Water Heater Replacement in Temple Hills, MD

Temple Hills in brief

Temple Hills is mostly garden apartments, duplexes and single-family homes built from the 1950s through the 1970s, with a median build year around 1973. Many plumbing systems are 50 years old or more. That doesn't make a heater swap hard, but it can mean replacing an old valve or connector along the way. WSSC Water supplies water and sewer service and adds a corrosion inhibitor that coats pipes on customer property.

Duplexes and garden apartments often have the heater in a small closet or a shared utility room, which limits the size and type of unit that fits. Single-family houses near Henson Creek and Marlow Heights usually have basements with more room, but older chimneys there may need a liner or a different vent for a new heater. Either way, a plumber should check the space and the venting before you pick a model.

What to do now

1. Turn off the cold water valve on the pipe feeding the heater.
2. Set the gas control to off or switch off the breaker for an electric heater.
3. Smell gas? Leave the house instead, then call 911 and Washington Gas at 844-WASHGAS (927-4427), option 1, from outside. BGE customers call BGE.
4. Catch water with towels or a wet vacuum and lift stored items off the floor.
5. Write down the heater's size, fuel and age from the label.
6. Renters should contact their landlord or property manager first.

Signs and likely causes

Cost factors

• New heater type, size and efficiency
• Replacing aged valves, connectors or vent pipe
• Code updates such as an expansion tank or pan
• Location, from a basement to a closet in a duplex or apartment
• WSSC permit, inspection and disposal

Ask for every quote to list these items separately, so you can see what's included and compare offers fairly. A low headline price that leaves out the permit or the code items often ends up costing more.