Three lakes and a city water system
The City of Concord owns its water supply. Raw water comes from Lake Concord and Lake Fisher, older reservoirs close to town, and from the larger Coddle Creek reservoir, also called Lake Don T. Howell, built northwest of the city as Cabarrus County grew. The city treats this surface water at its own plants and also has interconnections with neighboring systems for backup during drought.
Like most piedmont surface water, Concord's supply is soft. Scale is a minor issue for tank heaters and only a modest one for tankless units. The bigger factor is that soft water consumes magnesium anodes steadily, so a Concord tank can lose its corrosion protection years before it shows any outward sign.
Inlet temperatures follow the reservoirs. Water entering a home in the mid 40s during a cold snap in January makes a tank work much harder than it does in August, when the lakes warm toward 80°F. Winter is when complaints about running out of hot water peak.
Mill houses, crawlspaces and new subdivisions
Concord's oldest housing sits around downtown Union Street and in former textile mill villages, small frame houses built for mill workers in the early twentieth century. Many have crawlspaces, and their water heaters ended up on a back porch that was later enclosed, in a kitchen closet, or under the house in the crawlspace itself. Service access in those homes is tight, and old galvanized piping is still found in some.
Post-war brick ranches fill neighborhoods on the city's west and south sides, where the tank typically stands in a laundry nook off the carport or a closet near the kitchen. Since the 1990s, growth has spread toward the Speedway, Concord Mills and Interstate 85, with subdivisions such as Afton Village, Skybrook, Moss Creek and Christenbury. Those newer homes put the heater in the garage or, increasingly, in the attic.
Crawlspace heaters in older homes face damp conditions and limited combustion air. A crawlspace tank with rust on the jacket, a soot-marked burner area or standing water underneath should be looked at soon, both for safety and because removing one gets harder every year it stays.
Electric and gas providers in Concord
Concord is one of the North Carolina cities that runs its own electric utility, and many homes inside the city limits buy power from Concord rather than from an investor-owned company. Duke Energy serves other parts of the area, and Union Power Cooperative covers some outlying addresses. Check your bill if you are looking into heat pump water heater rebates, since programs differ by provider.
Natural gas in Concord is delivered by the utility long known as PSNC and later Dominion Energy North Carolina, which now operates as Enbridge Gas North Carolina. Gas tanks are common in neighborhoods with mains, while many homes in the older mill areas and some newer all-electric subdivisions rely on electric tanks.
The problems plumbers see most in Concord
- Crawlspace tanks in mill-village homes that are rusting, poorly vented or hard to reach.
- Attic heaters in newer subdivisions leaking into upstairs ceilings.
- Spent anodes in tanks that have run on soft lake water for six or more years.
- Winter shortages from 40-gallon tanks in growing households.
- Burned elements in electric tanks after storms on the city electric system.
- Galvanized pipe corrosion near the heater connections in pre-war homes.
For an electric tank that runs lukewarm, read about elements and thermostats. If an attic unit in Afton Village or Skybrook is dripping through drywall, shut the cold valve and see what to do about a tank leak.
Typical water heater prices in Concord
| Job | Typical Concord range | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Element or thermostat replacement | $150–$310 | |
| Thermocouple or igniter | $160–$300 | |
| Gas valve replacement | $375–$600 | |
| Anode rod replacement | $175–$350 | |
| 40–50 gallon tank replacement | $1,400–$2,900 | Gas or electric, permit included |
| Crawlspace or attic tank replacement | $1,900–$3,600 | Access drives labor |
| Tankless installation | $3,400–$6,200 | Gas line and venting |
Concord prices track the Charlotte metro. They climb for crawlspace removals in tight mill houses and for attic work in summer heat, and race weeks at the Speedway can slow travel around Bruton Smith Boulevard and I-85.
Permits and North Carolina licensing
In Concord, building permits and inspections for residential plumbing are handled by Cabarrus County's construction standards office, which inspects for the city as well as the unincorporated county. Swapping a tank calls for a plumbing permit from that office, and a gas unit brings gas piping into the inspection as well; the inspector checks venting, the relief line, the gas connection and any required pan.
Contractor credentials in North Carolina come from a single state board that covers plumbing, heating and fire sprinkler trades. The plumbing license covers the water connections, and gas piping work falls under related classes the same board issues. Its online license search takes a company name or a license number, so check before work starts in Concord, and make sure the permit is in the contractor's name rather than the homeowner's.
Getting the size right in a growing family home
A lot of Concord subdivisions went up with builder-grade tanks sized for first-time buyers, and those tanks struggle once a few kids are taking showers before school. If hot water runs out every winter morning, a 50-gallon high-recovery gas tank, a 65-gallon heat pump unit in the garage, or a tankless gas heater are the usual upgrades.
Heat pump water heaters work well in Concord garages, which stay mild most of the year. They are less effective in an unheated crawlspace and should not be squeezed into a closet without ducting or louvered doors.
Repair or replace in Concord
Tanks on Concord's soft water often last ten to twelve years, and longer if the anode was replaced around the midpoint. Elements, thermostats, igniters and thermocouples are all reasonable repairs. A leaking tank, brown hot water that does not clear, or a crawlspace tank with a rusted base should be replaced.
If you are replacing a crawlspace or attic heater, ask about relocating it. Moving a mill-house heater from under the floor to an enclosed porch or utility closet can make every future service call cheaper.
Around Concord
Kannapolis, just north along the old Cannon Mills corridor, draws its water from Lake Kannapolis and its own treatment plant. Harrisburg and Midland to the south and Mount Pleasant to the east are smaller Cabarrus towns. Across the county line, Huntersville, University City and the rest of Charlotte fall under Mecklenburg County inspections and Charlotte Water.
Water heater questions from Concord
Where does Concord get its water?
From Lake Concord, Lake Fisher and the Coddle Creek reservoir, treated by the City of Concord.
Who inspects a water heater replacement in Concord?
Cabarrus County's construction standards office handles residential permits and inspections for Concord.
Does Concord water cause scale in tankless heaters?
Very little. The lake water is soft, so descaling every couple of years is usually enough.
My mill house has the water heater in the crawlspace. Can it be moved?
Often, yes. Plumbers commonly move it to an enclosed porch, closet or utility room, which improves access and safety.
Is my Concord electric bill from the city or from Duke?
Inside city limits it is often the City of Concord's electric utility. Other homes are served by Duke Energy or Union Power Cooperative.
Is the gas company still called PSNC?
The utility has changed names, from PSNC to Dominion Energy North Carolina and then Enbridge Gas North Carolina, but the pipes are the same.