Water Heater Replacement in Chantilly, VA

Who handles the permit for a Chantilly water heater?

Chantilly is unincorporated, so Fairfax County Land Development Services is the office. Water heater replacement is on the County's list of work that needs a permit, even when the new unit goes in the same spot. Applications go through PLUS, and the County's help line is 703-222-0801. Most plumbers file the permit and book the inspection as part of the job. If the new heater needs new gas piping, a Residential Plumbing permit applies as well.

Which gas company should I call if something goes wrong?

Washington Gas serves most of Fairfax County, and that's the utility for most Chantilly homes. Chantilly sits near the Loudoun line, though, and the County notes that parts of Chantilly may be served by Columbia Gas of Virginia, so read your gas bill to be sure. If you smell gas, leave the house before doing anything else, then call 911 and your utility from outside. For Washington Gas, that's 844-WASHGAS (844-927-4427), option 1.

Should I stick with a tank or go tankless?

A tank of the same size is the simplest choice and usually the quickest install. A tankless gas unit saves floor space and doesn't run out during back-to-back showers, but it may need a bigger gas line and new venting. Water hardness also matters. Fairfax Water's Corbalis plant testing shows total hardness of about 70 to 185 mg/L, averaging near 7.5 grains per gallon, so a tankless unit here will need descaling on a schedule. For all-electric homes, a heat pump model is worth pricing if the basement has room around it.

Whichever way you go, ask whether your home needs an expansion tank and whether a drain pan makes sense where the heater sits over finished space.

A local note

Fairfax Water owns the meter, and the line from the meter to the house shutoff belongs to the homeowner. Before the plumber arrives, find that main shutoff so it can be closed quickly if an old tank lets go during removal. And if lawn irrigation is part of your home, the County requires testable backflow assemblies on those systems to be tested every year by a certified tester.