- On the truck
- Isolation valve kit, PVC venting, gas pipe
- Often changed
- Gas line size from the meter
- Tested by
- Flow rate and temperature at the furthest tap
When you need tankless water heater installation
People tend to consider tankless when the old tank is failing, when showers keep going cold mid-morning, or when a basement renovation needs the floor space a tank takes up. A tankless heater can supply hot water continuously as long as the demand stays within its flow rating. Some houses suit a tank better, and we will say so.
How the job is done
The first step is a site look. We check the size of your gas meter and the existing gas line, because on-demand firing needs a much bigger gas supply than a tank. Then we plan the venting route. Most units are high-efficiency condensing models vented with plastic pipe through a side wall, which needs set distances from openable windows, entry doors, the meter and the lot line.
- Confirm gas supply capacity and upsize piping where needed
- Mount the unit and run vent and combustion air piping
- Install a condensate drain line to a suitable drain
- Fit isolation valves with service ports for descaling
- Purge, fire and test at several flow rates
Gas work is done by licensed gas technicians, and the appropriate permit and inspection steps are followed.
Describe the drain, pipe or fixture and get a straight answer on the phone.
Burlington homes and this work
Lake Ontario water treated by Halton Region is moderately hard. That matters because heat exchangers in tankless units collect mineral scale, and scale cuts efficiency and eventually triggers error codes. We install service valves on every unit so tankless water heater descaling can be done without cutting pipe. In homes with a softener already in place, scale builds much more slowly.
What affects the scope
The biggest variables are the gas line and the vent path. A unit going in close to the meter on an outside wall is straightforward. One that needs a new gas run across a finished basement, a longer vent route, or a new electrical outlet takes more time. The number of bathrooms and whether you run a large soaker tub also shape which unit size makes sense.
Before we arrive
Think about your family's peak use: how many showers overlap on a weekday morning, and whether a dishwasher or laundry runs alongside. Clear the area around the current water heater and the gas meter. If you have a backwater valve or sump pit nearby, keep it accessible as well; the condensate line sometimes routes to the same floor drain or pit, and we plan around backwater valve access.
Questions we get on this
Is tankless hot water truly unlimited?
Yes, up to its rated litres per minute; beyond that the temperature sags. Run too many fixtures at once and the temperature can drop, which is why sizing to your household matters.
Can it use my existing gas line?
Sometimes, but often not. Tankless units need a large gas input at full fire, so the line and sometimes the meter must be checked before installation.
When should a tankless unit be flushed for scale?
That comes down to how hard your water is and how much hot water you draw. In Burlington without a softener, a yearly check is a sensible starting point.
One call to (365) 414-5748 puts you through to a Burlington plumber.