Water heater repair in Plantation, FL

Membrane-softened water from two plants

The City of Plantation's utilities department runs two water plants, the East and the Central, which pump treated water into a single distribution system. Each plant draws from eight wells drilled roughly 80 to 110 feet into the Biscayne Aquifer. Instead of the lime softening still used by many South Florida utilities, both plants send the raw water through thin film composite membranes, which strip out most of the hardness and the brownish color that limestone groundwater carries.

That makes Plantation water gentle on heater elements. Plumbers seldom find heavy crust on the lower element of a tank here, and the noisy popping that scale causes is less common. The flip side is that softened, low-mineral water wears through a tank's anode rod faster, so an inspection of the rod at the midpoint of the tank's life pays off more in Plantation than in hard-water cities.

Ranch homes on big lots, Jacaranda and the canals

Frederick Peters founded Plantation in 1953, and the first neighborhoods east of University Drive, around Plantation Park and the streets off Broward Boulevard, filled with low single-story ranches on lots of a third of an acre or more. Many have a carport or one-car garage, and the original heater sat in a utility room off the carport or behind a small exterior door on a side wall. Decades of remodels have moved some of those heaters into garages or laundry rooms, but plenty remain in the old spot.

Plantation Isles, south of Broward Boulevard near the eastern city line, lines its streets along canals that connect to the New River system. Homes there are mostly 1960s ranches and later rebuilds, often with pools and docks. Jacaranda, developed in the western part of the city from the 1970s, brought golf-course subdivisions, cul-de-sacs and two-car garages, where a 50-gallon electric tank is the usual setup.

Plantation Acres on the far west side keeps a semi-rural feel, with large lots, horses and some homes that pull irrigation from private wells. Houses there tend to be larger, with bigger hot water demand and sometimes a second heater for a guest house or barn.

Electric, gas and summer storms

Florida Power & Light provides electricity throughout Plantation. TECO Peoples Gas serves sections of the city, and gas water heaters appear in some of the older east-side ranches and in larger homes in Jacaranda and Plantation Acres. Electric tanks remain the most common choice.

Plantation's mature tree canopy is one of its draws, but in storms, oaks and ficus bring down overhead lines, and outages from Irma in 2017 and Wilma in 2005 lasted days in some neighborhoods. Power returning after a long outage can come back with surges that damage heater thermostats. Turning the heater's breaker off during an extended outage, and back on once the grid settles, avoids some of that.

The problems plumbers see most in Plantation

• Anode rods consumed early by soft membrane-treated city water.
• Outdoor-closet heaters in 1950s ranches with rusted jackets and failing seals.
• Tree-root and slab leaks near heaters in older homes with original copper lines.
• Undersized tanks in larger Jacaranda and Plantation Acres homes after remodels.
• Surge-damaged thermostats after storm outages under the tree canopy.
• Corroded fittings on canal-side lots in Plantation Isles.

When hot water fades too fast, see hot water that runs out early. For a heater that has stopped heating completely, start with electric element and thermostat fixes.

Typical water heater prices in Plantation

Plantation prices line up with central Broward. Outdoor-closet and carport installs in older ranches can cost more when the closet itself needs repair, and gas jobs depend heavily on whether the existing line and vent can be reused.

Permits and licensing in Plantation

The City of Plantation Building Department issues plumbing permits for water heater replacements, along with electrical or gas permits when those systems change. Plantation enforces the Broward amendments to the Florida Building Code that come out of the county's rules board, known as BORA. Inspectors check the drip pan, where the relief line terminates, the electrical disconnect or gas shutoff, and, for gas units, the venting.

Plumbing licenses are issued statewide by DBPR, and a name search on its website shows whether one is active. Plantation homeowners can also confirm a permit was pulled by searching the city's permit records after the job.

Outdoor closets in older ranches

Many of Plantation's earliest homes have the heater in a small closet on an exterior wall, with a louvered or plywood door. Rain, sprinkler overspray and humidity get in, and the bottom of the tank and the closet floor both rot over time. When replacing a heater in one of these closets, plan to fix the door, add a pan with a drain to daylight and seal any gaps where insects and lizards get in.

Some owners take the chance to move the heater into the garage or laundry room. That costs more upfront because of new piping and electrical work, but it protects the tank and makes future service easier.

Sizing for larger Plantation homes

Remodeled ranches in Plantation often gain a master suite with a large shower or soaking tub, while the original 40-gallon tank stays in place. Families in those homes run short in the evenings. A 50- or 65-gallon tank closes the gap, as does an 80-gallon heat pump unit in the garage. Larger Jacaranda and Plantation Acres homes with four or more bathrooms may justify two heaters or a recirculation system.

Around Plantation

Fort Lauderdale on the east side treats water at its own plants and staffs a separate permit counter. Sunrise to the north treats its own water and sells natural gas through a city-owned system. Davie below Plantation's southern edge has its own town utility and building division, and rural parts of it run on wells. Lauderhill to the northeast and Weston to the west each permit separately.

Water heater questions from Plantation