Austell is one of the few metro cities with its own gas utility, the Austell Gas System, so gas service and leak calls for a tankless heater go there rather than to Atlanta Gas Light. City permits specifically cover replacing water heating equipment. Call the number on this page to be connected with a local plumber in Austell.
How Austell is different
Austell runs both a water system and a gas system. The city water division buys treated water from the Cobb County-Marietta Water Authority and disinfects it with free chlorine, though homes with an Austell mailing address outside the city service area may be on Cobb County Water System instead. Natural gas comes through the Austell Gas System, a city-owned utility operating since 1954. About 40% of Austell homes were built before 1980, so older closets and flues are common.
What to do now
- Gas odor first. If you smell gas, leave the house, then call 911 or Austell Gas System at 770-948-1841, option 1, from outside. Atlanta Gas Light is not the right call for Austell Gas customers.
- Look at your gas bill. Confirm which gas utility serves the address before you plan a new or larger gas line.
- Record the error code. On an existing tankless unit, write down the code shown before you switch it off and on.
- Check the vent cap outside. Leaves, nests or debris in a sidewall vent can stop a unit from firing.
- Plan for the permit. Austell's plumbing permit covers installing or replacing water heating equipment, so build that into the timeline.
Symptoms table
| Symptom | Common cause |
|---|---|
| Unit fires, then shuts off | Venting restriction, flame sensor or low gas pressure |
| Lukewarm water at high demand | Too much flow for the unit's rating |
| Hot water slow to reach a far bath | Long pipe run with no recirculation |
| Whistling or rumbling inside the case | Scale on the heat exchanger |
| Tank heater leaking at the base | Corroded tank; replacement time, possibly with tankless |
Cost drivers in Austell
Gas pipe sizing tops the list, because a tankless burner can pull several times what a standard tank needs and the run from the Austell Gas meter may need a larger pipe. Venting is next: a basement or garage wall makes a short run, while a heater buried mid-house in an older home takes longer. Condensing units need a condensate drain. Moving from electric to gas adds a new gas branch and perhaps a new meter arranged through the gas utility. The city permit, applied for through Austell's online portal, is part of every install.
Tankless Water Heaters questions in Austell
Does a city-owned gas system change anything for a tankless install?
Do I need a permit to switch to a tankless water heater?
Can a tankless heater freeze during a Georgia cold snap?
Will the local water scale up a tankless heater?
More plumbing services in Austell
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