Aurora's water is hard, and at times very hard. That's what wears out most Aurora water heaters early.
Aurora water heaters at a glance
| Water provider | Aurora Water, from the Arkansas, Colorado, and South Platte basins |
|---|---|
| Water hardness | Averaged 136 mg/L in 2025 (about 8 grains per gallon), ranging from 87 to 198 |
| Homes | Median year built 1985 |
| Elevation | About 5,404 feet (USGS reference point) |
| For your water heater | Noticeable sediment. Flush yearly, check the anode every few years, and descale a tankless unit at least once a year. |
Sources: Aurora Water 2026 water quality report · Census ACS 2019–2023 via Point2Homes · USGS elevation. Checked October 2026.
What Aurora's water does to a water heater
When water is heated, the calcium and magnesium in it drop out as sediment and settle on the bottom of the tank. The burner or lower element then has to heat through that layer, so the heater runs longer, pops and rumbles, and wears faster. Aurora Water's water averaged 136 mg/L of hardness in 2025 (about 8 grains per gallon) and reached 198 mg/L. Noticeable sediment. Flush yearly, check the anode every few years, and descale a tankless unit at least once a year.
From Original Aurora to the southeast
Aurora's housing runs from 1950s homes near the original town center to brand-new subdivisions on the southeast edge. In the older northwest neighborhoods, a replacement often means updating old connectors and a shutoff valve along with the heater. In the 1980s and 90s subdivisions, most houses are on their second or third water heater by now, and in hard water the third one tends to arrive sooner than the label says.
Repair or replace?
Under about eight years old, with a failed part like a thermocouple, gas valve, heating element, or thermostat, a repair usually makes sense. At about ten years or older, or with any leak from the tank itself, replacement is the better money: a leaking tank can't be fixed. You get the price before any work starts, and most replacements are done the same day they're quoted, with the old unit hauled away. A replacement is also the time to check whether you need an expansion tank (when one is required).
Gas or electric, tank or tankless
We repair and replace both gas and electric water heaters, standard tanks and tankless units. Tankless works, but at this hardness the heat exchanger scales up. Descale at least once a year, or pair it with a softener.
At about 5,404 feet (Aurora's USGS reference point), a gas water heater has to be rated for the altitude, and a tankless heater set for it at installation. That's above 5,400 feet, where Rinnai and Navien change their tankless settings, though elevations vary across the city. What to check at altitude.
Make the next one last
- Flush the tank once a year, and more often if it pops or rumbles
- Check the anode rod every couple of years
- Consider a softener, which protects the heater and every fixture in the house
- Know where the cold-water shutoff on top of the heater is, and how to turn the heater off, before you need to
More reading: water heater leaking? what to do, no hot water troubleshooting, how long water heaters last in Colorado, why a water heater pops or rumbles, and water hardness by city. If your water is hard, a softener protects the heater and every fixture.
Recent water heater work
Photos from our own jobs. Locations and customer details are left out.
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