Tankless Water Heater in Byers, CO

Byers is a farming and ranching town about 40 miles east of Denver on I-70, platted in 1889 and known for its Fourth of July parade and rodeo. Census survey figures put its median build year at 1983, with about 45% of homes built before 1980, which is older than most of the eastern corridor. Older houses tend to vent the water heater through a chimney and may have smaller gas piping, so both get a close look before a tankless unit goes in. Here's a sensible order for sorting out a new install or a unit that keeps acting up.

What to do now

1. Find out who supplies your water. We couldn't verify Byers' water provider from an official source. Your water bill names it; if you don't get one, your home may be on a well. Either way, a hardness test helps decide on filtration and flushing.
2. Check your fuel. The gas utility for Byers wasn't verified. Your gas bill shows it; if you use propane, the unit must be propane-rated and the regulator sized for full-fire demand.
3. Look at the vent. A gas tankless unit needs its own sealed vent, not a chimney shared with the furnace.
4. Line up the permit. Byers is unincorporated, so the Arapahoe County Building Division (6924 S. Lima Street, Centennial; 720-874-6600) is the permit authority. The plumber usually applies.
5. Plan for outages and cold. Gas tankless units need power, and their freeze protection stops without it.

Symptoms and likely causes

Cost factors

Expect the price to follow the new vent route in an older house, gas line or regulator upsizing, condensate drainage, any water treatment a test calls for, and freeze protection for exposed locations. If you smell gas, leave the house first, then call 911 and your gas utility, or your propane supplier, from outside.