Water Heater Repair in Longmont, CO
Longmont's mountain water is soft, about 1 to 2 grains per gallon, and the city says a softener isn't recommended. If white specks show up in your hot water, the city even publishes a simple test that points to the water heater. If yours has quit or is leaking, call and get a plumber out.
What shapes water heater trouble in Longmont
Soft water from both sides of the Divide
Longmont's 2025 water report says about 62% of its water came from the Upper Colorado River watershed, through the Colorado-Big Thompson Project's Adams Tunnel and Carter Lake, and 38% from the St. Vrain Creek watershed, including Ralph Price Reservoir at Button Rock Preserve. Total hardness ran from 19 to 25 ppm and averaged 21.7. The city calls its water soft, typically 1 to 2 grains per gallon, and says a water softener is not recommended. It also notes that summer sources can carry more minerals, which some people notice when the supply changes.
Since 1987 the city has added soda ash or sodium hydroxide at its treatment plants to make the water less corrosive to pipes and plumbing. With so little hardness, scale is rarely what's wrong with a Longmont water heater, so a popping tank is worth a closer look before anyone blames minerals.
The city's dip tube test
The city's water report answers a question it gets often: white particles that clog faucet aerators or settle in a glass. It says they may come from a deteriorating dip tube, the plastic tube that carries cold water to the bottom of the tank, and that they aren't toxic. Its test: take off the faucet aerator, fill one pan or sink with cold water and another with hot, and look for particles settling to the bottom. If they show up only in the hot water, the city says either the dip tube or the heater needs to be replaced.
Because Longmont's water is so soft, white grit in the hot water is less likely to be mineral scale than it would be in a hard-water town. That makes the dip tube a likely suspect, and as the city's own answer says, replacing the tube can be enough without replacing the whole heater.
Hydrant flushing and winter bubbles
The city flushes its water system at least once a year, typically in April, and posts schedules in the newspaper and on its website. During flushing in your neighborhood it recommends limiting water use and avoiding hot water, so the brief yellow or brown color doesn't get drawn into your tank. Letting the cold water run for several minutes usually clears it.
Cloudy water that clears from the bottom of the glass up is dissolved air, which the city says is more common in winter when the water is colder. If it stays cloudy after several minutes, the Water Quality Laboratory is at 303-651-8416.
Gas, city power, rebates and permits
About 74% of Longmont homes heat with gas, which Xcel Energy supplies, and 23% with electricity. The city runs its own electric utility, Longmont Power & Communications, and its customers can get Efficiency Works rebates on ENERGY STAR heat pump water heaters: up to $600 when one replaces an electric tank and up to $400 when it replaces a gas one, with the application due within 45 days of purchase or installation.
The city lists water heaters among the work that needs a building permit. Questions go to Building Services at 303-651-8332. State plumbing rules (3 CCR 720-1) require a permit and inspection for every residential water heater installation, according to Loveland's Building Division.
Safe steps for Longmont homes
- Leaking? Close the cold water valve on top of the tank.
- Turn off the gas valve or the breaker for the heater.
- Gas smell? Xcel Energy serves Longmont. Leave the house, call 911 from outside, then Xcel Energy at 800-895-2999.
Repair, replacement and emergencies
Water Heater Repair
Gas, electric and tankless repairs, from pilot lights to heating elements.
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No Hot Water
Cold shower this morning? Get the cause found and fixed fast.
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Leaking Water Heater
Water around the tank or a dripping relief valve. Act before it floods.
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Emergency Water Heater Repair
Burst tank, gas smell or water everywhere. Call right away.
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Water Heater Replacement
When repair no longer makes sense, get a new tank or tankless unit.
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Tankless Water Heater Repair
Error codes, lukewarm water and scale buildup on tankless units.
Learn moreLongmont water heater questions
Who is the gas company in Longmont, CO?
Xcel Energy lists Longmont for natural gas service. If you smell gas, leave first, call 911 from outside, then Xcel at 800-895-2999.
Do I need a water softener in Longmont?
The city says no. Its water is soft, typically 1 to 2 grains per gallon, and the 2025 report shows total hardness averaging 21.7 ppm. The city says a softener is not recommended.
Why are there white particles in my hot water?
The city says they may come from a deteriorating dip tube in the water heater and aren't toxic. Fill one pan with cold and one with hot water; if particles settle only in the hot, the dip tube or the heater needs replacing.
Is there a rebate for a heat pump water heater in Longmont?
Yes, for Longmont Power & Communications customers through Efficiency Works: up to $600 when it replaces an electric tank and up to $400 when it replaces gas. Apply within 45 days.
Where these local facts come from
- US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020-2024 (via Census Reporter)
- City of Longmont, 2025 Drinking Water Quality Report
- Xcel Energy, 2022 Colorado communities served (gas and electric key)
- City of Longmont, electric rebates through Efficiency Works
- Efficiency Works, retail products electric rebates (heat pump water heaters)
- City of Longmont, Building Services permits (work requiring a permit)
- City of Loveland Building Division, residential water heater permits: council questions and answers (May 4, 2021)
Figures are the latest published by each source. Pricing and availability are set by the plumber.
No hot water in Longmont?
Call now for water heater repair or replacement.