Water Heater Replacement in Arlington, VA

Signs the heater is finished

• Water collecting under the tank or weeping from a seam rather than a fitting
• Rust-tinted water from hot taps while the cold side runs clear
• Rumbling or knocking as the burner or elements come on
• Showers that turn lukewarm sooner than they used to
• Corrosion on the inlet, outlet or relief valve connections
• A manufacture date on the label that puts the unit well past ten years

A younger heater with a bad thermostat, element or gas control may only need a part. A plumber can tell you which way the numbers point before you buy a new one.

What Arlington homes bring to the job

Arlington County's Water, Sewer, Streets Bureau delivers Potomac River water treated by the Washington Aqueduct at its Dalecarlia plant. The County's water quality reporting lists hardness of about 8 grains per gallon (142 mg/L), enough that sediment settles in a tank over the years and coats electric elements. The water is disinfected with chloramine, with a switch to chlorine for roughly six weeks each spring while mains are flushed.

The median Arlington home was built in 1976, and the county mixes high-rise condos along the Rosslyn-Ballston corridor with older single-family streets. That means heaters tucked into apartment closets as well as basement units next to a floor drain, and each placement shapes how the new one goes in. Washington Gas serves the area. If you smell gas, get out of the house first, then call 911 and Washington Gas at 844-WASHGAS (844-927-4427), option 1.

What affects the price

• Gas, electric or heat pump, and the tank size or tankless flow rating
• Venting work for a gas unit, especially in older chimneys
• Tight condo closets or narrow basement stairs that slow removal
• Code items such as an expansion tank, drain pan or relief line routing
• The County permit and inspection, and haul-away of the old tank

When you call

You will be connected with an independent plumber who works in Arlington. Have the label details ready: capacity, fuel type and the year it was made. If the tank is leaking now, close the cold supply valve above it and turn off the gas valve or breaker. For a water main break or water showing up where it shouldn't outside your own pipes, the County's emergency hotline is 703-228-6555.