Water heater installation and replacement in Las Vegas

Most water heater installs are replacements, and most replacements happen in a hurry because the old one failed. Knowing the basics before that day means you make the decision rather than take whatever is on the truck.

The three decisions are type, size and fuel, and they interact with what your home is already set up for.

Sizing, briefly

For a storage tank, the rough residential guide is 30 to 40 gallons for one or two people, 40 to 50 for three or four, and 50 to 75 for five or more, adjusted for how many bathrooms run at once and whether you have a large soaking tub.

For tankless, the number that matters is not gallons but flow rate at the temperature rise you need, which in a heated-climate winter is a real calculation rather than a guess.

Tank or tankless

A tank is cheaper up front, simpler, and fine for most homes. A tankless unit costs more to install, takes up no floor space, does not run out during back to back showers, and typically lasts considerably longer, but it needs annual descaling on hard water and may need gas line or venting changes.

On Las Vegas water, the maintenance commitment is the deciding factor for a lot of people. A tankless unit that never gets flushed here will disappoint you.

• Tankless manufacturers including Rinnai and Navien tell owners to descale at least once a year, and more often on hard water, because scale on the heat exchanger causes premature failure. (Rinnai, maintenance guidance)

What a correct install includes

• A permit and inspection, which is required for a water heater in Clark County and the valley cities
• A correctly sized and terminated temperature and pressure relief line
• Seismic or securing straps as required
• A drain pan and drain line where the location needs one
• An expansion tank where the system is closed
• Correct venting and combustion air for a gas unit
• Proper dielectric separation at connections to prevent galvanic corrosion
• Haul-away and correct disposal of the old unit

Pay attention to the permit

An unpermitted water heater is a real problem at resale and can be an insurance problem after a failure. Clark County issues water heater permits online, so there is no good reason to skip it.

• Plumbing permits for unincorporated Clark County, which covers Paradise, Spring Valley, Sunrise Manor, Enterprise, Winchester, Whitney and Summerlin South, are issued by the Clark County Department of Building and Fire Prevention. (Clark County Department of Building and Fire Prevention)
• Homes inside the City of Las Vegas, the City of North Las Vegas or the City of Henderson permit through their own building departments, not through the county. Which office you deal with depends on the street, not the mailing address. (City of Las Vegas, Department of Building and Safety)

All makes and models

Plumbers in our network work on all makes and models for this service. We do not claim an authorised dealer relationship with any manufacturer, and we will tell you if a part for a discontinued unit cannot be sourced.