Frisco’s #1 Tankless Water Heater Installation

For this answer, we can only provide a high-level overview because there are just far too many “scope of job” variables from one install to the next. From the Earl’s Plumbing and North Texas perspective, a tankless water heater installation from us may range from as little as $2800 to more than $6500 (for one) and in excess of $10,000 for two tankless installs. We have even installed THREE tankless water heaters in really large homes. There are multiple considerations that play into the various pricing variables. Some of those include:

• Retrofit job that is going from TWO tanks to ONE tankless
• Replacement SWAP of existing tankless to a new tankless
• Specific model number that is best for space and/or location requirements – not all models are seamlessly interchangeable
• Relocation and/or replacement of a tankless unit that is located outside (in the brick cabinet) to the inside of the garage
• Home specifics such as number of bathrooms, age of build, and total square footage
• Location of the install…whether it will it be in the attic, garage, second floor closet, or other area
• Type of roofing on the home (shingles vs other types of roofing (slate, tile, etc.) – venting must be “properly” installed
• Customer specified options such as Flood Stop device, Peak Flow conditioning system, external recirculation, etc.

There is a cost associated with converting your two tank water heaters to tankless. However, when you try to get as close to an apples-to-apples comparison as possible, converting to tankless is actually less. Especially if your existing water heaters are in the attic! Here is how that breaks down:

First, the Navien tankless heaters have an industry best 15 year manufacturer’s warranty. The closest that we can get to that with two new traditional tank water heaters is 12 years. Then factor in that the Navien 240A has a built-in recirculation pump. When properly installed and programmed by our experienced plumbers, this allows extended wait times for hot water to be reduced from minutes to seconds. This same feature can be added to tank water heaters; however, it adds an additional $600+ in cost. Then factor in the additional cost that is required to install tank water heaters in the attic (attic labor), then you are getting really close!

Next is the $600 in Federal Income Tax Energy credits. Then there is the possibility of another $250 rebate from your utility provider (currently only Atmos). Now consider the gas utilities savings with the tankless conversion which is typically $450+ per year, every year, but for this exercise we are just using first year savings only. Then there is the unknown dollar amount of water waste savings by reducing hot water wait times. ALL totaled this is somewhere between $1150 and $1500 first year out of pocket savings. Comparing all of this to the installation of TWO 12 year tank water heaters in the attic with recirculation option, and the first year savings is somewhere between $900 to $1300 LESS. First year savings on a garage installation is not as much, but it still makes financial sense when you consider the full life expectancy savings of the tankless water heater.

When converting FROM tank heaters TO tankless, installing a tankless water heater in the attic is actually the preferred location and the least expensive install location when comparing to most other locations such as the garage.

Ultimately, attic installations are easier because everything is in plain sight. No guesses, no drywall removal, or heavy demolition to be able to access the various existing and reusable components (gas lines, drain lines, etc.). An electrical outlet is easier to locate and extend in the attic, and there is minimal guess work on how we will install the exhaust venting.

Another often unrealized benefit of tankless in the attic is that your exposure to catastrophic failure of ruptured tank heaters is significantly reduced. Especially when you add an emergency shutoff device (i.e., Flood Stop) to the new install. In the case of an unexpected failure, a tankless water heater holds less than 3 gallons of “cold” water versus tanks holding 100 gallons of “hot” water above your living areas.

The short answer is NO… at least not by plumbing code in Texas. However, in certain situations an expansion tank may be needed, but not necessarily to help control the thermal expansion process that is created in a closed loop system with traditional tank water heaters. If installed it is typically at the manufacturer’s request or discretion.

An example of this would be in Frisco or McKinney, Texas, where in some areas the water pressure at the street might exceed 120 PSI. This high water pressure is reduced by a device called the Pressure Reducing Valve (PRV). This is required by city code, and by design, when adjusted properly, it reduces the pressure to 80 PSI or LESS. This is the maximum pressure you want inside your home to avoid problems. Even 80 PSI is relatively high and sometimes a small expansion tank might be added to help protect the tankless water heater’s more sensitive parts at these elevated water pressures.

This is the case with the Navien 240A units. A very small specially designed mini expansion tank is often added as an extra protective measure for the tankless unit itself. Although it is not required by code, the manufacturer strongly encourages the addition of the device during its certification training.