Tankless Water Heater in Takoma Park, MD

Takoma Park's median home was built around 1954, and many are older still, so a tankless water heater here usually involves new venting, a larger gas line and sometimes electrical work. The city is in WSSC Water territory, and WSSC issues the plumbing and gas permits. Call the number on this page to be connected with a local plumber in Takoma Park.

Wall-mounted tankless water heater with copper and PEX lines in a bright laundry room, tankless water heaters in Takoma Park, MD

Is tankless realistic in an older Takoma Park house?

Usually, with planning. Takoma Park began as a Victorian-era commuter suburb in 1883, and its historic district holds many houses older than the median 1954 build year. These homes often have tight basements, a masonry chimney shared by the furnace and water heater, and gas piping sized decades ago. A wall-mounted tankless unit frees space in a cramped basement, but it needs a sealed vent to the outside and enough gas to fire at full rate. The plumber will want to see the chimney, the meter and the path to an exterior wall.

What if the house is mostly electric?

Some older homes heat with electricity or have been converted away from gas. An electric whole-house tankless unit draws a large amount of current, and many older services can't spare it without an upgrade. For those homes, a point-of-use electric unit for one bathroom, a heat pump tank or a standard electric tank may make more sense. Ask the plumber to look at your panel before you settle on electric tankless.

How does Takoma Park water affect a tankless unit?

WSSC Water supplies the city, disinfecting with chlorine. Its tap analysis gives average hardness around 140 mg/L for Potomac plant water and around 64 mg/L for Patuxent plant water, and which plant serves an address varies. That is moderate hardness, enough to leave scale in a heat exchanger over time, so ask for isolation valves and flush the unit each year. WSSC's What's Your Pipe Type? program also helps owners of older homes identify and replace lead service lines, which is worth checking during any plumbing upgrade. If the house is in the historic district and the new vent would exit on a street-facing wall, raise that with the plumber early; a side or rear wall is often the cleaner choice anyway.

Call now to be connected with a local plumber in Takoma Park.

(202) 915-7612

A local note

Gas and plumbing work in Takoma Park requires a WSSC permit, pulled by a plumber or gasfitter holding a WSSC license. If you smell gas, get out of the house first, then call 911 and Washington Gas at 844-WASHGAS (844-927-4427), option 1, from a safe spot outside.

Tankless Water Heaters questions in Takoma Park

My old tank vents into a chimney. What happens to that?

In many Takoma Park houses the furnace and tank share a masonry chimney. With the tank gone, the furnace may need a liner or new vent to draft properly, which the plumber checks as part of the job.

Is an electric tankless heater realistic for my house?

Sometimes. Electric whole-house units need heavy circuits that older panels often can't supply. A point-of-use unit for one bath, or a heat pump tank, may fit an older Takoma Park home better.

Do I need a water softener in front of a tankless heater?

Usually not required. WSSC lists average hardness near 140 mg/L for Potomac water and 64 mg/L for Patuxent water, which a yearly flush generally handles; a softener is a choice, not a must.

What should I do if I smell gas near the water heater?

Leave the house first. From outside, call 911 and Washington Gas at 844-WASHGAS (844-927-4427), option 1.