Tankless Water Heater in Aurora, CO

Signs it's time to look at tankless

• Your storage tank is aging and leaves a rust ring or damp spot on the floor
• Hot water runs out halfway through the second shower
• You want the floor space a 50-gallon tank takes up in a closet or garage
• An existing tankless unit throws error codes or cuts out under heavy demand
• Hot water flow at the tap has slowly dropped, a common sign of scale in the heat exchanger

What Aurora's water and housing mean for the job

Aurora Water draws mountain snowmelt from three river basins and adds South Platte water recaptured through its Prairie Waters riverbank filtration system. Its current water quality report lists average hardness of about 136 ppm, with readings from roughly 87 to 198 ppm. That is noticeably harder than some nearby suppliers, and minerals settle fastest where water is heated, which in a tankless unit means the heat exchanger. Many Aurora installers fit isolation valves so the unit can be flushed easily, and some owners add scale treatment ahead of it.

The housing spread is wide. Aurora runs from the original Fletcher townsite and older northwest neighborhoods to master-planned communities along E-470. An older house may have the heater tied into a masonry chimney with the furnace; a newer one usually has a garage wall nearby where a sealed vent exits easily. Either way, a gas tankless unit needs its own vent and enough gas pipe to feed it at full fire. Xcel Energy is the gas utility.

What drives the price

• Gas supply. A whole-house unit can need a bigger line from the meter than the old tank used.
• Venting. A short sidewall run costs less than a long route through finished space.
• Condensate. Condensing models need a drain, often with a neutralizer.
• Water treatment. Aurora's hardness can justify a scale filter or softener.
• Permit. The City of Aurora building permit application even asks for the water heater's BTU rating.

When you call

You'll be connected with an independent plumber who works in Aurora. Know your current heater's age and fuel, the number of bathrooms and whether anyone runs two showers at once. The plumber normally files with the Public Works Building Division permit counter (303-739-7420). If you ever smell gas, leave the house, then call 911 and Xcel Energy at 1-800-895-2999 from outside.