WSSC-Licensed Master Plumber serving Montgomery, Prince George’s, and Anne Arundel Counties — tank, tankless, gas, electric, and hybrid water heaters since 2008.
Durance Plumbing has been installing, replacing, and repairing water heaters across the Maryland side of the DMV since 2008. We’re a WSSC-licensed Master Plumber based in Takoma Park, and water heaters are one of the things we do most — gas tanks, electric tanks, tankless on-demand units, and high-efficiency hybrid heat pump models for homeowners chasing efficiency rebates.
If your water heater is leaking, making strange noises, running out of hot water faster than it used to, or just getting old, you don’t need a sales pitch. You need a licensed plumber who shows up, diagnoses the problem honestly, sizes the new unit correctly if replacement is the right call, and pulls the right permit so the job is documented and inspected. That’s the job. We’ve been doing it for 17 years.
The Water Heater Services We Provide
Tank Water Heater Installation & Replacement
Standard tank water heaters — typically 40, 50, or 75 gallons, gas or electric — still serve most homes in our service area better than any other option. They’re reliable, repairable, and significantly less expensive up front than tankless. We install Bradford White and Rheem as our primary lines. Both are professional-grade brands not sold at big-box stores, and both hold up better against WSSC water’s mineral content than the budget-tier tanks sold at retail.
Every tank replacement we perform includes a properly sized thermal expansion tank, a vacuum relief valve where 2026 Maryland code requires one, fresh shutoff valves, a code-compliant TPR (temperature/pressure relief) discharge line, and removal of the old unit. If your venting, gas connector, or shutoff valve needs an update to pass WSSC inspection, we handle it in the same visit — not as a surprise add-on at the end.
Tankless (On-Demand) Water Heater Installation
Tankless water heaters have become more common in our market, especially in newer construction and in homes where the original tank lives in valuable basement square footage. A properly sized tankless unit delivers endless hot water on demand, frees up floor space, and typically lasts 18 to 20 years — versus 8 to 12 for a standard tank in WSSC water.
Tankless isn’t right for every home, though. The gas line often needs to be upsized to support a tankless unit’s peak BTU demand, the venting requirements are different (often a dedicated stainless or PVC vent path), and the unit must be sized to your peak simultaneous demand — not your average use. We evaluate each conversion candidate honestly and tell you straight whether tankless makes sense for your specific home or whether a high-efficiency tank will serve you better.
Hybrid / Heat Pump Water Heater Installation
Hybrid heat pump water heaters are the most energy-efficient option on the market today. They pull heat from the surrounding air to heat the water in the tank, using a fraction of the electricity a standard electric water heater would. Many Maryland homeowners qualify for federal and state rebates on hybrid units, which can make the up-front cost meaningfully lower than the sticker price suggests.
The trade-offs: hybrids need adequate airflow around the unit (so they’re a poor fit for cramped, sealed closets), they make a small amount of noise (a soft fan hum), and they cool the surrounding air slightly — which is great in a hot basement, less great in conditioned space. We’ll evaluate your install location and tell you whether a hybrid is a good fit. You can also browse current hybrid options at WaterHeatersNearMe.pro, our dedicated water heater division.
Water Heater Repair & Diagnostics
Not every water heater problem needs a full replacement. A leaking T&P valve, a failed thermocouple, a tripped TPR, sediment buildup that’s hurting recovery time, a bad heating element, a worn-out anode rod — all of these are repairable on a unit that has life left in it. When we come out for a diagnostic, we’ll tell you straight whether repair makes economic sense or whether you’re better off putting that money toward a replacement.
Many water heater problems can be diagnosed over the phone with the unit’s make, model, age, and a couple of photos. Call (301) 270-6663 with those details and we’ll often be able to tell you what we think is wrong before we dispatch a truck.
Emergency & Same-Day Service
A leaking water heater is a clock running down to a flooded basement. We prioritize emergency calls and can often get a crew on-site same-day for active leaks. Our trucks are stocked with the most common residential tank sizes, so in most cases we can complete a same-day or next-day replacement without a second trip for parts.
Tank vs. Tankless: Which Is Right for Your Home?
This is the question we get asked most often. The honest answer is that it depends on your specific home — but here’s the comparison most homeowners find useful when they’re starting to think about it.
| Tank Water Heater | Tankless Water Heater | |
|---|---|---|
| Up-front cost | Lower — typically half to two-thirds of tankless | Higher — unit plus gas line and venting work |
| Lifespan | 8–12 years in WSSC water | 18–20 years with maintenance |
| Hot water capacity | Limited to tank size (40/50/75 gal) | Endless, but capped by GPM flow rate |
| Floor space | Takes up significant floor space | Wall-mounted, frees up the room |
| Energy efficiency | Standing heat loss when idle | Heats only when needed |
| Maintenance | Periodic flush, anode rod check | Annual descaling in hard water |
| Best fit | Most homes, especially older houses | Newer homes, larger households, gas-ready installs |
If you have a modest household (1–3 people), a tight budget, an older home with undersized gas service, or you’re planning to sell within 5–7 years, a high-efficiency tank is usually the better call. If you have a larger household with simultaneous hot water demand (multiple showers + dishwasher + laundry), adequate gas service, and you’re staying in the home long-term, tankless often pays back over its lifetime.
How to Tell Your Water Heater Is Failing
Most water heater failures don’t happen out of nowhere. They give you signs first. Here’s what to watch for:
- The unit is 10+ years old. Most tanks in WSSC water last 8–12 years. If yours is past that window, proactive replacement is almost always cheaper than emergency replacement after the tank lets go and floods a finished basement.
- Popping, rumbling, or banging sounds. That’s sediment hardening at the bottom of the tank, then overheating against the heat source. Eventually the thermal stress cracks the tank wall.
- Visible rust on the unit. Especially at the top valves or at the bottom of the tank. Once corrosion breaches the steel wall, you have hours, not days.
- Hot water runs out faster than it used to. Often a failed dip tube or a worn-out heating element. Sometimes repairable on a newer unit, often a tank-end-of-life signal on an older one.
- Lukewarm showers or inconsistent temperature. Heating element, thermostat, dip tube, or sediment buildup, depending on age and fuel type.
- Rusty, smelly, or discolored hot water. Usually the anode rod has done its job and been consumed. Sometimes a simple anode replacement extends the tank’s life; sometimes it’s a sign the tank itself is starting to corrode internally.
- Pooling water around the base of the unit. Don’t wait. That’s the failure mode that floods basements.
- Pilot light won’t stay lit (gas units). Usually a thermocouple or flame sensor — often repairable, but worth diagnosing soon.
- Error codes on a tankless unit. Each manufacturer has their own code set. Many are simple to address (scale buildup, ventilation issues), some indicate end of life.
How to Size Your Water Heater Correctly
One of the most common installation mistakes — usually made by handymen or unlicensed installers — is putting in the wrong tank size. Oversize, and you waste energy heating water you’ll never use. Undersize, and you run out of hot water during peak demand and start replacing it again in five years from overuse.
The right size depends on your household’s peak simultaneous hot water demand. As a rough starting point:
- 1–2 people, modest use: 30–40 gallon tank, or a smaller tankless
- 3 people, average use: 40–50 gallon tank, or mid-size tankless (~7 GPM)
- 4–5 people, normal use: 50 gallon tank, or larger tankless (~8–9 GPM)
- 5+ people, heavy use: 75 gallon tank, or 9.5+ GPM tankless
- Large home with multiple bathrooms running simultaneously: 75–80 gallon tank or two smaller tankless units in parallel
Tankless sizing is more nuanced — it’s about peak GPM at your target temperature rise, not just gallons. We’ll calculate the actual demand for your specific household and recommend accordingly.
Our Installation Process
- Phone consultation. Call us with your current unit’s make, model, age, and the issue you’re seeing. Photos help. For straightforward like-for-like replacements, we can often give a reliable ballpark estimate over the phone.
- Scheduling. Most straightforward replacements can be completed same-day or next-day. Tankless conversions and larger jobs schedule a few days out.
- Permit pulled. We identify whether your address falls under WSSC or the City of Rockville’s separate jurisdiction and pull the appropriate permit before the work starts.
- Install day. A standard tank-for-tank swap takes 2–4 hours. We arrive with the new unit on the truck, shut off and drain the old unit, disconnect and remove it, install the new one with all current 2026 code requirements (expansion tank, vacuum relief, TPR discharge), test the system, and clean up.
- Inspection scheduled. We coordinate the WSSC or City of Rockville inspection. Inspectors typically come out within a few business days. You don’t need to be the one chasing the inspector — that’s our job.
- Documentation. You get full paperwork on the install — warranty info, permit number, inspection sign-off. This documentation matters when you sell the home or file an insurance claim.
Areas We Serve
We provide water heater installation and repair across most of the Maryland DMV, with the bulk of our work in Montgomery and Prince George’s Counties. Our county hub pages have more local detail — including specific neighborhoods, jurisdiction notes, and the housing-stock quirks we’ve come to know:
Montgomery County Water Heaters
Silver Spring, Gaithersburg, Takoma Park, Rockville, Bethesda, Wheaton, Kensington, Germantown, Olney, Potomac, and surrounding areas. WSSC jurisdiction plus the City of Rockville’s separate permit process — we handle both.
Prince George’s County Water Heaters
Bowie, College Park, Laurel, Hyattsville, Greenbelt, Beltsville, Bladensburg, New Carrollton, Largo, Upper Marlboro, and surrounding areas. All under WSSC jurisdiction. Levitt-era Belair homes a specialty.
We also serve Anne Arundel County for water heater service and backflow testing. If you’re not sure whether you’re in our service area, call us at (301) 270-6663 and we’ll confirm in under a minute.
WaterHeatersNearMe.pro — Our Dedicated Water Heater Division
Water heaters are enough of a specialty within our work that we run a dedicated site for them: WaterHeatersNearMe.pro. It’s the same Durance team, the same WSSC license, the same workmanship — just focused entirely on water heater installation, replacement, and service. Browse current gas, electric, and hybrid options there, or use this page if you want plumbing services more broadly.
Why Maryland Homeowners Choose Durance
WSSC permit, every job. Unpermitted plumbing work shows up on home inspections and can complicate insurance claims when you need them most. We pull the permit on every water heater install — no exceptions, no shortcuts.
Honest recommendations. If your existing unit can be repaired economically, we’ll tell you. If a 50-gallon tank is the right size for your home, we won’t push a 75 you don’t need. Our reputation across Montgomery and Prince George’s Counties has been built on straight talk for 17 years.
Code-compliant installs. 2026 Maryland code requires thermal expansion tanks, vacuum relief valves, and proper TPR discharge lines on new water heater installations. These aren’t optional — they prevent dangerous pressure buildup. Quick-turnaround installers sometimes skip them. We don’t.
One-year labor warranty. Every Durance installation includes a one-year labor warranty from us, on top of the manufacturer’s warranty on the unit itself (typically 6–12 years depending on tier).
Professional brands. Bradford White and Rheem — neither sold at big-box retail, both engineered for the WSSC water profile, both with strong warranty support and replacement parts availability.
Common Questions
How long does a water heater last in Maryland?
Most tank water heaters in the WSSC service area last 8 to 12 years. The mineral content of WSSC water is harder on tanks than the water supply in some other regions, which is part of why we recommend professional-grade Bradford White and Rheem units rather than budget tanks. Tankless units typically last 18 to 20 years with proper maintenance, including annual descaling in our hard-water market.
Do I need a permit to replace a water heater in Maryland?
Yes. Most of Montgomery and Prince George’s Counties fall under WSSC jurisdiction, which requires a permit and inspection for water heater installation. The City of Rockville runs its own separate permit process with an Express system for residential replacements. Durance identifies the correct authority for your address and pulls the right permit automatically.
Tank or tankless — which is better for my home?
It depends on your home’s gas service, your peak hot water demand, your floor space, and your budget. Tankless costs more up front but delivers endless hot water and lasts longer. A high-efficiency tank costs less up front and is simpler to service. We’ll give you a straight recommendation based on your specific home — not a generic “go tankless” pitch.
How much does water heater installation cost?
Cost varies by unit type, size, fuel source, and the condition of the existing installation. We provide upfront estimates before any work begins — no “we’ll figure it out at the end” pricing. For straightforward like-for-like tank replacements, we can often give a reliable phone estimate if you share the current unit’s make, model, and a few photos.
What brands of water heater do you install?
Bradford White and Rheem. Both are professional-grade brands not sold at big-box retail. Both are well-suited to WSSC’s hard water profile, and both come with strong manufacturer warranties — typically 6 to 12 years depending on model tier. We stock the most common residential sizes on our trucks for same-day and next-day installs.
How fast can you replace a water heater?
Most straightforward tank-for-tank replacements can be completed same-day or next-day. Our trucks are stocked with the most common residential sizes. Tankless conversions take longer — typically a full day — due to venting and gas line work. Call (301) 270-6663 for current availability.
Do you handle the inspection too?
Yes. We pull the permit, complete the install to current 2026 code, and schedule the WSSC or City of Rockville inspector. You don’t need to coordinate with the inspector yourself — that’s part of the job.
What’s covered under warranty?
Every installation includes a one-year labor warranty from Durance, plus the manufacturer’s warranty on the unit itself (typically 6–12 years depending on model tier). We provide all documentation at the end of the job.
— Long-term Durance customer, Silver Spring
Ready to Schedule Your Water Heater Service?
Call (301) 270-6663 for a same-day estimate, or request service online. Tell us your unit’s make, model, age, and what you’re seeing — and we’ll tell you what we think is going on and how fast we can be there.