Tankless Water Heater in Lafayette, CO

Lafayette grew out of a coal-mining and farming past into a suburban Boulder County city, with an Old Town core along Public Road and newer neighborhoods spreading out along US-287. Older homes near downtown and newer subdivisions on the edges present very different tankless jobs, mostly because of venting and gas piping.

What to do now

1. Check the vent situation. If the heater shares a chimney with the furnace, a gas tankless unit will need its own sealed vent through a wall or the roof.
2. Have the gas line measured. A tankless burner needs far more gas at full fire than a tank. Your gas bill shows the utility; the plumber sizes the pipe from the meter.
3. Know your water. The City treats surface water from Baseline, Waneka and Goose Haven reservoirs and disinfects it with chlorine. Hardness isn't listed in its report, so a test helps set a descaling schedule.
4. Understand the meter pit line. The City owns the service line from the main to the meter pit; everything from the meter pit to the house is the homeowner's.
5. Line up the permit. The City of Lafayette Building Division issues building permits; the plumber usually applies.

Symptoms and likely causes

Cost factors

Expect the price to reflect gas line upsizing, the vent route, a condensate drain for condensing units, unit size and any move of the heater's location. In Old Town homes, venting through older construction often takes more labor. The Building Division's inspection request line is 303-604-3822, and permits can be dropped off at City Hall, 1290 S. Public Road. For water main breaks or sewer backups after hours, Lafayette directs residents to Boulder County Dispatch at 303-441-4444. If you smell gas, leave the house, then call 911 and your gas utility from outside.