Repairing a tank
A tank that leaks at a fitting, loses its hot water or has a failed part can sometimes be repaired with a new element, thermostat, valve or burner part. A leak from the tank body itself means a new tank.
Water Heater Repair and Installation in Richardson
A water heater that leaks, makes no hot water or is simply old comes down to three choices: repair the tank, replace it or switch to a tankless unit. Call us, tell us what yours is doing and we talk the choices through.
This page covers each choice, how Richardson handles permits and inspections, and the free tools that size and date a heater.
Repair, replace or switch
Replacing a tank
Replacement takes out the old tank and sets a new one in its place, reconnecting the water, the gas or electric supply, the venting and the relief valve. Tank size, fuel type and the space available shape the choice.
Going tankless
Tankless units skip the storage tank and heat water on demand, so the question is how much flow and temperature rise a unit can deliver rather than gallons of storage. Gas models move more water than electric ones, and venting, gas piping or the electrical service may need work.
Tankless upkeep
Periodic servicing for a tankless unit includes flushing the heat exchanger and checking the filter screen and error codes, and the plumber you hire does that work.
Permits for a new water heater
A new water heater is not on the short list of jobs Texas lets go without a city permit, and the statute names water heaters outright. That list is limited to leak repairs and replacing a lavatory or kitchen faucet, a ballcock or water control valve, a disposal or a toilet.
In Richardson, the permit pages do not single out water heaters; the plumbing repair and replacement permit the city describes is bought online. On a permitted job, the Responsible Master Plumber obtains the permits.
Richardson’s inspection rounds
Once the Responsible Master Plumber over the job requests the inspection, Richardson inspects twice a day and leaves a tag at the house with the result. Requests and results are handled online.
Requests in before 8 a.m. are inspected between 8:30 and 11:30 a.m., and requests between 8 a.m. and noon are inspected from 1 to 4:30 p.m.
The water going into the heater
Water for a Richardson water heater travels through the city’s own mains, and the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality rates that system Superior.
Getting the size right
A tank is sized by the hot water you use in your busiest hour, which depends on how many people live there and how many showers, loads of laundry and dishwasher runs overlap.
The water heater size calculator turns those numbers into a tank size. For tankless units, the tankless flow calculator treats Richardson’s 35°F January low as incoming water near 52°F, so a unit has to add 68°F to reach 120°F.
Reading the age of an old tank
A water heater’s data plate carries a serial number, and that number encodes the month and year the unit was built. The serial number decoder turns the brand and serial into a build year and an age.
A tank that has been leaking may call for leak detection to find where the water went, and repiping covers the lines feeding it. The rest is on the home page.
Call for a free plumbing quote
Call us to discuss your current issue and how we can assist you. The call is free and you get a free, personalized estimate with no obligation. We're here to help.
Call (855) 321-3426