If your Gilbert water heater is leaking from the tank, producing rusty water or failing to keep up, replacement is usually the better spend than another repair. The Town does not spell out on its permit pages whether a like-for-like swap needs a permit, so the installer should confirm with the One Stop Shop before starting. Call the number on this page to be connected with a local plumber in Gilbert.
What happens after you call
The number on this page puts you through to an independent plumber who covers Gilbert. Expect a few questions: tank size, gas or electric, where the heater sits, and whether it is leaking right now. If water is on the floor, shut the cold supply valve above the heater and turn off the gas valve or the breaker before anyone arrives.
On site, the plumber checks the old unit, the venting, the gas connection or electrical circuit, and the shutoff valve. You then get a price for a matching replacement and, if you ask, for an upgrade such as a larger tank or a tankless unit.
What drives the cost
- Tank versus tankless, and gallon capacity or flow rating
- Gas, electric or heat pump, and the efficiency level
- Venting changes, a new gas connector or sediment trap
- An expansion tank, drain pan or new relief line if needed
- Access: a garage install is simpler than a closet or attic
- Any permit the Town requires for the work and haul-away of the old tank
Gilbert conditions worth knowing
The Town of Gilbert treats and delivers its own water, drawing mainly on Salt River Project and Central Arizona Project canal water and adding groundwater from 17 town wells. Surface water is treated with ozone and chlorine. Arizona water of this kind carries plenty of dissolved minerals, and a tank collects them as sediment over the years.
Gilbert's homes are mostly young. ACS figures put the median build year around 2003, with only about 4 percent of homes built before 1980. That means many heaters failing now are the first or second replacement in a tract home garage, usually a straightforward swap. Southwest Gas supplies natural gas in town. If you ever smell gas, leave first, then call 911 and Southwest Gas at 877-860-6020.
For permit questions the Town's Development Services One Stop Shop handles building and plumbing questions at 480-503-6700.
Quick checklist before the plumber arrives
- Clear a path to the heater and a few feet around it
- Photograph the data plate showing size, fuel and model
- Find the cold water shutoff and the main water valve
- Note any past leaks or water stains near the heater
- Decide whether you want a quote for an upgrade as well as a match
Water Heater Replacement questions in Gilbert
Do I need a permit to replace a water heater here?
What size water heater should I buy?
What happens to the old water heater?
How should I maintain the new water heater?
More plumbing services in Gilbert
Water Heater Replacement nearby
Helpful guides
Sources
Last updated: