If water is spreading from the base of your tank right now, close the cold supply valve on the pipe above the heater, turn the gas control to off or flip the electric breaker, and call. Our line is staffed 24/7, so an emergency water heater replacement does not have to wait for Monday. Move anything stored near the tank and open the nearest floor drain if you have one.
A tank that drips from the relief valve is a different problem from a tank that leaks from the seam. The first can often be repaired, and the second means the steel liner has failed. This page covers the second case, and the water heater repair page covers the first.
When a failed tank is an emergency
Treat it as urgent when water reaches the floor, when the tank makes popping or rumbling sounds and then stops heating, or when a gas heater smells of fuel. A tank holding 40 to 50 gallons can empty into a finished basement in an hour or two if the break is large. Water near a panel, a furnace or a washer raises the stakes.
If you smell gas, leave the house and call the gas utility or 911 before you call a plumber. Do not flip switches on the way out.
Repair or replace: a quick decision table
Most tanks last roughly a decade, and the age is printed on the data plate near the bottom. The table below is how a plumber thinks through the call at your basement stairs.
| What you see | Usual verdict | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Leak from the tank seam or bottom | Replace | The steel liner is breached and cannot be patched safely |
| Dripping relief valve, tank dry | Repair | A failed valve or thermostat costs far less than a new tank |
| Rusty hot water, tank over 10 years | Replace | Corrosion inside the tank is already advanced |
| No heat, gas unit, new thermocouple fixes it | Repair | A small part has failed and the tank is sound |
| Repeated repairs in two seasons | Replace | Repair bills are beginning to match the price of a new unit |
Gas, electric or heat pump: choosing the replacement
A like-for-like swap is the fastest path because the gas line, vent and electrical feed already exist. Switching fuel adds work such as a new circuit, a gas line extension or a condensate drain, and it adds time. For many Hingham homes the cleanest answer on a cold morning is the same fuel and the same footprint.
Heat pump water heaters are worth asking about when you are not in a hurry. They need clear space around the unit and a drain for condensate, and they cool the room they sit in. Ask about them before an emergency, because the right choice at midnight is whatever gets hot water back safely. A planned switch belongs on the water heater installation page.
What replacement day looks like
- 1
Shut off and drain
The plumber closes the water and fuel, then drains the old tank to a floor drain or outside.
- 2
Remove and prep
The old unit goes out, and the pan, flue and supply connections are checked for corrosion.
- 3
Set and connect
The new tank is set level, with new flexible connectors, a code-compliant relief valve and discharge pipe.
- 4
Fire up and test
The plumber purges air, lights or energizes the heater and checks the flue draft and temperature.
Permits and inspections in Hingham
Replacing a domestic water heater in Hingham calls for a plumbing and a gas permit. The town's fee schedule effective January 29, 2024 lists $50 for the plumbing side and $50 for the gas side, and rough and final inspections are required. Massachusetts issues plumbing permits only to licensed plumbers, so the permit is part of the job, not an extra for you to chase.
The Hingham building department schedules inspections by phone on weekday mornings, so ask your plumber when the inspection is booked. Work started without a permit costs double the fee plus $150 under the same schedule. That is another reason to hire a licensed plumber and ask to see the permit.
What a replacement costs and why it varies
Prices for a replacement depend on the answers to a few questions, which is why a fair number comes after someone sees the basement.
What moves the price
- Tank size and typeA 40-gallon atmospheric unit costs less than a 75-gallon high-efficiency model.
- Fuel and ventingDirect-vent or power-vent models add parts and labor compared with a standard flue.
- AccessTight stairs, crawlspaces and finished ceilings slow the removal.
- Code updatesExpansion tanks, pan drains and seismic or pipe straps may be required on the new install.
- Permit and inspectionTown fees and the inspection appointment are part of the total.
Homeowners insurance usually covers sudden water damage from a ruptured tank but not the tank itself. Take photos of the leak and the data plate before anything is moved, and ask your insurer what it needs.
Want the number for your house? Call (339) 216-9771 and describe what you see.
Replacement for homes near Hingham Harbor and Hingham Square
Older houses near the Square and the Harbor often have tight basement stairs, stone foundations and mixed pipe materials. A plumber who has carried a 50-gallon tank down those stairs plans the route first. In those homes the old unit may need to be drained and cut apart rather than carried out whole.
The same dispatch number covers Cohasset, Weymouth, Norwell and Hull. The ZIP codes we regularly serve for tank replacement include 02043 and 02044 in Hingham, 02025 in Cohasset, 02188, 02189, 02190 and 02191 in Weymouth, 02061 in Norwell and 02045 in Hull. If your tank is failing while you are reading this, call the 24/7 line and mention the model and age if you can see the plate.
Hingham's posted fee schedule lists a $50 plumbing permit and a $50 gas permit for a domestic water heater, and rough and final inspections are mandatory according to the town's page.
Questions homeowners ask
Most tank units run about 8 to 12 years, depending on water quality and maintenance. The data plate shows the build date in the serial number.
Yes. The line is staffed 24/7, including nights, weekends and holidays, and a failed tank is one of the most common after-hours calls. Shut off the supply and fuel, then call and the next available plumber is dispatched.
Often yes when the unit and parts are in stock, and appointments are same-day when available. Special venting or a fuel change can add a visit.
Hingham's posted fee schedule lists a plumbing permit and a gas permit for a domestic water heater. Your licensed plumber pulls them and schedules the inspection.
The tank itself usually is not, but sudden water damage sometimes is. Photograph the leak, stop the water and check your own policy.
Only the water supply and fuel should be turned off by you. Draining a hot tank carries scald risk, so leave it for the plumber.
Yes, with added work such as a circuit or a condensate line. A same-fuel swap is faster in an emergency.