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Call sheet: on-demand heat

Tankless Water Heater Installation in Whitby

An on-demand heater lights only while water flows, so the supply is endless. It does need the right gas line, venting and water treatment to do that well.

Talk to a plumber

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  • Licensed & insured trade work
  • Scope agreed before we start
  • Urgent calls triaged first

Signs you need this

  • Rusty or rotten-egg smelling hot water
  • Rumbling or popping from the tank
  • Water around the base pan
  • Showers going lukewarm halfway through

Kit on the van, and the method

  1. Combustion analyser and manometer for gas units
  2. Multimeter for elements and thermostats
  3. Drain hose and flush pump
  4. T&P valve, dielectric unions, venting parts

Before we leave: Fire the unit, check gas pressure or element draw, and time a full-temperature tap.

Is your house a good fit

Tankless units are sized by flow, not by storage. A unit that can heat enough water for two showers at once in July may struggle in February, when the water coming in from Lake Ontario through the Region's system is much colder. We size for winter inlet temperatures and for the fixtures you realistically run together.

Gas supply is the next check. A large tankless burner can need far more gas than an old 40 gallon tank. We measure the length and size of the existing gas line back to the meter. Sometimes a new, larger line is needed; occasionally the meter itself is a limit, which involves Enbridge.

Venting

Condensing tankless units exhaust through plastic venting to a wall or roof terminal, and they produce acidic condensate that must be drained, normally through a neutraliser to the floor drain. Non-condensing units need stainless venting. The outdoor terminal has to keep its distance from windows, doors, the gas meter and soffit vents, which on tight Whitby lots sometimes decides where the unit can go.

Field note. Durham's water is moderately hard. Scale builds inside a tankless heat exchanger, so we recommend isolation valves for an annual vinegar flush, and a softener in harder well-water homes.

The installation

  • Mount the unit on a wall with service clearances.
  • Run or upsize the gas line and add a shut-off and drip leg.
  • Install venting and intake, and the condensate drain.
  • Fit service valves on hot and cold for descaling.
  • Provide an electrical outlet for the controls and igniter.
  • Commission: check gas pressure under full fire, set temperature, test at several taps.

Honest trade-offs

You trade the tank's slow standby losses for a higher purchase and installation cost, a short delay before hot water arrives, and yearly maintenance. For a large household with a big soaker tub, the endless supply is the selling point. For a couple in a small home, a good tank can be the better value. Our tank versus tankless note sets out the comparison, and water softener installation covers treatment.

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