Water heater repair in Leesburg.

Leesburg is one of the few places we work where the housing mix is nearly even. Four in ten homes are detached, three in ten townhouses, and almost two in ten are in condo or apartment buildings. Two out of three owners heat with gas, so the gas tank is the common one here, but three in ten are electric. We carry parts for both.

Downtown, the houses are old and the water heaters often vent into a masonry flue that was built for something else. A flue that is cracked, too large or partly blocked makes a gas tank back-draft, and the burner flame lies down or goes out. In the Old and Historic District, exterior work needs a Certificate of Appropriateness. Fixing the inside of a tank usually doesn’t touch that, but a new exterior vent would, so we check first.

The Town’s own utilities page says white or pale green specks in the water are calcium from the water heater or a defective dip tube. We agree, and it is an easy repair to confuse with a failing tank. A dip tube sends cold water to the bottom, and when it breaks up the tank heats poorly and the pieces clog your aerators. If your faucet screens are collecting white flakes, tell us when you call.

In a condo building, a single tank closet may share a stack with the unit above you. Leaks go downward, so know where your shutoff is before you need it, and tell your association if the water damage reaches a neighbor.