What happens when you call
Four steps, start to finish, so you know what you're agreeing to before you pick up the phone.
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A person at our office answers.
They'll ask what the heater is doing, what brand it is, and where it is in the house. That's enough to send the right plumber with the right parts on the truck.
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A licensed plumber comes out, usually the same day.
Repairs are same-day. A leaking tank is a replacement, and we do most of those the same day too, as long as the unit is in stock. We tell you on the phone which it is.
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You get the price before any work starts.
The plumber looks at the unit, tells you what's wrong, and gives you the number. That's the number on the invoice. If it's not worth fixing, we say so and you decide.
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It's fixed, or it's replaced, and we clean up.
On a replacement we pull the permit, install to code, haul the old unit away, and leave a sticker on the new tank with the date and the plumber's name.
The call is free and you don't have to book anything to ask a question.
Repair it, or replace it?
Repair when the unit is under 8 years old, the tank isn't leaking, and the fix is a part. Replace when the tank leaks, it's over 10 years old, or a repair would cost more than half of a new unit. We tell you which one you're looking at before any work starts.
Repair it when
- The unit is under 8 years old.
- The tank isn't leaking. Water at a fitting on top is a repair; water from the tank body is not.
- The problem is a part: element, thermostat, thermocouple, gas valve, relief valve.
- A tankless unit is throwing a code we can clear or a part we can swap.
Replace it when
- The tank itself is leaking. There is no repair for that.
- It's over 10 years old. Tanks rust from the inside, and most don't make it much past that.
- A repair would cost more than half of a new unit.
- It was too small for the house to begin with and everyone showers at 7am.
How old is it? The manufacture date is hidden in the serial number on the label, and every brand writes it differently. Tell us the brand and the serial number and we'll decode it on the phone.
What replacement involves
We size the new unit for the number of bathrooms and people in the house, pull the permit (Palm Beach and Broward both require one), install it to code with the pan, drain and expansion tank where required, and haul the old one away on our truck. Timing depends on the unit being in stock. If we can do it today we'll say so on the phone, and if we can't we'll say that too.
When you call, we ask how tall the space is and for a photo of the old unit, so the tank on the truck is the one that fits. A tank that's two inches too tall for the closet is the most common reason a replacement turns into a second trip.
Every tank we install leaves with a small yellow sticker: the date we put it in and the name of the plumber who did the work. Call in a few years and we'll know exactly what's in your closet and who to send.
Tankless, and every other brand
A tankless unit gives you hot water for as long as the tap is open and takes up about as much wall as a carry-on suitcase. We install gas and electric units, size the gas line and the venting correctly, and handle the permit. Already have one? We repair and descale Rinnai, Navien, Rheem, Noritz, Bosch, Takagi and EcoSmart. Tell us the error code when you call and we'll usually know what we're walking into before we roll a truck.
South Florida water is hard, so a tankless unit here needs a descale about once a year. Skip it and the heat exchanger scales up, the unit starts throwing codes, and the fix gets more expensive the longer it waits. Thinking about switching from a tank? Tell us how many bathrooms you have and whether the house is on gas or electric. Sometimes tankless is the right call, and sometimes a bigger tank is the better buy. We'll tell you which.
Brands we service: Rheem · AO Smith · Bradford White · Rinnai · Navien · Noritz · Bosch · Takagi · EcoSmart · State · Whirlpool · GE · and everything else. Gas, electric, tankless and solar. If it heats water, we work on it.
Call (561) 333-8665A yearly flush is the cheapest thing you can do for a water heater.
Sediment settles in the bottom of the tank, the lower heating element cooks in it, and the tank works harder every year until something gives. A flush and inspection once a year catches most of that while it's still a small job.
You'll usually hear it before you see it. A tank that rumbles or pops when it heats has a layer of sediment on the bottom, and that's the sound of water boiling underneath it.
What a visit includes
one visit, one price- Drain and flush the tank
- Check the anode rod
- Test the temperature and pressure relief valve
- Inspect the connections and venting
- Descale a tankless unit
Why call Mister Plumber?
- Family-owned since 1977. Third generation. The name on the truck answers for the work.
- License CFC 056681. State certified, licensed and insured.
- Two real offices, West Palm Beach and Margate, so a truck is never far.
- Plumbers answer the phone, not a call center. The person you talk to has been in the trade.
- 10% off your first service call. Mention it when you call.
Three water heater jobs, in their words
I had to replace my hot water heater and Mister Plumber was recommended to me. The whole experience was great, starting with Ashley taking my call, so polite and informative, to the install done by Tyler. He was fantastic. Just a seamless top notch job. A+
Drew is the best! He has done all our plumbing and recently changed out our water heater. Great price and even better service. Our dog loves Drew, what else can you say?
Extremely pleased with Mister Plumber's quick response to our need of getting a gas hot water heater replaced. Not only did they switch it out pretty quickly from a tank unit to a tankless, but they also totally removed the old outdoor shed where the tank originally was.
Questions we get on the phone
- The tank is leaking right now. What do I do first?
Turn off the cold water supply valve on the pipe going into the top of the tank. If the heater is electric, switch its breaker off. If it's gas, turn the control knob on the front to Off. Then call us.
The power matters. An electric element left on in a tank that's draining burns out within minutes, and that's a second repair you didn't need.
- How much is this going to cost?
You get the price before we start, at the house, before any tool comes out. A repair is a part and the labor to fit it. A replacement depends on the size and type of unit, and we'll walk you through the options. We don't publish a "from $99" number because it would be made up. The number the plumber gives you is the one on the invoice.
- Do I need a permit to replace a water heater?
Yes. Palm Beach County and Broward County both require a plumbing permit for a water heater replacement, and we pull it as part of the job. It's also the first thing a home inspector or an insurance adjuster asks about when the heater is newer than the house.
- How long does a replacement take?
Most standard tank swaps take two to four hours once we're on site. A tankless conversion takes longer because of the gas line and venting work. We give you a window on the phone when we book it.
- What should I have ready when I call?
The brand, what it's doing, and where it is in the house. If you can read the serial number off the label or text us a photo of it, even better, because the age tells us a lot. Nobody expects you to know what's wrong with it. That's the plumber's job, and we don't quote a repair until one has looked at it.
- What usually goes wrong with a water heater?
On a tank: a heating element, a thermostat, a gas valve or a pilot, which are repairs, or the tank itself rusting through, which is a replacement. Sediment on the bottom is why one "runs out fast" or rumbles when it heats. On a tankless unit it's usually scale in the heat exchanger or a sensor throwing a code. Age and whether the tank body is wet are the two things that decide repair versus replace.
- Do you work on the water heater in my condo?
Yes. Condo and apartment units are usually a lowboy or a compact tank in a closet, and getting the right height and the drain pan sorted is most of the job. Tell us the building and we'll ask about elevator access and the association's rules before we schedule.
Call, or tell us what's going on and we'll call you.
Calling is fastest. If you'd rather type, fill in the form and a plumber calls you back.
West Palm Beach · 991 Stinson Way, #403, West Palm Beach, FL 33411
Margate · 7485 NW 22nd St, Margate, FL 33063
Got it.
A plumber will call you back shortly. If the tank is leaking, turn off the supply valve on top of it while you wait.