Water Heater Replacement in Lorton, VA

Lorton in brief

Lorton sits in southern Fairfax County between Fort Belvoir and the Occoquan River. In ZIP code 22079 only about 17 percent of homes predate 1980, and the 2000s were the biggest building decade, so a lot of heaters here are original units from that boom. Fairfax Water's Griffith plant, which treats Occoquan Reservoir water using ozone and granular activated carbon, is near Lorton. Fairfax Water's finished-water testing at Griffith shows total hardness of about 77 to 147 mg/L, moderately hard enough to leave sediment in a tank.

What to do now

1. If the heater is leaking, close its cold-water supply valve.
2. Switch the gas control off, or turn off the breaker for an electric heater.
3. Smell gas? Leave the house, then call 911 and Washington Gas at 844-WASHGAS (844-927-4427), option 1, from outside.
4. Put a towel or pan under any drip and move stored items away.
5. If the valve above the heater won't close, use the main shutoff. Fairfax Water owns the meter; the line from it to the house is yours.
6. Note the label's capacity, fuel and manufacture date.

Symptoms and causes

Cost factors

• Tank, tankless or heat pump, and capacity
• Fairfax County permit through PLUS, plus a Residential Plumbing permit if gas piping is added
• Garage, basement or closet location and access
• Expansion tank and drain pan
• Removal of the old unit

Because so many Lorton homes went up within a few years of each other, neighbors often replace heaters around the same time. If yours is original to a 2000s house, pricing a replacement before it fails gives you time to compare options instead of taking the first available install.

Not every Lorton home is from that decade, of course; some predate 1980, and those can bring older valves, venting and tighter heater spaces. Wherever you are in Lorton, a quick look at the label tells you most of what you need to know.