Should You Repair or Replace Your Water Heater?

What are the three questions that settle most cases?

HomeGuide's water heater cost guide boils the decision down to a few tests, and they hold up well in practice:

1. How old is it? HomeGuide gives tank heaters a life of 8 to 15 years, and the U.S. Department of Energy says storage water heaters last 10 to 15 years. Once a tank passes ten, HomeGuide suggests leaning toward replacement.
2. Is the tank itself leaking? Water coming from the bottom of the tank usually means the whole unit has to go. A steel tank that has rusted through cannot be patched.
3. What does the repair cost against a new heater? If the repair runs more than about half the cost of a replacement, HomeGuide recommends replacing.

If the heater is young, the tank is dry and the repair is a single part, fixing it is almost always the better use of money.

How do you find out how old the heater is?

Look at the rating plate on the side of the tank. Many manufacturers build the manufacture date into the serial number, often as a letter or digits standing for the month and year. The code differs by brand, so search the maker's name plus "serial number date" or ask the plumber to read it. If the house came with the heater and nobody knows its age, a heater installed before you moved in a decade ago is already at the edge of its normal life.

Which problems are usually worth fixing?

HomeGuide's national average for a tank heater repair is about $455, with most jobs between $150 and $700. A plumber offering water heater repair in Washington, DC can confirm the cause before you commit to any of these.

A rotten-egg smell in the hot water is not a gas leak. If you smell gas in the air near the heater, that is different: leave the house first, then call 911 and your gas utility from outside. In most of the DC area that is Washington Gas at 844-WASHGAS (844-927-4427), option 1; your gas bill shows your provider if it is someone else. The gas smell safety guide covers the details.

Is the leak from the tank or from something attached to it?

A wet floor does not automatically mean a dead heater. Dry the area, put down paper towels and watch for an hour.

• Drips from pipe connections on top. Usually a loose fitting or a failing flex connector. Repairable.
• Water from the relief valve discharge pipe. The valve may be worn, or pressure or temperature may be running high. Repairable, but have the cause checked.
• Drips at the drain valve near the bottom. Often the valve itself, which can be replaced or capped.
• Water seeping from under the jacket or base. Most often the tank. Plan on replacement.
• Puddle with no visible source. It may be condensation, a nearby pipe or a different fixture entirely. A leak detection visit can sort that out.

If the tank is leaking, turn off the gas or the breaker to the heater, close the cold-water valve on top and call for help. In basements without a floor drain, a slow leak can soak finished flooring before anyone notices.

Does DC-area water wear heaters out faster?

Hardness plays a part. DC Water describes District tap water as moderately hard, and its latest water quality report shows an average total hardness of about 7 grains per gallon. Arlington County reports about 8 grains per gallon, and Prince William Water lists 3.5 to 7 grains per gallon for its systems. At those levels minerals settle in the bottom of a tank over time. Sediment insulates the water from a gas burner, makes popping and rumbling noises, and can bury the lower element in an electric unit.

Flushing the tank once a year helps. HomeGuide lists a professional flush at about $75 to $250. If a heater has never been flushed and is already loud and slow to heat, flushing may not bring it back, and that is a sign to start pricing a replacement. Homes that want to cut scale across all fixtures can look into a water softener for a DC home; your water provider's annual water quality report lists the hardness for your address.

What does replacing a heater cost, and what permits apply?

HomeGuide puts a new tank heater at $600 to $1,800 installed, with removal of the old unit at $70 to $500 and code-required upgrades adding $75 to $500. What those upgrades involve depends on the local code office and where the heater sits, so ask the plumber to list them in the quote.

Permits vary by address:

• In the District, the DC Department of Buildings plumbing application covers water heaters and is signed by a master plumber or gas fitter.
• In Montgomery and Prince George's counties, WSSC Water requires gas water heater replacements to be done under a WSSC permit by a gasfitter holding a WSSC Water license. That applies whether you are booking a replacement in Rockville or in Bowie.
• In unincorporated Fairfax County, a household appliance permit is required for gas water heater replacements even when the new unit matches the old one.
• Alexandria, Arlington, Loudoun and Prince William run their own permit offices.

Ask the plumber whether the quote includes the permit, haul-away and any code items so you are comparing complete numbers. You can be connected with someone for a water heater replacement in Washington, DC or a repair visit in Alexandria by calling the number on this page.

When does a heater fail at the worst time?

Winter is hard on water heaters across the region. Incoming water is colder, the burner or elements run longer, and an old tank that limped through summer may give out during a cold snap. If your heater is near the end of its life, replacing it on your schedule in spring or fall is usually easier than an emergency swap on a January night, when after-hours rates may apply. Our overview of DC plumber pricing explains how night and weekend premiums work.

If the heater sits in a basement that floods during summer storms, think about raising it on a stand and keeping the floor drain or sump clear. The basement sump pump guide covers that side of things.

Is this a good time to switch to a different type?

Replacement is the natural moment to reconsider. A same-type swap is the simplest and lowest-cost path. Switching to tankless costs more up front and may need gas line, venting or electrical work, but it saves energy and lasts longer. Heat pump water heaters are another option for homes with space and a moderate basement temperature. Compare the options in our tankless versus tank comparison, or ask about tankless installation in the District.

What should you ask the plumber?

• How old is the heater, and what does the serial number say?
• Is the tank leaking, or is it a valve or fitting?
• What will the repair cost, and what would a replacement cost, both including permit and haul-away?
• Is there sediment buildup, and is a flush still worth doing?
• What code items would a replacement trigger at this address?