Water heater repair in Iowa City, IA

River wells, a deep aquifer and lime softening

Iowa City does not pump straight from the open river. Most of its raw water comes from wells sunk into the sandy alluvial aquifer beside the Iowa River, including horizontal collector wells that pull water filtered naturally through riverbed sand. The utility also has deep well capacity in the Jordan sandstone aquifer, which it leans on more heavily when nitrate from farm runoff climbs in the river. Jordan water is heavily mineralized, so blending the two sources is a balancing act.

Everything goes through clarification and lime softening at the city's water treatment plant, and the finished water is held at a fairly high pH to protect pipes. The city's own reports list hardness of about 85 to 140 milligrams per liter, roughly 5 to 7.6 grains per gallon. That is noticeably gentler on water heaters than the untreated wells that serve farmhouses out in Johnson County, where readings well above 20 grains are common.

Softened water still leaves some residue. Lime softening can carry a fine calcium carbonate haze into the distribution system, and a heater that goes untouched for years gathers a light, sandy layer over the years. It builds slowly enough that a yearly partial drain keeps most Iowa City heaters quiet.

Student rentals, Northside homes and newer east side houses

Housing in Iowa City is shaped by the University of Iowa. Around downtown and the Pentacrest, the Northside, Goosetown and the blocks south of Burlington Street are packed with houses that were split into apartments decades ago. It is normal to find a single 40-gallon tank in a cramped basement feeding three or four units, or a row of small electric heaters tucked into closets of a converted house.

Manville Heights and the Longfellow neighborhood hold larger homes built between the First World War and the 1940s, with heaters beside the furnace in a full basement and a shared brick chimney. East of First Avenue and out toward Windsor Ridge and the newer south side developments, homes built since the 1990s usually have finished basements with a utility room, a direct-vent or power-vent heater and a sump pit close by.

The 2008 flood and life along the Iowa River

In June 2008, heavy rain across eastern Iowa sent the Coralville Reservoir over its emergency spillway, and the Iowa River rose far past flood stage. Twenty University of Iowa buildings were flooded, the campus power plant went offline, most of the river bridges closed, and damage to the university alone was put at more than $700 million. Low-lying neighborhoods north of downtown near the river, along with parts of Coralville, took water in basements and first floors.

Since then the city has raised roads, built flood protection and bought out some flood-prone properties, but riverside basements remain exposed in very wet springs. Water heaters installed during the 2008 and 2009 rebuild are now at or beyond normal tank life, so many homeowners in those neighborhoods are facing a second replacement. Anyone whose heater has ever sat in floodwater should treat its gas valve and burner as suspect until a plumber checks them.

The problems plumbers see most in Iowa City

• One tank, too many tenants in Northside and South District rentals at the start of every semester.
• Tired heaters from the post-flood rebuild, now past 15 years old in neighborhoods along the river.
• Leaking relief valves on overheated rental tanks where someone turned the thermostat up to compensate for short supply.
• Electric element failures in closet heaters in converted houses and older apartment buildings.
• Draft and spillage problems in Manville Heights homes where the heater now vents alone into a large masonry chimney.
• Frozen supply lines to heaters in unheated porches and crawl spaces during January cold snaps.

Typical water heater prices in Iowa City

Iowa City pricing is close to the rest of eastern Iowa. Converted rentals with narrow basement stairs, heaters in finished closets, and late-August rush calls before classes start tend to cost more than a straightforward swap in a newer east side basement.

Iowa licensing and Iowa City permits

The Plumbing and Mechanical Systems Board, a state panel under DIAL, Iowa's inspections and licensing agency, licenses every plumber working in Johnson County, and its online lookup confirms a license number. Within city limits, Iowa City's Neighborhood and Development Services department handles building and plumbing permits, and inspectors check new heaters for proper venting, gas connections, clearances and relief valve piping.

Rental properties in Iowa City also go through the city's rental permit and housing inspection program, so a landlord who installs a heater without a permit may face questions at the next rental inspection. Coralville, North Liberty and University Heights each have their own arrangements, so the address determines which office reviews the work.

Sizing for a houseful of students

Five tenants and one bathroom will empty a 40-gallon tank before the third person finishes, especially on winter mornings before an 8:30 class. The fix is to size by peak demand. Landlords often step up to 50 or 75 gallons of gas-fired storage with a high first-hour rating, or split a converted house so each unit has its own heater, which also simplifies tenant complaints.

Cranking the thermostat up is a poor substitute. It raises scald risk, speeds sediment buildup and stresses the relief valve. If a property keeps running out, a plumber should look at the tank size, the number of fixtures, and whether low-flow showerheads could stretch the supply first.

MidAmerican Energy and replacement choices

MidAmerican Energy provides natural gas and electricity across Iowa City, so gas tanks remain the standard choice in houses with a basement and an existing gas line. MidAmerican has put rebate money toward heat pump and other efficient models at times, and heat pumps make sense in basements that stay above 50°F through the winter. In apartments without gas, an electric tank or a heat pump unit is the usual replacement.

If the old heater shares a chimney with a furnace that is also near the end of its life, it often pays to plan both at once. Replacing both with sealed, sidewall-vented equipment removes the chimney from the equation entirely and avoids an orphaned-flue problem later.

Around Iowa City

Coralville runs its own water utility on wells and has its own building department. North Liberty, one of the fastest-growing cities in Iowa, pumps from wells and has newer homes with finished basements. University Heights, tucked against the west side of campus, is surrounded by Iowa City. Tiffin, Solon and Hills have smaller systems, and rural Johnson County homes on private wells deal with much harder water.

Water heater questions from Iowa City