A homeowner looking to replace a dead water heater has options. One of them is going tankless. A tankless water heater is a unit that heats water on-demand. There is no storage tank involved. There is no electricity or gas being consumed when hot water is not being utilized.
Tankless water heaters have their advantages. They also come with challenges, many of which or directly related to installation. No homeowner planning to convert from a traditional water heater to a tankless model should assume installations going to be easy.
It is actually best to call in a contractor like Utah’s Comfort Solutions, a firm that provides HVAC and plumbing services throughout the Wasatch Front. According to Comfort Solutions, the challenges of installing a tankless unit are real and potentially troublesome for the DIY homeowner.
1. Retrofitting Can Be Complex
Right off the top, retrofitting a tankless water heater in an existing home can be a complex endeavor. A tankless water heater often requires more advanced plumbing and electrical work. Depending on the layout of the home, there may even be carpentry involved.
A DIY homeowner is forced to handle everything – water, gas, electric, and venting – while also making sure that everything is up to snuff with local building codes. Advanced DIY skills are absolutely a must for anyone who doesn’t want to hire a plumber.
2. Potential Gas Line Upgrades
Tankless water heaters can be powered by gas or electricity. It seems obvious that a homeowner would choose the option most compatible with his current system. So if a homeowner is currently running a gas-fired traditional water heater, a gas-fired tankless heater would be the logical choice.
Unfortunately, tankless water heaters tend to require larger supply lines for the gas. This often means running new lines from the meter to the unit. It is not a job for amateurs.
3. Potential Electrical Upgrades
An electric tankless water heater might ultimately prove easier to install than a gas unit, but the homeowner is still potentially looking at electrical system upgrades. Electrically powered tankless units consume a lot of power. That could mean upgrading circuits or even installing a new fuse box.
4. Venting Is Critical
Venting is critical to proper performance. All tankless water heaters need venting of some sort. Gas models need extra venting to handle CO emissions. Furthermore, it often makes more sense to outfit a tankless model with completely new venting rather than trying to tap into the existing system. But that means cutting holes in walls and running new pipes.
5. The Question of Codes and Permits
If all the previous points are not enough to discourage DIY tankless water heater installation, this final point might be the icing on the cake. There are always code and permit issues that come with water heater installation.
First and foremost, many municipalities mandate that all water heaters be installed by licensed plumbers. In such jurisdictions, there is no question about DIY installation. It is simply not possible. Above and beyond that particular issue is the responsibility to ensure that all work meets local code requirements.
Do not forget inspections, either. A tankless water heater will have to be inspected and approved by a local code officer.
Going tankless is an option if you are replacing your water heater. But tankless water heaters do come with challenges, especially in terms of installation. The best advice anyone could give is that you know exactly what you’re getting into before transitioning from a traditional water heater to a tankless model. You might decide it’s worth your while. You might decide it is not.
