Water Heater Repair in District Heights, MD

Local conditions in District Heights

District Heights is a small, fully built-out city that began as farmland. Many of its Cape Cod-style homes date to the 1940s, when builders put up affordable single-family houses with FHA financing, and the city's median home was built in 1968. In houses like these, the water heater is usually decades newer than the pipes it connects to. Older supply and drain piping is common, and a plumber replacing a thermostat or relief valve may find stiff shutoffs, corroded nipples or a vent pipe that has been patched more than once.

WSSC Water provides water and sewer service. Prince George's County's permit office does not issue plumbing permits; WSSC issues and inspects them, and the county notes that water heater replacements need a permit even though like-for-like fixture replacement generally does not. WSSC also requires a professional for all gas work, including gas water heater and furnace replacement. Washington Gas serves most of the county, with some areas on BGE, so check your bill. If you smell gas, leave the house, then call 911 and Washington Gas at 844-WASHGAS (927-4427), option 1, from outside.

Repair or replace

Warning signs

• Less hot water than usual
• Popping or crackling from the tank
• Moisture at the base or the top fittings
• A gas pilot that will not stay on

Seasonal notes

Winter is the hardest season on a water heater because the incoming water is coldest and demand is highest. A heater that is struggling in October often fails outright by January, so a slow drip or shrinking hot water supply is worth a call before the cold sets in. Fall is also a good time for a flush and an anode check, while a scheduled visit is easy to arrange and nobody is waiting on a cold shower.