Water Heater Repair in Kensington, MD

Does an older Kensington house change the repair?

Often it does. The Town of Kensington's median home was built around 1959, per census-based figures, and many houses still have older original plumbing. The heater is almost never original, but the copper or galvanized fittings, shutoff valve and gas line connected to it can be. Old shutoffs that won't fully close and corroded nipples at the top of the tank are common side repairs, and they are easiest to handle while the tank is drained. A plumber will also check the flue connection on gas heaters, since venting in older houses is sometimes shared with a furnace.

Who handles permits in Kensington?

WSSC Water Permit Services issues plumbing, gasfitting and service connection permits, so a gas water heater replacement must be done by a plumber or gasfitter registered with WSSC under a WSSC permit. The Town of Kensington has its own forms for home construction projects, so if heater work is part of a bigger renovation, call Town Hall first. Note that the 20895 postal area, sometimes called Greater Kensington, is much larger than the town itself; addresses outside the town limits deal with WSSC and Montgomery County only.

What about the water and the service line?

Kensington is on WSSC Water, which disinfects with free residual chlorine. Like most of the region, the water is moderately hard, enough to build sediment in a tank over time, so a flush during a repair visit is often worthwhile. For owners of older homes, WSSC publishes an address-searchable map of service line materials and runs a Service Line Replacement Program with financial assistance, which is worth checking if the plumber spots old pipe coming into the basement.

One local note

If there is ever a gas smell near the heater, leave the building first. Once outside, call 911, then Washington Gas at 844-WASHGAS (927-4427), option 1. Don't relight the pilot or flip switches until the utility has cleared the house. When you call about a repair, mention whether you live inside the town limits or elsewhere in the 20895 area, and whether the heater shares a flue with the furnace, so the plumber knows what to expect.