The tank is leaking: shut these off first
Stopping the flow protects your floor. It takes a minute and does not need any tools beyond your hands.
- 1
Cold water valve
Find the valve on the pipe feeding the top of the tank and turn it clockwise to close it.
- 2
Power or gas
On an electric heater, turn off the breaker. On gas, turn the gas control to off. If you smell gas, leave and call 911.
- 3
Drain if needed
If water keeps coming, attach a hose to the drain valve and run it to a drain or outside.
- 4
Call us
Tell us the size, fuel type and age of the old heater if you can read the label.
Why a leaking tank means replacement
Water heater tanks are steel vessels with a lining. When rust eats through the wall, the leak is permanent. A fitting or valve leak can be repaired, but a leak from the body of the tank means the heater is done.
We confirm the source before recommending anything. If it turns out to be a fitting, we will say so and repair it. See water heater repair for those cases.
Choosing the replacement
We help you pick a size and type that suits your household and your home.
| Option | Good for | Things to weigh |
|---|---|---|
| Standard tank, gas | Most homes with gas service | Needs venting and gas connection to code |
| Standard tank, electric | Homes without gas | Needs the right breaker and wiring |
| Hybrid heat pump | Efficiency and lower running costs | Needs space, air flow and a drain |
| Tankless | Endless hot water, small footprint | Needs gas sizing and venting, see tankless page |
Tank failed?
Call and tell us the size and type of your old heater. We will talk through the options.
What affects the price of a replacement
You get a clear price before work starts.
Signs a tank is near the end of its life
A tank that is old, rusty at the bottom or making loud popping sounds is a risk. Rust-colored hot water, moisture at the base and a relief valve that drips are signs to watch. Water heaters often fail at night or on a holiday, which is why many people replace one before it breaks.
If your heater is more than ten years old and you have noticed any of these signs, plan the replacement instead of waiting for a leak. It lets you choose the unit and the time.
Information that speeds up your call
- Brand, size and fuel type from the label
- Age of the heater if you know it
- Where it sits and how you reach it
- Whether the area has a floor drain
- Whether water is leaking now
- Whether you smell gas
Replacing a water heater in Bothell
The City of Bothell Permit Center says replacing a water heater requires a permit. A permit means the work is checked against the Washington plumbing code, which is based on the Uniform Plumbing Code with state amendments. That matters for venting, relief piping and strapping.
Western Washington is seismically active, so strapping a water heater to the wall is a sensible requirement. If you are wondering about doing it yourself, read our water heater installation page. Permit and licensing rules vary, so ask the Permit Center and the state Department of Labor and Industries.
A replacement is installed to the Uniform Plumbing Code (UPC) as adopted in WAC 51-56, including relief piping, strapping and venting.
Water heater replacement questions
Yes. Call (425) 845-0257 at any hour. We take emergency calls around the clock and plan the replacement based on what we find. You get the price before work starts.
A like-for-like tank swap is usually completed within a visit. Changing fuel type, moving the heater or adding venting takes longer.
It can make sense, but it may need larger gas lines and new venting. Read our tankless page and we can talk it through.
It depends on how many people live in the home and how they use hot water. We will recommend a size after asking a few questions.
We tell you what applies and handle the steps with the Bothell Permit Center as part of the job.
We remove and haul it away so you do not have to.