Tankless Water Heater in Snellville, GA

Snellville in brief

Snellville is an established south Gwinnett suburb on US 78. The median home was built in 1991, and about 30% predate 1980. Gwinnett County Department of Water Resources supplies water from Lake Lanier, treated with chlorine and soft at about 1.34 grains per gallon on average. Atlanta Gas Light is listed as a Gwinnett gas operator, and Snellville has no city gas department.

What to do now

1. Gas smell: leave the house. From a safe place, call 911 and Atlanta Gas Light at 877.427.4321.
2. Record any error code. Tankless displays show numbers that point to the fault.
3. Check the basics. Power to the unit, gas valve open, vent termination clear.
4. Collect details for a replacement. Heater age from the label, fuel type and number of bathrooms.
5. Allow for inspection timing. The City Building Inspector needs 24 hours' notice.

Symptoms and likely causes

Cost factors

• Gas line size from the AGL meter, since builder pipe is sized for a tank
• Vent route, from a short garage wall run to a longer path in older homes
• Condensate drain for condensing units
• Unit capacity and any recirculation
• City permit and inspection

Older homes from before 1980, about three in ten here, are more likely to have the heater in an interior closet with a metal flue and gas pipe sized for a tank; those need a new vent route and often a larger line. Newer subdivision homes usually keep the heater in a garage. Snellville's Planning and Development office issues building permits and does its own inspections. Plumbing subcontractors file subcontractor affidavits but pay no additional permit fee. The city's page does not say whether a heater swap alone needs a permit, so the plumber should confirm. The city's local plumbing code amendment on water efficiency is another reason to have a plumber who knows Snellville's rules handle the job. Because Gwinnett water is soft, a softener is rarely needed for the heater's sake; a yearly flush is generally enough.