Element Service Group provides professional water heater installation services to Cary residents and businesses. Fast response, fair pricing, guaranteed satisfaction.
Real jobs completed by our team in the Cary area
Chris
July 2026
A Cary homeowner had a 14-year-old 50-gallon direct vent natural gas water heater that was leaking from the base of the tank. The gas and water were already shut off when Chris arrived.
The water heater was leaking from the base of the tank, and the homeowner said it had only been flushed two or three times in its lifetime. Chris provided an estimate to replace it with a new 50-gallon direct vent gas water heater, along with an option to install a tankless water heater. The tankless option would need a natural gas meter upgrade by the gas company first, which is done at no charge but has an unknown timeline. The homeowner chose to install the 50-gallon direct vent natural gas water heater, and Chris also gave an estimate on a membership for the future.
Nick & Chris
May 2026
A Cary homeowner in the 27513 area scheduled a tankless water heater installation. The homeowner also mentioned that a hot-side CPVC line had snapped about a month earlier.
Nick and Chris installed the new tankless water heater on the right-hand side of the house. Upstairs in the master bathroom, while they were installing the crossover tee under the left-side lavatory, the hot-side CPVC line snapped, which pointed to CPVC piping that may be brittle. They shut off the water, took pictures, advised the homeowner of the situation, and made the repairs. During installation, a bottom cabinet piece on the right side was cut incorrectly, and the team planned to return to replace it with a new piece.
After the repairs, the system was hooked back up correctly.
Chris & Travis
May 2026
A Cary homeowner reported that their Rinnai tankless water heater showed Error Code 12 when they started it, and it also took a while for the unit to get going.
Chris and Travis found heavy corrosion and buildup throughout the roughly 8-year-old Rinnai unit, which the homeowner said had never been serviced or flushed since installation. They inspected and disassembled the unit, removing and inspecting the filters and internal components, and found that the heat exchanger and heat screen had deteriorated from prolonged exposure to scale and corrosion. Because of the overall condition of the unit, they advised that repair would not be recommended and recommended replacement of the tankless water heater. The homeowner agreed to move forward with a new tankless water heater, and an estimate for replacement was to be provided.
Chris
April 2026
During a plumbing and safety inspection at a home in the 27513 area, Chris found that the existing 75-gallon natural gas atmospheric water heater was original to the home, showed signs of age and sediment buildup, and had never been flushed. Because of its condition, flushing was not recommended and replacement was advised. Chris also identified two toilets that required complete rebuilds, two more that needed new flappers, and hose bibs on both the left and right sides of the home leaking at the handles, with video documentation provided. The work order for the visit covered installing a new 75-gallon natural gas water heater, replacing an outside lawn faucet, and replacing the flapper, fill valve, tank lever, and gaskets in the toilet tank.
Element was called after getting estimates from Comfort First, the plumbing company referred by American Home Shield for our broken water heater. The plumber from that AHS partner company was dishonest, trying to make it seem like modifications (which are not covered by the warranty) were all required when they were not. He also told me that if I chose the lowest-cost option, it could take three weeks for AHS to supply the new water heater. "Modifications" is the keyword for $$$ when dealing with home warranties. Element was able to get to my home within a day and installed the water heater the next morning. Chris was down-to-earth and completely honest about which code updates I actually must complete and why they were required. He also provided a quote for going tankless, but after a week of cold showers, I just wanted a quick replacement similar to the unit that had lasted us 14 years. The ultimate confirmation that Element was the right choice came when AHS called me directly and let me know the previous company lied—it only takes 3–5 days to ship a new water heater, not three weeks. I gladly took the AHS cash-in-lieu of repair option and put that money toward the Element bill. The new unit is a great step up—they replaced my old State Select with a State ProLine. The installation was highly professional, and it works great. Hopefully, I can get 14 years out of this one, too!
Tim Brown
Verified Google ReviewCary
Jun 19, 2026 · 7 min read
A look at the real plumbing jobs Nick Pleasants and Chris Dick handled across Apex, Cary, Raleigh, and the rest of the Triangle this June, with the cause and the fix for each.
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Jan 8, 2026 · 6 min read
Popping, rumbling, screeching, hammering: your water heater is trying to tell you something. Here's a guide to decoding every sound and knowing when it's time to act.
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Feb 14, 2026 · 8 min read
Complete guide to plumbing services in Pittsboro and Chatham County, covering drain cleaning, water heaters, leak detection, water filtration, and emergency plumbing for every neighborhood from Chatham Park to Jordan Lake.
Read articleCary's suburban growth and tree canopy create unique airflow challenges, requiring properly sized HVAC systems to efficiently cool multi-story homes.
The area's humid subtropical climate with 90°F+ summer temperatures demands high-efficiency AC systems to manage energy costs and maintain comfort.
Many Cary neighborhoods built in the 1990s-2000s have aging HVAC systems nearing replacement age, making preventive maintenance critical.
Local HOA regulations in Cary's planned communities often require specific equipment placement and noise level compliance for outdoor AC units.
More ways we can help in Cary.
Answered by our licensed technicians serving Cary.
A standard tank-to-tank replacement typically takes 2 to 3 hours. If we need to upgrade the gas line, modify venting, or switch from electric to gas (or vice versa), the project may take 4 to 6 hours. We provide a time estimate before starting.
It depends on your home's utility infrastructure and your priorities. Gas heaters have faster recovery rates and lower operating costs in most Triangle-area rate structures. Electric models are simpler to install and maintain. Hybrid heat pump electrics offer the lowest operating costs overall but need space and ambient warmth to perform optimally.
For a household of 2 to 3 people, a 40-gallon tank is typically sufficient. Families of 4 to 5 should consider 50 gallons, and larger households may need 65 to 80 gallons or a tankless system. We base our recommendation on fixture count and peak usage patterns, not just family size.
Yes. North Carolina plumbing code requires a thermal expansion tank on any closed plumbing system, which includes most homes with a backflow preventer or pressure-reducing valve on the main water line. We include expansion tank installation as a standard part of every water heater replacement.
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