Tankless Water Heater in Hapeville, GA

Hapeville in short

Hapeville is a small historic city next to Hartsfield-Jackson, with a median build year of 1963. The city's Water and Sewer Division maintains its lines and buys water wholesale from the City of Atlanta. Residential plumbing permits are issued by the city through its Public Works permits page, with City Hall at 3468 North Fulton Avenue. Atlanta Gas Light is the expected gas pipe utility.

What to do now

1. Smell gas? Leave. Get outside, then call 911 and Atlanta Gas Light at 877.427.4321.
2. Look at the old flue. In a 1940s or 1950s house, the heater likely vents through a metal flue or chimney. A tankless unit needs its own sealed vent, so note which outside walls are nearby.
3. Check the gas pipe. You do not need to measure it, but note whether the heater shares a line with a furnace or range.
4. Record codes. If you already have a tankless unit, write down any error code.
5. Watch the water bill. Hapeville has noted that leaking old service lines and running toilets can spike bills, and a dripping relief valve on an old tank wastes water too.

Symptoms and causes

Cost factors

In Hapeville's older houses, gas pipe and venting usually drive the price. Small pipe sized decades ago for a tank and furnace often cannot feed a tankless burner, so a new line from the meter is common, and a sealed vent through an outside wall replaces the old flue. Relocating the heater from an interior closet adds water and gas piping. Condensing units need a drain. The city plumbing permit and inspection are part of the job. Hapeville's water comes from Atlanta, and no hardness figure is on the fact sheet, so test before buying any treatment.