Tankless Water Heaters

How on-demand heating works

When a hot tap opens, a flow sensor fires a powerful burner that heats water as it passes through a heat exchanger. Shut the tap and the burner shuts off. There is no stored tank to keep warm, so standby loss is minimal, and you get hot water for as long as the flow stays within the unit's capacity.

Capacity is the catch. Each unit can raise only so many litres per minute by a given temperature. In January, when incoming water in York Region is very cold, that output drops. Two showers and a dishwasher at once may be more than a single unit can keep up with.

Gas line and venting needs

Tankless units burn a great deal more gas at full fire than a typical storage tank. Many older homes have gas piping sized for a furnace and a modest tank, so the line may need to be upsized from the meter. Most condensing tankless units exhaust through PVC pipe run to an exterior wall, and they produce acidic condensate that needs a drain, sometimes with a neutralizer. A site visit tells us how much of that work your house needs.

Hard water and descaling

York Region water is moderately hard to hard, and private wells around Aurora are often harder still. Scale builds inside the heat exchanger and cuts efficiency. Most manufacturers call for periodic descaling, which means circulating a mild acid solution through service valves. We install isolation valves on every unit for that reason, and we often discuss a softener for well-water homes.

Is tankless right for you

It suits households that want endless showers, need floor space or plan to stay a long time. It is a harder fit where the gas line is undersized, venting is awkward or nobody wants to keep up with descaling. We give you an honest read either way.