Tankless Water Heater Installation & Repair in the South Okanagan
Whether tankless is right for you depends on your home, how many people live there, and how you use hot water. Fontus Plumbing & Heating installs, services, and repairs tankless water heaters across Summerland, Penticton, Naramata, Peachland, and West Kelowna, and we'll give you an honest answer on whether one fits before we quote. If it does, we check the gas line and venting, size the unit for your fixtures, and install it cleanly and to code. If a conventional hot water tank is the better call for your house, we'll say so. We work Monday–Friday, 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM, with emergency call-outs evenings and weekends when available. Call or text (250) 274-0132.
Is tankless right for you?
Traditional tanks keep a reserve of hot water warm all day. Tankless heats on demand and can save energy in smaller homes or places that sit empty for stretches, like cabins and some short-term rentals, but running several showers and appliances at once can outpace a single unit. Tankless units free up floor space and, with regular maintenance, often last longer than a tank. They also cost more to install, and the gas and venting have to be right. We'll help you weigh the tradeoffs for your Summerland or South Okanagan home.
Gas line and venting checks
Tankless gas units draw a lot of gas when they fire, so the gas line often needs to be larger than the one that fed your old tank. Venting is different too, and the route has to work for your house. We check both before we quote, so the number you get reflects the real job.
Switching from a tank to tankless
Most tank-to-tankless conversions involve removing the old hot water tank, mounting the new unit on a wall, upsizing the gas line if needed, running new venting, and adding isolation valves so the unit can be descaled. Electric tankless is possible in some homes, but whole-house electric units usually need a large electrical service, so we'll be upfront if gas or a conventional tank makes more sense.
Descaling, maintenance, and repair
Scale is the main enemy of a tankless water heater. Penticton's water tests moderately hard and so does Naramata's lake water, and in West Kelowna the Rose Valley system is moderately hard while Powers Creek water is soft. In harder water, flushing and descaling the heat exchanger regularly helps keep a tankless unit running well. We also clean inlet filters, check venting and condensate lines, and track down error codes, lukewarm water, and units that won't fire, including tankless units we didn't install.
Have a boiler? Consider a combi
If your home has hydronic heat or you're replacing a boiler, a combi boiler can heat the house and supply on-demand hot water from one wall-hung unit. See our boiler page for more.
How we quote
Labour is $125/hr. Tankless installs and conversions get a flat quote after we see the job, because the gas line and venting vary so much from house to house. Repairs where the cause isn't obvious are billed at our labour rate for the time it takes to find the problem, and we'll tell you what we found before any repair goes ahead.
Tankless water heater services
- Tankless water heater installation, new and replacement
- Tank-to-tankless conversions
- Gas line sizing checks and upgrades for tankless units
- Venting and condensate line installation and checks
- Descaling and heat-exchanger flushing
- Error-code diagnosis and repair
- Service and repair on tankless units we didn't install
- Help deciding tank vs tankless
Signs your tankless water heater needs attention
- Hot water that runs hot, then cold, then hot again
- Lukewarm water, or hot water that takes much longer to arrive than it used to
- An error code on the display
- The unit won't fire, or shuts off mid-shower
- Lower hot water flow than you used to get
- It's been a year or more since it was last flushed or descaled, especially in harder water
- Unusual noises, or water around the unit or its connections
Tankless water heater questions
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Can I replace my hot water tank with a tankless water heater?
Often, yes. It depends on your gas line size, venting route, and how much hot water you use at once. We check all three before we quote. Call (250) 274-0132 to talk it through.
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Can you replace an electric hot water tank with a tankless?
Sometimes. Whole-house electric tankless units usually need a large electrical service that many homes don't have. If you have natural gas, a gas tankless may be the better fit, or a new electric tank may make more sense. We'll be upfront about it.
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Is tankless worth it for a small household, cabin, or short-term rental?
It can be. Tankless only heats water when you use it, so it often suits smaller households and places that sit empty for stretches. Bigger households that run several showers at once may need a larger unit or a different setup. We'll give you an honest recommendation.
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How often should a tankless water heater be descaled?
Many manufacturers suggest once a year, and more often in harder water. Penticton, Naramata, and the Rose Valley side of West Kelowna all have moderately hard water, so regular descaling is worth planning for there.
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Do you service tankless units you didn't install?
Yes. We service and repair tankless units we didn't install. Send us the make, model, and any error code, and we'll come ready.
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How much does a tankless water heater cost to install?
It varies a lot with the gas line, venting, and unit size. Installs get a flat quote after we see the job, and our labour rate is $125/hr. Details are on our How we quote page.
Thinking about tankless? Get a straight answer first.
Call or text (250) 274-0132. Photos of your current tank, the gas line, and where it vents help us quote faster.
Based in Summerland, BCMonday–Friday, 9:00 AM – 5:00 PMEmergency call-outs evenings and weekends when available$125/hr labour or a flat quote after we see the job