Water Heater Repair in Englewood, CO

What's different about Englewood

Englewood runs its own water utility independent of Denver Water. It draws South Platte River water, stores it in McLellan Reservoir and treats it at the Allen Water Treatment Plant, disinfecting with free chlorine, ultraviolet light and chloramines. Its report does not list a hardness figure, so how much sediment a tank has collected is best judged by draining it.

The housing stock is older than most suburbs. Census estimates put Englewood's median build year at 1964, with about two-thirds of homes built before 1980, and the northwest has houses from the 1910s. Heaters in these homes often sit in basements with older venting, gas piping and shutoff valves. When a plumber replaces a thermostat or thermocouple, they will also look at the flue connection and the valves around the tank.

Englewood is specific about permits: the city lists water heater replacement, and alterations to water or drain lines, as work that needs a building permit. Permits are filed through the online permit system, contractors must hold a city contractor license, and homeowners doing their own work sign an affidavit.

Repair versus replacement

Signs not to ignore

• A relief valve that drips or sprays
• Water stains on the basement floor near the tank
• Rust on the top connections or flue
• Hot water that runs out quickly

Seasonal timing

South Platte water comes in colder in winter, so heaters run longer and weak parts fail during cold snaps. Fall is a good time to have an older tank flushed and its relief valve tested. If you ever smell gas near the heater, leave the house first, then call 911 and your gas utility from outside. We could not confirm Englewood's gas utility on an official page, so use the emergency number printed on your gas bill.

One more Englewood detail: the city owns the water service line from the main to the curb stop, and the homeowner owns it from the curb stop into the house. A leak at the heater or on the pipes feeding it is a plumber's job, not the utility's.