Water Heater Repair in Montgomery Village, MD

Are Montgomery Village homes old enough for heater problems?

Yes, though not because of the original equipment. The Village is a planned community whose first residents arrived in 1967, and in ZIP 20886 roughly half of homes were built before 1980, with the 1970s the biggest building decade. After five decades, most houses are well past their first heater, so the age printed on the current tank matters more than the year the house went up. Where a heater sits in a closet or utility room on a finished level, as it does in many townhouses and condos, a slow leak does more damage than one in an unfinished basement.

Does the Montgomery Village Foundation handle permits?

No. The Montgomery Village Foundation is a homeowners association, not a municipality, and addresses carry a Gaithersburg mailing name even though the Village is unincorporated Montgomery County. Plumbing and fuel gas permits come from WSSC Water Permit Services, and only plumbers and gasfitters registered with WSSC can apply. Gas water heater replacements fall under that rule. Building permits, when a project needs one, go through Montgomery County's Department of Permitting Services. Your HOA may have its own rules for exterior work, but a water heater repair inside the home is a WSSC matter.

What about the water itself?

Water and sewer come from WSSC Water. Its report notes UV disinfection at both filtration plants, residual chlorine in the distribution system and an orthophosphate corrosion inhibitor. The region's water is moderately hard, so sediment slowly collects at the bottom of a tank, and an electric element sitting in that layer runs hotter and wears out sooner. A yearly flush helps, and so does a check on the anode rod while a plumber has the heater open.

A gas safety note

If you smell gas near the water heater, get everyone out of the house before doing anything else. From outside, call 911 and then Washington Gas at 844-WASHGAS (844-927-4427), option 1. Don't try to relight the pilot or shut off the gas yourself if the smell is strong. In attached homes, let your neighbors know as well, since a leak can affect more than one unit.