Water Heater Repair in New Cumberland, PA

Between the Susquehanna and the Yellow Breeches

The borough's floodplain rules exist, in its own words, because of the Susquehanna River and the Yellow Breeches Creek. Building inside the floodplain is regulated, and the borough says every structure there needs flood insurance. You can check your address on the FEMA flood map linked from the borough's page.

The creek's gauge near Camp Hill records its highest crest at 18.8 feet in September 1975, with Agnes close behind in June 1972. It went past moderate flood stage again in September 2021 and August 2024. After Tropical Storm Lee in 2011, the borough was under a state of emergency until the creek went back to its banks, and the AP reported about a dozen structures with major damage.

FEMA's flood repair guide is direct about water heaters. If floodwater reached the gas burner, the electrical parts or the insulation, the heater should be replaced. If you want to try to keep it, have a professional clean and restart it, and don't relight it yourself. If you replace a flooded heater, FEMA suggests putting the new one higher up.

The borough inspects rental heaters

About 30% of New Cumberland homes are rented, roughly 1,000 households. Landlords must register each unit with the borough and report a new tenant within 30 days. Each unit is inspected once every three years, and the borough's checklist has a line for the heater and water heater.

The same checklist requires a working carbon monoxide alarm within five feet of the bedrooms and of any gas or oil heater. If you rent, report a water heater problem to your landlord first. If you own a rental, a failing heater is easier to replace before inspection than after a tenant calls. Most homes here date from 1940 to 1969, and about one in seven is a rowhome or twin, so the tank is often in a tight basement corner.