In Silver Spring, a water heater that leaks from the tank body or keeps failing at an older age is normally replaced rather than patched. WSSC Water handles plumbing and gas permits here, and a gas water heater replacement must be done by a plumber or gasfitter holding a WSSC license. Call the number on this page to be connected with a local plumber in Silver Spring.
Silver Spring sits on the District line inside the Beltway, and its housing has a median build year of 1964. Plenty of heaters here live in basements of older houses around Woodside Park, Long Branch and Lyttonsville, where a slow leak can soak stored boxes or finished space before anyone notices. WSSC Water supplies the area, disinfects with free chlorine and adds orthophosphate at both treatment plants to coat pipe interiors and limit corrosion. WSSC runs its plumbing and gas inspections for central and southern Montgomery County out of the Lyttonsville depot.
If the heater is leaking now
- Close the cold water valve on the pipe feeding the top of the heater. If it won't budge, close the home's main shutoff.
- Turn a gas heater's control to off, or switch off the breaker for an electric unit.
- Open a hot tap at a sink to take pressure off the tank.
- Move anything absorbent away from the puddle and the floor drain.
- Photograph the label with gallons, fuel type and model number.
- If you smell gas rather than see water, skip all of this: leave the house, then call 911 and Washington Gas at 844-WASHGAS (844-927-4427), option 1, from outside.
What the symptoms usually mean
| Symptom | Likely cause |
|---|---|
| Water at the base, coming from the tank shell | The lining has corroded through; replacement time |
| Steady drip from the relief valve pipe | High pressure or temperature, a worn valve, or no expansion tank |
| Brown hot water, cold side clear | Spent anode rod and rust inside the tank |
| Rumbling while heating | Sediment caked on the tank bottom |
| Hot water runs short | Sediment, a broken dip tube or a dead element |
| Pilot keeps going out | Thermocouple, draft or venting trouble |
What drives the cost
- Size, fuel and efficiency of the replacement
- The WSSC permit and inspection
- Venting: older basement heaters often share a masonry chimney that may need a liner or a new vent path
- Expansion tank, drain pan or a new relief valve discharge line
- Carrying units down narrow basement stairs and removing the old tank
- Switching to tankless or heat pump, which changes gas, vent or electrical needs
An itemized quote makes it easy to compare two plumbers line by line.
Water Heater Replacement questions in Silver Spring
Who issues the permit for a water heater replacement here?
My old heater vents into a chimney. Is that a problem?
Who do I call if I smell gas near the water heater?
Will the new heater need an expansion tank or a drain pan?
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