Water Heater Repair in Riverdale, MD

Signs to call a plumber

• No hot water, or only a few minutes of it
• A heater that clicks, pops or rumbles
• Water pooling around the tank or a wet drain pan
• A relief valve pipe that drips
• Hot water that looks rusty or smells of sulfur

Water heaters in Riverdale homes

Riverdale is a postal name that covers the Town of Riverdale Park, incorporated in 1920 as the Town of Riverdale, plus nearby unincorporated areas such as Riverdale Heights. The town is an older streetcar suburb along US 1 just south of College Park, with a median home built in 1957. Houses of that age often have original galvanized or copper supply lines and old gate valves around a newer heater, and those can leak or seize once a plumber starts work.

WSSC Water supplies water and sewer and disinfects with chlorine rather than chloramine. Hardness depends on the source: WSSC's tap analysis puts Potomac plant water at about 140 mg/L and Patuxent plant water at about 64 mg/L, and which plant serves an address varies. More hardness means more sediment and scale in the tank. The Town of Riverdale Park lists Washington Gas as its gas utility. If you smell gas, leave first, then call 911 and Washington Gas at 844-WASHGAS (927-4427), option 1.

Most plumbing and gas work here must be done by a plumber or gasfitter holding the required WSSC license, under a WSSC permit applied for through its ePermitting system. Building permits are a county matter through DPIE.

What affects the cost

• The failed component and fuel type
• Old valves or fittings that break when they are turned
• The amount of sediment in the tank
• Basement access in older homes
• Whether the heater has to be replaced under a WSSC permit

What happens when you call

You are connected with an independent plumber who covers Riverdale and Riverdale Park. Share the fuel type, tank size and age, and describe the problem. The plumber can tell you what is likely wrong and when they can visit. If water is on the floor, close the cold-water valve above the tank and turn off the power or gas first; if that old valve will not budge, use the main shutoff instead of forcing it.