Water heater repair in Miramar, FL

Biscayne aquifer water from Miramar Utilities

Plenty of Broward towns purchase water wholesale; Miramar instead operates its own utility. City of Miramar Utilities pumps from wells in the Biscayne aquifer, the porous limestone layer lying only a short way beneath South Florida's suburbs. An older plant on the east side serves the original part of town, and a newer western plant was built to keep up with the growth in West Miramar. Treatment softens and disinfects it, yet Miramar faucets still grow a white calcium crust within months.

Tap water here never gets cold. It arrives in the mid to upper 70s through January, so tanks recover quickly and tankless units can run strong flows. The downside is that warm, mineral-laden water deposits scale fast inside tankless heat exchangers, and electric tank elements in eastern Miramar homes often come out wrapped in a crust of lime.

East Miramar block homes and West Miramar communities

Miramar was incorporated in 1955, and the streets east of Florida's Turnpike, around Miramar Parkway, Pembroke Road and SW 68th Avenue, are filled with single-story concrete-block houses from that era and the decade after. Many water heaters there sit in a carport utility closet, a laundry room off the kitchen or, on some homes, a small outdoor enclosure. Older homes may still have galvanized supply lines leading to the tank.

West Miramar is a different city in practice. Silver Shores, Sunset Lakes, Monarch Lakes, Riviera Isles and the other communities west of Palm Avenue and Flamingo Road were built from the 1990s into the 2010s, with stucco single-family homes, townhomes and condominium buildings. Heaters in these homes sit in garages, interior laundry closets or second-floor utility rooms, and townhome units often stack heaters above neighbors' ceilings. Country Club Ranches, with large lots in the southwest, has more spacious garages and some homes on their own systems.

Hurricanes and the High Velocity Hurricane Zone

Broward and Miami-Dade counties sit in the Florida Building Code's High Velocity Hurricane Zone, which sets stricter rules for anything mounted outdoors, including heat pump units, tankless heaters on exterior walls and their vent terminations. Equipment installed outside generally needs approved anchoring, and inspectors in Miramar check it. Wilma in 2005 knocked out power across south Broward for days, Irma did it again in 2017, and electric water heaters sit useless until FPL restores service.

Heavy rain is a separate threat. Low-lying streets in eastern Miramar can flood quickly in summer downpours, and garage heaters sitting on the floor can take on water at the base. If water rose above the bottom element or the burner, have the heater inspected before using it.

The problems plumbers see most in Miramar

• Scaled-up lower elements in electric tanks on hard Biscayne water.
• Tankless heat exchangers choked with calcium after years without descaling.
• Corroded fittings on outdoor and carport closet installs exposed to humidity.
• Leaking tanks in second-floor townhome closets dripping into the unit below.
• Tripped breakers and failed thermostats after summer lightning.
• Relief valves weeping when a tank overheats or the house has high pressure.

Typical water heater prices in Miramar

South Florida labor and the code requirements of the High Velocity Hurricane Zone push Miramar prices a bit above much of the state. Condo jobs that need association approval or freight elevator time also take longer.

Licensing and Miramar permits

Plumbers in Florida can be certified statewide by the Construction Industry Licensing Board, or hold a Broward County competency license issued through the county's Central Examining Board. Either way, every heater replacement in Miramar goes through the city's Building Division for a permit, followed by a site visit covering the relief valve line, electrical connection or gas line, and any outdoor anchoring.

Condominium and townhome owners in West Miramar usually need to notify their association before the work, and some associations require proof of the contractor's insurance. Start that paperwork early so a failing tank does not sit for a week waiting on approval.

Electric, gas and heat pumps

Florida Power & Light (FPL) supplies electricity to Miramar, and most homes here use electric tanks. Natural gas lines reach only some neighborhoods, so gas tankless units are less common than in cities further north. FPL has promoted efficient water heating with rebates at times, so ask FPL what is running this year.

Heat pump water heaters make a lot of sense in a Miramar garage. They pull heat from the warm, humid air and cool and dry the garage as they run, and with inlet water in the upper 70s they rarely need their backup elements. They need a condensate drain and enough air around them, so a cramped laundry closet in a townhome may not work.

Repair or replace in Miramar

Electric tanks on Biscayne water often last 8 to 12 years. Replacing an element or thermostat on a younger tank costs a fraction of a new heater. If the tank has started leaking from the shell or the water turns rusty, replace it, especially in a second-floor closet where a leak can damage the unit downstairs.

When a block home in eastern Miramar gets a new tank, ask the plumber to check the old supply lines and shutoff valve at the same time, since galvanized pipe and old valves often fail when disturbed. Our notes on choosing a replacement go into models and sizes.

Around Miramar

West Park and Pembroke Park to the east are small cities with their own permit offices. Southwest Ranches to the north is rural, with many homes on private wells. Miami Gardens, just south across the county line in Miami-Dade, is served by Miami-Dade Water and Sewer and follows Miami-Dade permitting. Cooper City and Davie to the north each have their own utilities and building departments.

Water heater questions from Miramar