Tankless Water Heater in Louisville, CO

What happens when you call

You'll be connected with an independent plumber who works in Louisville. The plumber will ask about the current heater's age and fuel, how many bathrooms you have and where the heater sits. In an older house near the historic downtown, the focus is usually the vent route and the size of the gas piping; in a rebuilt home, the questions are more about matching the unit to the household and whether a recirculation loop makes sense. Once you choose, the plumber applies through the City's CSS online portal and the Building Safety Division performs the plumbing inspection.

What affects the cost

• Gas line. A tankless burner pulls far more gas at full fire than a tank, so the run from the Xcel meter may need upsizing.
• Venting. A new sealed vent through a wall or roof; older chimneys aren't reused.
• Condensate. Condensing units need a drain.
• Unit size and recirculation. Larger households and distant bathrooms add cost.
• Permit and inspection. Through Building Safety.

Louisville conditions

Louisville is a former coal-mining town turned suburban community in southeastern Boulder County. The City runs its own water utility with two treatment plants, drawing surface water from South Boulder Creek, stored in Marshall Lake, Harper Lake or Louisville Reservoir, plus Colorado River basin water. It disinfects with chlorine, not chloramine, and its latest report lists no health-based violations. Hardness isn't stated, so a simple test helps set a descaling schedule for the heat exchanger. Few homes are on wells, since the city is served by its municipal system.

Xcel Energy supplies natural gas to the Louisville and Superior area. If you smell gas, leave the house, then call 911 and Xcel Energy at 1-800-895-2999. The Building Safety Division is on the first floor of City Hall, 749 Main St., (303) 335-4584.

Before the plumber arrives

• Note your heater's model and age from its label
• Clear space around the heater, furnace and gas meter
• List the bathrooms and appliances that run on busy mornings
• If your home was rebuilt, have any mechanical plans handy
• Know where your main water shutoff is, in case the plumber needs it during the swap