If your San Marcos water heater leaks from the tank, gives rusty water or has started failing after many years of use, replacing it is usually the smart move. Permits for residential work come from the City of San Marcos Building Division, and water and sewer in most of the city come from Vallecitos Water District. Call the number on this page to be connected with a local plumber in San Marcos.
A quick San Marcos overview
San Marcos has a relatively young housing stock, with a median home built around 1994, so many houses are only now replacing their first or second heater. Vallecitos Water District supplies the city, partly with desalinated seawater from the Carlsbad Desalination Plant. The district disinfects with chloramines, and its own guidance notes that chloramines matter for water heater anode rods and rubber fixture parts.
What to do now
- Close the cold water valve feeding the heater if it's leaking. If it won't close, shut the home's main valve.
- Turn the heater off: gas control to off, or the breaker for an electric unit.
- If you smell gas, leave the house and call 911 and SDG&E at 1-800-611-7343 once you're outside.
- Check the label for gallons, fuel type and manufacture date.
- If your home has a pressure regulator near the main, note it. Vallecitos says the regulator it installs on its side of the meter where pressure tops 175 psi protects only the meter, not your house plumbing.
Symptoms and likely causes
| Symptom | Likely cause |
|---|---|
| Relief valve dripping or discharging | High house pressure or thermal expansion with no expansion tank |
| Water under the tank | Corroded lining or a leaking drain valve |
| Rust-colored hot water | Anode rod used up and the tank starting to corrode |
| Noise while heating | Mineral sediment on the tank floor |
| Not enough hot water | Undersized heater, failed dip tube or element |
What affects the cost
- Size, fuel and efficiency of the new heater
- Adding an expansion tank or a customer-side pressure regulator if pressure is high
- Venting and gas connector updates
- Seismic straps and a drain pan where required
- Permit handling and haul-away of the old unit
The city's residential permit packet includes an owner certificate on water-conserving plumbing fixtures for homes built on or before January 1, 1994. Ask the plumber whether it applies to your permit. Newer tract homes in neighborhoods such as San Elijo Hills often have the heater in the garage with plenty of room, which keeps a straight swap simple. Older homes near Lake San Marcos and the original parts of town may need more work on venting, valves and connectors. A plumber can also check whether the hot water lines are long enough that a recirculation setup would help.
Water Heater Replacement questions in San Marcos
Does high water pressure affect a new water heater?
Does chloraminated water affect a water heater?
Is a permit required to replace a water heater here?
Is a heat pump water heater worth considering?
More plumbing services in San Marcos
Water Heater Replacement nearby
Helpful guides
Sources
Last updated: