Tankless Water Heater in Accokeek, MD

Accokeek conditions first

Accokeek was tobacco farmland on the Potomac and is now mostly suburban, though parts remain rural. West of Route 210, the Moyaone Reserve has individually designed mid-century homes on wooded lots of five acres or more, while much of the rest of the community is newer; the median home was built around 1997. Water service varies by address. Homes on WSSC Water receive chlorinated, UV-treated river water with a corrosion inhibitor; homes on a private well have their own water chemistry, which should be tested before choosing scale or sediment protection for a heat exchanger.

Fuel varies too. Washington Gas serves Prince George's County and BGE serves some areas, but large-lot and rural parcels may have no gas main, which leaves propane or electricity. WSSC Water issues permits for and inspects all natural gas and LP gas installations in the county, so a propane tankless unit goes through the same permit as a natural gas one.

Comparing your options

Signs it's time to change

• A tank that leaks, rumbles or delivers rusty hot water
• Running out of hot water with guests in the house
• A tankless unit losing flow, which on well water may mean sediment at the inlet screen
• High propane use from an older tank heater's standby losses

Timing notes

On large Moyaone Reserve lots the heater can sit a long way from the bathrooms, so ask about recirculation or a second point-of-use unit for the far end of the house. Schedule work before winter when you can, since cold incoming water is the hardest test of a tankless unit, and propane deliveries and tank changes can add lead time. If you smell gas or propane, leave the house first. Then, from outside, call 911 and your gas utility or propane supplier.