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A Henrico family of five had been running out of hot water by the second morning shower for years. Two parents, three kids, one upstairs bathroom and one downstairs bathroom. The first person in the shower got full hot water, the second person got lukewarm, and the third person got cold. The existing 50-gallon natural gas tank heater had been in the home for 13 years and had started showing rust around the bottom of the tank along with a small drip onto the pan, which meant a replacement was happening one way or another. They asked us about going tankless to solve the recovery problem and the leak at the same time.
We measured the gas meter and the existing supply line, ran a load calculation on simultaneous hot water demand, and recommended a high-efficiency condensing tankless unit sized for two simultaneous showers plus a dishwasher running in the background. The unit we specified has a 199,000 BTU input, which is roughly four times the BTU input of the old tank heater, and is the typical sizing for a family of five in this climate.
We drained and pulled the old tank, capped and abandoned the existing expansion tank (no longer needed), and upsized the gas line from the meter to the new heater location from a half-inch run to a three-quarter-inch run to support the higher BTU input. We mounted the new tankless heater on the wall above where the old tank had sat, which freed up about 8 square feet of floor space in the utility room. The condensing tankless unit produces an acidic condensate, so we ran a dedicated condensate line to the floor drain with a neutralizer cartridge inline. The venting was replaced with the manufacturer's required PVC concentric vent kit through the same exterior wall where the old B-vent went. We sweated in new isolation valves on the cold inlet and hot outlet so future service is straightforward, and we installed a recirculation port for the family to consider adding a recirculation pump down the road if they want hot water at the upstairs fixtures faster. The job finished in a day.
Navien NPE-240A2 condensing tankless water heater, 199,000 BTU input, ENERGY STAR certified. Comes with a 15-year heat exchanger warranty and a 5-year parts warranty. Manufacturer rebate was around $200 at the time of install.
The condensing tankless qualifies as a high-efficiency natural gas water heater under the federal 25C residential energy credit, which can offset up to 30 percent of the install cost (capped at $600 for water heaters under the current rules). We provided itemized documentation for the homeowner to file with their taxes.
Hot water on demand at every fixture, every time. The morning shower bottleneck is gone, the dishwasher and washer run without taking hot water from the showers, and the utility room has more usable space than it did before. Expected lifespan on a properly maintained condensing tankless is around 20 years, which is roughly double a standard tank heater.
Tankless conversions work best in family homes with three or more bathrooms and four or more people, because the savings from on-demand hot water and the longer equipment life are most pronounced at higher hot water demand. For a single occupant or a couple in a small home, a standard tank heater is often the better economic choice. The other thing to know is that the gas line size almost always needs to be upgraded for a tankless conversion, and that upgrade should be included in any reputable installer's quote.
Fresh Air carries Virginia license 2705143403 (plumbing and gas) and 2710051155 (HVAC), and we have been doing residential water heater installs and conversions in the Richmond area since 2011. NATE-certified technicians, permits pulled, inspections coordinated, manufacturer warranties registered on your behalf.
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