A tankless water heater is a device that heats the water as you use it. Unlike the traditional tank style water heaters that we are all familiar with, the Tankless system does not store heated water. When you turn on a hot faucet in the home, the flow of water through the tankless unit initiates ignition, and the heater begins to make hot water. It stops making hot water when you turn off the faucet.

Endless Supply: We feel the greatest benefit of all is that you will enjoy an endless supply of hot water. Your supply will never run out, which is especially appealing to large families who have struggled with the limited supply of a tank heater, or those with large soaking bath tubs.

Space Savings: Small size allows you to reclaim space in your home. The tankless system is about the size of a suitcase. It is most commonly installed on the wall, which frees up floor space.

Energy Efficiency: The average home using a natural gas tank should see a 30% reduction in hot water costs. Figure on a 50% savings for those using propane, and 60% for those using a standard electric tank style water heater.

Dependability & Longevity: The average life expectancy of a tankless system is 20+ years, and every piece can be replaced. In 20 years time, a home will need 3 tank style heaters (on average).

With gas burning appliances, their output is based on their BTU (British Thermal Unit) RATING. A standard 50 gallon gas tank water heater typically has a 40,000 BTU burner, which heats about 35 gallons per hour here in our climate.

A typical tankless system has a 150,000 to 199,900 BTU burner, which will heat 4 to 5+ gallons per minute (GPM), which equates to as much as 300 gallons per hour. An average standard electric tank water heater can only heat about 18 gallons per hour.

Many homeowners will attest that 4 gallons per minute (GPM) is more than enough for the average home. Larger families will typically opt for the more powerful residential models, which will give them a little buffer in high demand situations.

For comparison, a 4 GPM system will allow you to run 2 standard (2.5 gpm) shower heads at the same time. When you mix the hot and cold water at the shower to get a comfortable temperature, you are taking about 2 gallons per minute of hot water.

Tankless water heaters are commonly referred to as "Instantaneous" or "On Demand" water heaters. However, just like with your tank style water heater, the hot water must travel through the pipes before it comes out the open faucet. From the time you turn on the faucet, it takes about 3-4 seconds before the unit ignites and begins sending hot water into the pipes, then you have your normal wait time to get the water there.

Absolutely YES. There are several ways to accomplish recirculation with tankless. Some homes have a "Third Line", where a water line has been routed from the farthest hot fixture back to the water heater.

If your home doesn’t have a third line, we have options for you too! There are tankless models that use the existing hot and cold lines to accomplish "Cross Over Recirculation". A small bypass valve is installed under a sink at the farthest location. This valve works with an onboard pump in the tankless unit to provide hot water instantly during the times of day you designate. However, recirculating models are more expensive to buy, and they reduce the overall efficiency and life expectancy of the tankless unit.

This term is used to describe what can happen with a tankless water heater when you turn the hot water on and off frequently. Because it takes 3-4 seconds for the tankless heater to ignite, if you turn the water off for 15 seconds and then turn it back on, the water heater has to go through that startup again. This introduces 3-4 seconds of cold water in between the previously heated water and the current hot water flow. In reality, it is nothing more than a slight nuisance that is greatly outweighed by the benefits of tankless.

Water quality has everything to do with maintenance. For the most part, the Puget Sound region has some of the best water in the nation. Manufacturers recommend descaling the unit annually, which is the act of cleaning the heat exchanger and internal piping with a solution (like distilled white vinegar) to dissolve hard particles.

We have found that customers with mid efficiency units on a city water supply should descale every 3 years. If you have a condensing unit with a stainless steel heat exchanger, it’s more like every 5 years. HOWEVER, if you are on a private or community well, you should plan on an annual descaling.

In most cases they can. However, a tankless water heater CANNOT use the existing metal vent that your current gas tank style water heater uses. Although we can vent a tankless water heater through the roof, the preferred method is through the sidewall using inexpensive PVC pipe for newer condensing models.

It’s all about efficiency. A non-condensing (Mid-Efficiency) unit will have an efficiency rating in the 82-83% range and requires proprietary venting. Condensing tankless units have an efficiency rating of 96-98% and use typical schedule 40 PVC pipe for venting, which is cheaper to install and can be run at much longer lengths. Condensing units produce condensation, which must be drained to a suitable location.

The price will vary by brand, model, Efficiency Rating, and ease of installation. It is our experience that the average price will fall somewhere between $5500 and $6500 plus tax for an average condensing system, and about $4200/4800 for mid efficiency units (*as of Feb 2025).

By comparison, a 50 gallon gas tank professionally installed to current code standards will cost $2200-2600. However, when you compare the cost of 3 tanks installed over 20 years versus the onetime larger cost of a tankless investment, it’s easy to see the tankless can be a much better value—ESPECIALLY when you consider the energy savings.

We sell ALL the brands on the market today. We like to find the right brand and model for your home rather than "force" a particular brand in. With that said, if all things are equal, the NAVIEN, RINNAI, and NORITZ lines are our FAVORITES.

Yes, 120 volts of power is required to run the electronic ignitor, exhaust fan, freeze protection, etc. Although losing power is rare, we do recommend that every tankless owner purchase and install a simple Battery Backup device (like those used for computers). This protects against surges and will run a tankless water heater for 20-40 minutes in the event of a power outage.