In the City of Falls Church, where the median home was built in 1971, a water heater that leaks or can't keep up is usually replaced rather than patched. The City's Department of Code Administration issues permits for properties inside city limits, while Falls Church-addressed homes outside the city are permitted by Fairfax or Arlington County. Call the number on this page to be connected with a local plumber in Falls Church.
Falls Church in brief
Falls Church is a small independent city just inside the Beltway, but its mailing area spreads well into Fairfax and Arlington counties, including places such as Seven Corners. Inside the city, water comes from Fairfax Water, and the City runs its own sewer system. About half the city's homes were built before 1971, so original-era valves, flues and basement layouts are common around water heaters. Fairfax Water's Corbalis plant testing shows total hardness of about 70 to 185 mg/L, averaging roughly 7.5 grains per gallon.
What to do now
- Close the cold-water valve above the heater if it's leaking.
- Set the gas control to off, or switch off the breaker for an electric unit.
- If you smell gas, leave the house, then call 911 and Washington Gas at 844-WASHGAS (844-927-4427), option 1, from outside.
- If the heater's valve won't close, use the main shutoff for the house.
- Note the label's capacity, fuel and manufacture date.
- Confirm whether your address is in the city or a county, which decides the permit office.
Signs and likely causes
| What you notice | Likely cause |
|---|---|
| Water pooling at the base | A corroded tank or a leaking fitting |
| Brownish hot water | Spent anode or rusting tank lining |
| Rumbling or crackling | Sediment on the bottom of the tank |
| Not enough hot water | Bad element, broken dip tube or undersized tank |
| Pilot keeps going out | Thermocouple, gas control or draft problem |
Cost factors
- Type, size and efficiency of the new heater
- City permit through Code Administration (703-248-5080), or a county permit outside city limits
- Flue, valve and connector updates in older houses
- Basement access, expansion tank and drain pan
- Haul-away of the old tank
One extra worth asking about if your basement has ever had a sewer backup: the City runs a Backflow Prevention Program that reimburses homeowners for a sewer backflow prevention device installed by a plumber under a plumbing permit. If a plumber is already pulling a permit for the water heater, it's a natural time to price that work too.
Whatever you decide, replacing an aging heater before it fails is easier than dealing with a burst tank in a finished basement. If the label shows a unit well past its first decade, start comparing quotes while it still works.
Water Heater Replacement questions in Falls Church
Does replacing a water heater here need a permit?
The old heater leaked in the basement. What should I check?
How do I find out who supplies my water?
Will the new heater need an expansion tank or a drain pan?
More plumbing services in Falls Church
Water Heater Replacement nearby
Helpful guides
Sources
- City of Falls Church: Code Administration
- City of Falls Church: new resident checklist
- City of Falls Church: sewer
- City of Falls Church: Backflow Prevention Program
- Fairfax Water: Corbalis plant finished water analysis
- Falls Church housing by year built (city-stats.com)
- Washington Gas: safety and the emergency leak line
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