Tankless water heater installation for Salem homes

A tankless heater does not store anything. When a hot tap opens, a flow sensor tells the burner to fire, and water is heated as it passes through a coiled heat exchanger. As long as the unit is sized for the demand, the hot water keeps coming through back-to-back showers.

The tradeoff is the install. A gas tankless unit needs far more gas at full fire than a tank does, a dedicated vent, and often a condensate drain. Many conversions need a bigger gas line from the meter. We look at all of that on the first visit so the price you see covers the whole job.

Sizing a tankless unit by flow rate and temperature rise

Tankless units are rated by how many gallons per minute they can heat at a given temperature rise. In winter, Salem's incoming water runs colder than in summer, so the unit has to lift it further to reach shower temperature. We add up the fixtures likely to run at once, such as two showers and a dishwasher, then pick a unit that can carry that flow on a cold January morning, not just in August.

Upgrading the gas line and electrical supply

A gas tankless heater can draw several times the gas of a standard tank at full burn. The old half-inch line that fed a tank often cannot deliver that without the pressure sagging and the burner stumbling. We measure the length of the run and the other gas appliances on it, then upsize the line as needed. The unit also needs a standard outlet for its controls and fan, and whole-house electric tankless models need heavy dedicated circuits.

Venting and condensate for condensing models

Non-condensing units send hot exhaust out through stainless steel vent pipe. Condensing units pull extra heat from the exhaust, which cools it enough to use PVC venting but also produces acidic condensate. That water has to go somewhere, usually through a small neutralizer and into a drain line.

We route the vent through a wall or roof with the clearances the manufacturer specifies from windows, doors and the gas meter, so exhaust cannot drift back into the house. Every joint is sealed, and the termination gets a screen so birds and wasps cannot nest in it.

Service valves and a sediment screen from day one

Every tankless unit needs periodic flushing to clear mineral and grit from the heat exchanger. We install isolation valves with hose ports on the hot and cold lines so a pump and bucket can circulate cleaning solution without cutting into the pipes. An inlet filter screen catches sediment before it reaches the exchanger.

• Cold and hot isolation valves with flush ports
• Inlet screen that pulls out for cleaning
• Pressure relief valve piped to a safe spot
• Clear space around the unit for future service