Water Heater Replacement in Riverdale, MD

Warning signs

• Dampness or a slow drip under the tank
• Rusty or cloudy hot water
• Rumbling as the heater fires
• Showers running cold sooner
• A burner flame that looks lazy and yellow instead of blue

Riverdale specifics

The Town of Riverdale Park is an older streetcar suburb just south of College Park, and its median home was built around 1957. Older basements here often hold a heater vented into a chimney shared with the furnace, plus aging fittings. A good plumber checks the draft and the vent before setting a new unit. The Riverdale mailing area reaches beyond the town, and newer or older homes outside town limits may differ.

WSSC Water supplies water and sewer service, disinfecting with chlorine rather than chloramine. Its tap testing puts average hardness at about 140 mg/L for Potomac plant water and about 64 mg/L for Patuxent plant water, and which plant serves an address varies. WSSC's What's Your Pipe Type? program can help identify your service line material.

The town lists Washington Gas. If you smell gas, leave the house first. From outside, call 911 and Washington Gas at 844-WASHGAS (927-4427), option 1.

Choosing the new heater

Most homeowners here replace like for like, which keeps the job simple. If the furnace has been upgraded to a sealed, side-vented model, the old chimney may be too big for the water heater alone, and a power-vent gas heater or an electric unit can be a better fit. Students and renters near the university should report a failing heater to the landlord, who arranges the replacement. Homeowners with a growing household can ask about a larger tank, as long as the space and venting allow it.

Price factors

• Tank size, fuel and efficiency
• Vent connector or chimney liner work
• Replacing old shutoffs and galvanized fittings
• An expansion tank or pan if needed
• Basement access
• WSSC permit and disposal

When you call

The number connects you with an independent plumber who works in Riverdale. Mention the house's age as well as the heater's, and whether the furnace shares the flue. Ask that each quote list the permit, code items and haul-away so you can compare them cleanly.