or cause odd odors.
• Tankless units short-cycling on low-flow fixtures or tripping on cold winter inlet water.

Typical water heater prices in Naperville

Naperville prices run a little above many outer suburbs. Larger tanks, power-vent equipment and the extra care needed to avoid damaging finished basement walls are what push jobs higher.

Licensing and city permits

Whoever swaps a Naperville heater needs an IDPH plumbing license and should work for a contractor registered with that same department. Naperville requires a permit to replace a water heater, issued through the city's Transportation, Engineering and Development business group, after which a city inspector looks at the flue, gas piping, relief line and, where the plumbing is closed off from the main, the expansion tank.

Some addresses near the edges of the city fall within Aurora, Bolingbrook, Plainfield or unincorporated DuPage or Will County, each with its own permit process. Verify your jurisdiction before scheduling, especially in the far south subdivisions.

Sizing for big households and cold lake water

Many Naperville homes were built with a single 40- or 50-gallon tank that was adequate for two bathrooms. After a basement bathroom, a soaking tub or a couple of teenagers are added, the same tank cannot keep up in January when the lake water comes in cold. Options include a 75-gallon tank, a high-recovery power-vent model, a mixing valve that lets the tank store water hotter safely, or a properly sized tankless unit. Each has tradeoffs in venting, gas line size and space in the utility room.

Tankless heaters need a larger gas line than most tanks, and in an older basement the existing pipe may not be big enough. A good estimate includes the gas line work and a sidewall vent location that meets clearance requirements from windows and the meter.

Keeping a Naperville heater healthy

Every autumn, open the drain valve into a pail for a minute or so to clear lake-water sediment, and test the relief valve lever while you are there. If your home still runs a softener from the well-water days, have it checked; an incorrectly set softener can waste salt and wear out the anode early. Keep laundry, boxes and holiday decorations at least a few feet from the heater, and test the sump pump each spring before storm season.

Repair or replace in Naperville

A Naperville tank younger than eight or nine with one bad component is generally worth repairing, such as a thermocouple, igniter or power-vent blower. Older heaters with rust at the base, a leaking tank or flood damage are usually better replaced. Naperville's electric utility and Nicor Gas have each run efficiency programs at times, so ask whether a heat pump unit or condensing gas model qualifies before you buy. Ask your plumber what is currently available.

Around Naperville

Aurora to the west treats its own Fox River and well water and issues its own permits. Lisle, Warrenville, Wheaton and Downers Grove are DuPage County neighbors with their own building departments. Bolingbrook and Plainfield to the south sit largely in Will County and handle permits through their village halls.

Water heater questions from Naperville