Water heater repair in Westland, MI

GLWA water in Westland's mains

Westland is one of the many suburbs that buys treated drinking water wholesale from the Great Lakes Water Authority. GLWA draws from the Detroit River and Lake Huron, treats the water at its regional plants, and delivers it through large transmission mains to member communities. The city then owns and maintains the local pipes, meters and hydrants, so a broken main on Warren Road or Cherry Hill is a Westland public services matter, not a GLWA one.

Hardness on GLWA water lands around 5 to 8 grains per gallon, mild enough that few Westland homes bother with a softener and scale builds slowly inside tanks. The heater's bigger enemy is the temperature of the water it receives. Water coming off the Westland mains in late winter is barely above the mid 30s, so a heater that worked fine in October may leave the last person in the shower shivering by February.

Postwar ranches between Ford Road and Joy Road

The streets between Ford Road, Joy Road, Merriman and Wayne Road are lined with ranches built mostly in the 1950s and early 1960s: three bedrooms, one bath, often a full basement, sometimes a later half bath tucked downstairs. Older pockets like Norwayne, built during and right after World War II for defense plant workers, have smaller homes with tighter mechanical spaces. Farther west toward Hix and Newburgh, subdivisions from the 1970s and 80s bring tri-levels and colonials.

In a typical Westland ranch the water heater stands in the basement near the furnace and the floor drain, venting into a chimney or a metal flue through the roof. Over the decades many owners finished part of the basement, so the heater may be tucked into an unfinished corner behind a door. Older galvanized supply pipes and original gas cocks are still common, and both can complicate what should be a straightforward swap.

The problems plumbers see most in Westland

• Basement flooding and sewer backups during heavy summer storms, which can swamp the heater's burner or controls.
• Orphaned chimneys after a high-efficiency furnace moves to PVC, leaving the tank alone in an oversized flue.
• Corroded galvanized nipples and old gas cocks that need replacing when the heater is changed.
• Standing pilots that keep dropping out on tired tanks in Norwayne and the older Nankin blocks. More in our article on gas valve and pilot trouble.
• Lukewarm water in late winter in households that outgrew a 40-gallon tank.
• Slow leaks from the drain valve or relief valve that go unnoticed in a basement corner. Check signs of a leaking tank.

Typical water heater prices in Westland

Westland prices sit a bit below the pricier Oakland County suburbs, but the final number depends on what the plumber finds. Replacing rusted galvanized fittings, adding an expansion tank or lining the chimney can each add a few hundred dollars to a ranch house tank swap.

Licensing and Westland permits

In Michigan, plumbing contractors and master plumbers hold licenses issued through LARA's Bureau of Construction Codes, and gas piping work can also fall under mechanical licensing. LARA's license search lets you verify a contractor in a minute or two, which is worth doing before anyone opens the gas line in your basement.

The City of Westland's building department, at City Hall on Ford Road, issues the plumbing and mechanical permits needed for water heater replacements inside city limits. The inspector checks venting and draft, the gas connection, the relief valve and its discharge, and the expansion tank. Westland wants that paperwork opened by the licensed installer ahead of the swap, and you can expect a short inspection visit after the new heater is running.

Rouge River storms and flooded basements

Westland sits in the Lower Rouge River watershed, with Hines Park and the river corridor running through the north side of the city. When a summer storm drops several inches of rain in a few hours, storm and sanitary sewers across western Wayne County can back up into basements. The August 2014 storm that flooded large parts of metro Detroit filled many Westland basements, and later storms have done the same on a smaller scale.

A water heater that sat in floodwater is not safe to relight. The gas control and burner assembly need to be replaced, and on most tanks that means a new heater. Backflow valves on the sewer line, a battery backup for the sump, and a heater set on a raised platform all reduce the damage the next time the Rouge rises.

Chimneys, venting and DTE

Many Westland ranches still vent the water heater into a masonry chimney that once served both the furnace and the heater. Once the furnace switches to a sidewall-vented condensing model, the chimney is far too big for the heater alone, and cold flue gases can spill back into the basement. Westland plumbers usually solve it one of three ways: drop a correctly sized liner down the flue, switch to a power-vent tank, or install a sealed direct-vent unit. Whatever the fix, put a CO detector at the top of the basement steps in a ranch that burns gas downstairs.

DTE Energy delivers natural gas and electricity in Westland, so the same utility serves the gas meter and any electric or heat pump heater. Call DTE for a gas leak or meter problem before calling a plumber. DTE has offered efficiency incentives for water heaters at times; ask what is available before choosing equipment.

Repair or replace in Westland

On mild GLWA water, Westland gas tanks often last 10 to 13 years. Under roughly nine years old, a Westland tank with a dead igniter, thermocouple, element or control valve is generally worth one more part. Rust around the base, water coming from the shell or a tank that sat in a flooded basement all point toward replacement.

When the tank goes, it is a good time to deal with the chimney, the old galvanized fittings and the shutoff valves at once, rather than paying for separate visits later. Fall is the easiest season to plan a replacement before the supply water turns icy.

Around Westland

Garden City, almost surrounded by Westland, handles its own building permits and also buys GLWA water. Livonia to the north, Canton to the west and Wayne to the south each have their own building departments. Inkster and Dearborn Heights to the east share Westland's postwar housing style and GLWA supply but run separate inspection offices. Confirm your city before booking work.

Water heater questions from Westland