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Our Boiler & Hot Water Tank Process
Call 403-470-5785 to talk to our friendly Customer Care Rep. Our Certified Technicians will diagnose your boiler or hot water tank issue quickly and efficiently, after you welcome them into your home.
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Tankless Water Heater Services in Calgary
Tankless Water Heater Maintenance & Installation Service
Tankless water heaters are an increasingly popular way for Calgary households to get their hot water supply.
Unlike the traditional boiler system, which heats water and stores it in a tank, the latest heating technology allows tankless water heaters to supply on-demand water to homes.
This means that hot water for showers, laundry, and everyday usage is in constant supply, providing you choose a system that has the capacity to meet your needs.
There are some other distinct advantages to tankless water systems.
If you are thinking of getting a new system installed in your Calgary home, the experienced professionals at Alpha Plumbing know all there is to know about these convenient home water heating systems.
Tankless Water Heater Advantages
Storage tank water heaters are still used by the majority of Calgary homes but the trend for tankless water heaters is growing.
Although the technology has been around since the 1990s, household models of tankless systems have only recently become more popular.
They have several important advantages over traditional systems, such as:
- Limitless hot water
Unlike with a water tank system, you won’t run out of hot water with a new tankless heater. Hot water is provided instantly and on-demand, as soon as a faucet is opened, so they can be used in large households as well as smaller ones.
- Space-saving
Tankless water heaters are much more compact than conventional boiler systems and can be mounted on empty wall space. There is no need to plan for fitting a tank.
- Energy efficiency
The technology associated with instantaneous water heaters is energy-efficient, resulting in little thermal energy loss to the environment. Also, there is no energy usage when hot water is not required (although some have pilot lights that need to be kept on) and monthly gas bills are
more manageable.
- Durability
These water heaters stand the test of time, with generous warranties and a life expectancy of at least 20 years (most traditional water heater systems last 10 to 15 years).
- Easy installation
The absence of a tank makes installation a simpler process than a traditional heating system. This keeps installation costs down.
- Low maintenance
There is minimal upkeep required with tankless water heaters. The absence of a tank means that there is no risk of bacteria build-up.
Tankless Water Heater Frequently asked questions
Considerations Before Selecting a Tankless Water Heater
In its most basic form, an on-demand water heater works using either an electrical element or a gas burner, which turns on or off, depending on whether the movement of water is detected by a sensor.
When a faucet in the plumbing system is opened, this triggers the movement of water in the hot water lines, which is instantly detected by the sensors.
Water is then heated through a heat exchanger to arrive at the faucet at the required temperature.
There are two main types of tankless water heating systems – electrical and gas-powered.
Gas-fired instantaneous water heaters have been used extensively in Europe and are generally ideal for the cold climate in Calgary and the rest of Alberta.
Electrical units are more popular in warmer parts of North America than in Canada. Here, they usually work out considerably more expensive to purchase, install, and to run.
Electrical units will also need to be very powerful if you have a moderate to large household and this will further increase costs, especially if you have to revise your electrical power infrastructure.
For these reasons, most Calgary households considering an instantaneous water heater opt for a gas-fired system.
Some systems can work without any electricity connection at all, using air from inside the home for combustion. However, these are generally low-end models that not recommended due to possible safety issues (carbon monoxide emissions).
The better models still require electricity as they use electric ignition systems and sealed combustion systems, where one pipe supplies the burner with fresh air from outdoors, with another pipe to discharge waste gas.
Note that in some remote parts of Alberta, where a continuous gas supply cannot be guaranteed, propane-fired models may be the best choice.
Supplying a household with a steady supply of hot water on demand is a necessity in our cold climate in Calgary.
That’s one of the drawbacks of a tank system. We’ve all felt the water go cold during a shower on a winter morning. It’s not a great feeling!
An instantaneous heating system makes this far less likely to happen but you still need to be careful with choosing your system and weigh up all the factors.
An on-demand water heater cannot technically run out of hot water because it works as long as there is a water supply.
However, if demand is high, it can become overrun. If multiple hot water taps are on at the same time as a shower or a washing machine, a tankless water heater of limited capacity will struggle to maintain the supply of hot water.
You may need a second water heater installed or a higher capacity one if your needs increase.
Before you select your model, it is important to consider a number of factors, including:
- The size of your house
- Estimated water usage
- The temperature rise required
- The rate of water flow in your home
- The size of household
Following is a sizing guide that can be used to assess the size of the tankless water heater needed in Calgary households, based on the number of people, standard usage, and capacity required:
Household Occupants Usage Capacity Required Electric Capacity Required Gas
1 - 2 People Regular/ Low High 30 Gallons 40 - 50 Gallons 30 Gallons 40 - 50 Gallons
2 - 3 People Regular/ Low High 40 Gallons 50 Gallons 40 Gallons 40 - 50 Gallons
3 - 4 People Regular/ Low High 50 Gallons 80 Gallons 40 Gallons 50 - 75 Gallons
5 + People Regular/ Low High 80 Gallons 80+ Gallons 50 Gallons 75 Gallons
Speak to one of the professionals at Alpha Plumbing for advice on selecting a system that is powerful enough to satisfy hot water demand in your household so that you never run out.
Calgary Tankless Water Heaters
Additional Tankless Water Heater FAQ's
Unlike traditional hot water tanks that heat water and store it in a tank until you need it, a tankless water heater is an on-demand system that heats water as you need it.
It is activated when you use appliances or fixtures in your home, and heats water rapidly as it passes through coils until it is no longer needed.
Although a tankless water heater will produce hot water as it’s being used, running too many fixtures at once can result in lukewarm water coming out of your faucets.
The limitation of tankless water heaters is that (in Calgary), they deliver about 4.5 gallons per minute of hot water, which translates to two plumbing fixtures being used simultaneously. As long as we respect these parameters, tankless water heaters work perfectly!
The reason for this is that our incoming water temperatures are so cold here. In other parts of the world, water in the city pipes can be anywhere from 50-75 degrees F. In Calgary, we are lucky if we see 40 degrees, which means our tankless water heaters have 85 degrees of heating to do, quickly.
Alpha Plumbing is proud to include 10 year parts & labour warranties with our IBC SFT series tankless water heater installations.
This means that your family can rest assured that you are taken care of for at least a decade!
Tankless water heaters are often powered by natural gas, so you’ll need to ensure you have natural gas running to your home, and these systems should be installed by a certified professional.
At Alpha Plumbing, all work is performed by certified and trained professionals, who will offer a complimentary 10-point carbon monoxide inspection of the gas appliances and CO monitoring systems in your home.
Costs vary in both scope of work and price. Typically, for residential work, costs can range between $5,800 and $7,800.
When necessary, we include the City of Calgary permits in our quotes for the cost of the permit and arranging the inspection.
This will be determined by a technician, and all we ask is that you are available to welcome the inspector onto your property!
Where in Calgary are our tankless water heating services available?
Alpha Plumbing’s tankless water heating installation, repair, and maintenance services cover all the most common brands installed in Calgary homes.
We’ll visit any residence in the southeast, southwest, and northwest of Calgary.
Financing will be available if required and all work is covered by our one-year guarantee for parts and labour.
Schedule an appointment.
Call us today at (403)-470-5785 to find out more about the types of boilers we install or to make an appointment for a boiler installation evaluation with a certified plumber.
You can also fill out our online appointment form provided.