Water Heater Installation in Delaware | 911 Plumbing DE
from $1,299
Plumbing Water Heater Installation in Delaware
Authorized Rheem and Navien dealer. Tank and tankless water heaters installed to code with new shut-offs, expansion tank, seismic strapping, and correct venting.
Water Heater Installation is one part of our water heater services coverage in Delaware. For the full picture — symptoms, costs, and when to repair vs. replace — start with the complete Water Heater Repair guide, or browse every water heater services service we offer.
A new water heater install is one of the higher-stakes plumbing projects in a home — it involves gas or high-amperage electric, pressurized water, combustion venting, and a tank that holds 40–80 gallons over your finished floor. Done right, it's a quiet appliance that delivers hot water reliably for 10–15 years. Done wrong, it's a scalding, flooding, or carbon-monoxide hazard. As an authorized Rheem and Navien dealer, we install tank, tankless, and heat-pump models to current code with the safety hardware that big-box installs routinely skip.
Every install includes haul-away of your old unit, a new cold-water shut-off, a properly sized thermal expansion tank (required on any closed system with a check valve or PRV), a code-length temperature-and-pressure (T&P) relief discharge line, seismic strapping where required, and correct combustion or power-venting for gas models. We size the heater to your household's real demand — a chronically undersized tank runs out of hot water and cycles itself to an early death, while an oversized one wastes standby energy every hour of the day.
We recommend by fit, not by what's on the truck: a Bradford White or A.O. Smith atmospheric tank for a simple gas replacement, a Rheem or Navien tankless when a family keeps running out of hot water or wants to reclaim closet space, or a heat-pump hybrid where the electric operating-cost savings justify the higher up-front price. Honest sizing and the right fuel type extend the unit's life and cut what you pay to run it.
Signs you need water heater installation
Heater older than 10–12 years
Tank heaters have a 10–15 year design life, and failure past that mark tends to be sudden — a rusted-through tank floods the space around it. Replacing on your schedule beats replacing at 2 a.m. under an inch of water.
Brown or metallic hot water usually means the tank's interior lining and anode rod are gone and the steel itself is corroding. Once the tank rusts, no repair brings it back — replacement is the fix.
Running out of hot water fast
If the last shower of the morning is always cold, the tank is undersized for the household or its dip tube and elements are failing. This is the classic trigger for upsizing or switching to tankless.
Water pooling at the base
Moisture or a puddle around the tank base signals a tank seam leak — a slow failure that becomes a flood. A leaking tank is a replacement, not a repair.
Popping or rumbling from the tank
Sediment baked onto the bottom of a gas tank rumbles as steam bubbles escape through it. The sediment insulates the burner, wastes fuel, and shortens tank life — often the last year before failure.
Common causes & what we fix
Tank corrosion and spent anode rod
The sacrificial anode rod protects the steel tank; once it's consumed the tank corrodes from the inside out. Most homeowners never replace the rod, so the tank reaches end-of-life on a predictable schedule.
Sediment accumulation
Hard-water minerals settle to the bottom of the tank, insulate the burner or lower element, and force it to overheat the steel. Regular flushing slows it; heavy scale ends the tank early.
Undersized for the household
A tank spec'd for two people struggles under a family of five, cycling constantly and wearing out fast. Right-sizing at replacement time is the highest-leverage decision in the install.
Hard-water strain on elements
Scale bakes onto electric elements and gas burners, dropping efficiency and burning them out early. A water softener or descaling schedule extends the next unit's life.
Thermal expansion with no relief
On a closed system, heating water raises pressure with nowhere to go, stressing the tank and the T&P valve every cycle. A correctly sized expansion tank absorbs it — we add one on every install that needs it.
Our process
1
Call or schedule online. Book your water heater installation in Delaware online or by phone and pick a 2-hour window. We confirm in under five minutes with the assigned tech's name and photo.
2
On-site diagnosis. On arrival we diagnose the water heater installation on-site — free for most repairs, $39 on minor service calls (waived if you proceed). You see the issue and the fix before we start.
3
Flat-rate quote. You get a flat-rate water heater installation quote in writing, good for 30 days — no hourly creep and no add-ons after the fact.
4
Same-visit fix. Most water heater installation work finishes the same visit: our trucks carry the common valves, fittings, water heater parts, and fixtures, so a second trip is rare.
How much does water heater installation cost in Delaware?
Water Heater Installation the United States starts at from $1,299, every water heater installation quote is flat-rate and presented in writing before work begins — no surprise add-ons, no hourly creep. Seniors (65+) and military save 10% on labor, and financing covers projects over $1,500 at 0% APR for 12 months, with no prepayment penalty.
Why homeowners in Delaware choose us for water heater installation
We've been a trusted choice since 1974 — over 50 years of family-owned plumbing service across Delaware. Our techs are CSLB-licensed (#1098234), background-checked, and complete an internal 12-week training program before rolling on calls alone.
Our water heater installation carries a 10-year workmanship guarantee — separate from any manufacturer warranty on the parts themselves. If the water heater installation we performed fails because of how we did it, we come back and fix it free for a full decade. Water heaters and fixtures we install are backed by their full manufacturer warranty, and the parts and accessories we fit carry standard 1–5 year warranties by item.
We quote water heater installation on honest scope: no unnecessary up-sell, salaried (never commissioned) technicians, and a transparent diagnostic so you see exactly what we see — including the parts still in good shape. If a repair is the right call we say so; if replacement is the better long-term economics, we say that. The flat-rate water heater installation quote is written and good for 30 days.
Areas we serve for water heater installation
We provide water heater installation throughout Delaware, with fast coverage in every major Delaware metro.
Reach times for water heater installation vary by traffic and time of day, so we quote an accurate ETA when you call — and the dispatch line routes straight to an on-call technician, no voicemail in between.
Frequently asked about water heater installation
Top questions homeowners searching for Water Heater Installation near me ask us:
How long does water heater installation take?
A straight tank-for-tank swap takes 2–4 hours including haul-away, new shut-off, expansion tank, and a leak-and-temperature check. Tankless conversions run 4–8 hours because they usually need a larger gas line, new venting, and a mounting relocation.
What brands do you install?
We're authorized Rheem and Navien dealers and stock Bradford White and A.O. Smith as well. Rheem and Navien for tankless, Bradford White and A.O. Smith for durable tank replacements, and Rheem or Bosch for heat-pump hybrids where electric savings make sense.
Tank or tankless — which is right for me?
Tank is lower up-front cost and simplest to replace. Tankless delivers endless hot water, lasts closer to 20 years, and frees up floor space, but needs a bigger gas line and venting. We size and price both so you can decide.
Do I really need an expansion tank?
If your home has a pressure-reducing valve, backflow preventer, or check valve — which nearly all modern systems do — then yes, code requires one. It absorbs the pressure spike from heating and protects both the tank and your fixtures.
What's the coverage?
Rheem and Bradford White tanks carry 6–12 year manufacturer warranties depending on model; Navien and Rinnai tankless heat exchangers run 12–15 years. Our installation labor is backed by the 10-year workmanship guarantee.