Signs you need tankless water heater installation
A tankless unit is worth considering when:
- Your tank, rented or owned, is close to worn out
- You are finishing the basement and would like the floor space a tank occupies
- Showers run cold partway through for a busy household
- You are already redoing gas or venting work in the mechanical room
It is not right for every home. Very high simultaneous demand, a small gas meter or difficult venting can tip the answer back toward a tank, and we will say so.
How we handle the job
The first visit is an assessment. We count fixtures likely to operate at once, check incoming water temperature (Lake Ontario water arrives very cold in late winter), measure the gas pipe size and length from the meter, and look at where a vent can exit the wall keeping the required distances from windows, doors and the meter.
Installation then covers the unit, isolation valves for future descaling, a condensate drain for condensing models, venting, and gas piping by a licensed gas technician. We fire the unit, test flow at the farthest fixture and walk you via the controls. If you are leaving a rental tank behind, we leave it disconnected and ready for the rental company to collect.
Most Pickering houses have gas service from Enbridge Gas, but the original gas line to the mechanical room was sized for a furnace and a 40 or 50 gallon tank.
Pickering homes and this problem
Most Pickering houses have gas service from Enbridge Gas, but the original gas line to the mechanical room was sized for a furnace and a 40 or 50 gallon tank. An on-demand heater pulls much more gas when it fires at full rate, so many installs need a larger line. Townhomes and semis in City Centre and Duffin Heights often have tight vent paths, which shapes the choice of model. Durham's lake water is moderately hard, so isolation valves for annual flushing are not optional in our view.
What affects the cost
- Unit capacity and whether it is condensing or non-condensing
- Gas line upsizing from the meter
- Vent length and wall material
- Condensate drainage and whether a pump is needed
- Permit and gas inspection requirements
What you can do first
Find your current tank's rental agreement if it has one, and note its age from the label. Jot down how many showers, baths and appliances commonly run simultaneously in the morning. That information makes the assessment faster and more accurate.
Tank or tankless: a quick comparison
A conventional tank keeps forty to sixty gallons hot around the clock and refills slowly once drained. A tankless unit fires only when a tap opens, so standby losses disappear, but the burner must be big enough for the coldest incoming water of the year. Homes with one or two bathrooms and steady routines usually suit tankless well. Large families showering back to back may still prefer a tank, or a tankless unit paired with a small buffer. Our tank versus tankless note walks through the trade-offs in more detail.
Questions callers ask
Does a tankless heater mean hot water without limit?
It heats continuously, but only up to its rated flow. Run too many fixtures at once and temperature drops. Correct sizing is what keeps it steady.
Can I keep my rental tank and add a tankless?
Usually there is no reason to run both. Most people end the rental once the new unit is working; check your agreement for removal terms.
Does a tankless heater work during a power outage?
No. Without power, the controls and the fan on a gas tankless unit stop, and so does the hot water.