Tankless Water Heater in Erie, CO

Local conditions in Erie

Erie started as a coal-mining town in 1867 and has grown into a large suburban community straddling the Boulder-Weld county line. Most of its housing is newer, which helps: garages and mechanical rooms close to exterior walls make a sealed vent run short, and many houses already have a gas line to the heater location. Older homes in and around Old Town may have tighter spaces and smaller gas piping.

The Town runs its own water system, drawing mainly on Colorado-Big Thompson water piped from Carter Lake, along with Erie Lake, Thomas Reservoir, Gross Reservoir and other surface sources. It's treated at the Lynn R. Morgan Water Treatment Facility and disinfected with chlorine. Erie's report doesn't state hardness, so a home test helps set the descaling interval, though surface water like this is often gentler on heat exchangers than groundwater.

Black Hills Energy is the gas utility. A tankless burner can pull several times the gas of a tank at full fire, so the line from the meter has to carry it alongside the furnace and other appliances.

Comparing choices

Signs to act

• Lukewarm showers when two bathrooms are in use
• Error codes on an existing tankless display
• Rumbling, rust or moisture around an old tank
• Hot water taking a long time to reach upstairs fixtures

Seasonal notes

Winter source water is colder, so any tankless unit delivers less hot flow in January; size for that. Planning a swap during mild weather avoids a rushed choice when an old tank fails. Erie's Building Division at 645 Holbrook Street (303-926-2780) issues the required permit, and the plumber usually applies. If you smell gas, leave the house, then call 911 and Black Hills Energy at the number on your gas bill.