Tank and Tankless Water Heater Installation in Waterloo Region

Most homes in Kitchener, Waterloo, Cambridge and Guelph have a 40 or 50 gallon gas tank, often a power-vented model that vents through the side wall with a small fan. When one fails, you can replace it with the same type or switch to a tankless unit.

A tank that leaks from the bottom is done; there's no repair for a rusted-through tank. Shut off the cold water supply valve on top of the tank and the gas valve, and call us. If the leak is from a fitting, relief valve or drain valve, it can often be fixed.

A tank costs less to buy and install and is simple to replace. A tankless water heater costs more up front but gives endless hot water, lasts longer and takes up much less space.

• Gas tank (40 to 75 gallons). Stores heated water so it's ready when you need it. Typical life of 8 to 12 years. Power-vented models are the common choice in the region.
• Tankless (on-demand). Heats water only as it flows. Typical life of 15 to 20 years with maintenance. Wall-mounted, so it frees up floor space in a finished basement. Needs an adequate gas supply and dedicated venting, so it may need a bigger gas line.

Tankless suits larger households with back-to-back showers, homes where the tank is in the way, and owners planning to stay long enough to recover the higher upfront cost. A tank suits tighter budgets and households with modest hot water use.

Much of the drinking water in Waterloo Region and Guelph comes from groundwater, and it's hard. Minerals settle in tank water heaters as sediment and build up as scale inside tankless heat exchangers.

For tanks, draining a few litres from the drain valve once a year helps. Tankless units need descaling (flushing with a descaling solution) about once a year in hard water areas, or more often if you don't have a water softener. Skipping it is the main reason tankless units fail early and lose efficiency.

If you rent your water heater from Enercare, Reliance or Kitchener Utilities, you can usually end the rental by buying out the tank or by having it removed and replaced with one you own. Over 10 or more years, owning almost always costs less than renting.

Before you do anything, ask your rental provider for the buyout price and the removal or return terms in writing. Contracts differ, and some charge buyout or removal fees, especially for newer tanks. Our guide to renting vs buying a furnace or water heater walks through the math and the steps. Under consumer protection changes Ontario passed in 2017 (in force since March 2018), most unsolicited door-to-door contracts for water heaters, furnaces and air conditioners are banned, so be wary of anyone who knocks on your door offering a "free" replacement.

Typical installed costs in the region: a standard power-vented gas tank usually runs in the low-to-mid thousands, and a tankless unit often costs about twice that once gas piping and venting are included.

These are typical market ranges, not our prices. Your quote depends on the size and type, venting changes, gas line upgrades and removal of the old unit. If you're also replacing a furnace, doing both at once can save on labour; see furnace installation. Financing is available if you'd rather spread the cost, which can make owning cost about the same per month as renting.