Water Heater Repair in Littleton, CO

Does Littleton require a permit for water heater work?

Littleton is broad about it. The city requires permits to install, alter, repair or replace any plumbing, gas, mechanical or electrical system within city jurisdiction, and homeowners doing single-discipline work themselves complete a Homeowner Affidavit. Permits run through the Building & Development Permit Center. There is a catch worth knowing: Littleton mailing addresses spread well beyond city limits, into Arapahoe, Jefferson and Douglas counties, and those addresses go to the county instead. The city's District Map Tool shows which side of the line you are on.

Who supplies my water, and is it hard on the heater?

The city says all City of Littleton residents are served by Denver Water. Even on a utility supply, tanks gradually collect sediment and electric elements can pick up scale, especially on heaters that have never been flushed. Sewer is a different story: most city residents are on City of Littleton sewer, with treatment at South Platte Renew, which Littleton and Englewood own jointly. Residents of connecting communities are billed by their own sanitation district. Unincorporated areas with Littleton ZIP codes, such as Columbine, Ken Caryl and Highlands Ranch, are served by other districts entirely.

My house is from the 1950s or 60s. Repair or replace?

Littleton grew quickly in the 1950s and 1960s, and much of its housing is detached single-family homes from that era along with apartments. Every one of those homes is on a replacement heater, so the tank's label date is what counts. A heater under about ten years old with a failed thermostat, element or thermocouple is a good repair candidate. An older tank that leaks or shows rust at the top is usually better replaced. Basements in older homes may also have aging gas valves, flue pipes and shutoffs that are worth updating during the same visit.

A note on gas and sewer emergencies

Xcel Energy is Littleton's gas utility. If you smell gas near the heater, leave the house first, then call 911 and Xcel Energy at 1-800-895-2999 from outside. For an after-hours sewer emergency, the city takes calls at 303-794-1551. A cold or leaking water heater is a job for a plumber.