Water Heaters in Vancouver WA

Most people meet their water heater once, on the morning it fails. Tri-Tech installs and services gas, electric, tankless and heat pump water heaters across Clark and Cowlitz Counties — and because we already do the gas piping and the venting, it is one contractor rather than three.

Call (360) 891-2002 or request a callback below.

What we install

• Standard tank, gas or electric — the straightforward replacement
• Tankless, for endless hot water and a smaller footprint, though it usually needs gas and venting changes
• Heat pump water heaters, the most efficient option and a natural fit if you already have a heat pump

When to replace rather than repair

• The tank is past ten to twelve years old
• Rusty or discoloured hot water
• Water pooling around the base — a leaking tank cannot be repaired
• Rumbling or popping, which is sediment
• Hot water runs out sooner than it used to

Sizing it properly

An undersized unit runs out; an oversized one wastes money standing by. We size to the household rather than replacing like for like, because households change and the last unit may never have been right.

Are your ducts the problem?

Contact Tri-Tech Heating, Inc. to schedule repair or annual service.

Tank, tankless, or heat pump water heater

Three options, and the right one depends on the house rather than on which is newest.

• Standard tank. Lowest cost to install, familiar, and it runs out. Fine for households whose demand fits the tank.
• Tankless. Endless hot water and a much smaller footprint. Gas models need adequate gas supply and their own venting, which is where the real cost difference usually sits.
• Heat pump water heater. Considerably more efficient to run, needs space and air around it, and works best in a garage or utility room rather than a tight closet.

We will tell you which of these actually suits your house, including when the boring answer is the right one.

Common water heater problems

• No hot water at all. Pilot, igniter, thermocouple or gas valve on a gas unit; element or thermostat on electric.
• Runs out faster than it used to. Very often sediment. A tank half full of sediment is half a tank.
• Hot then cold mid-shower. Undersized for the household, a failed dip tube, or on a tankless unit a flow or scaling issue.
• Water around the base. Sometimes a fitting or the T&P valve. Sometimes the tank itself, and a leaking tank is a replacement.
• Rumbling or popping. Sediment again, boiling under the layer at the bottom.
• Rusty or smelly hot water. Often the anode rod, which is a wear part and cheaper to replace than the tank it protects.

If water is actively flooding

Shut off the water supply to the unit and kill its power at the breaker, then call us. Do not wait to see whether it stops.

How a water heater job runs

1. What you have and what you need. Household size, peak demand, fuel available, and where the unit lives.
2. Repair or replace, honestly. A thermocouple is a repair. A leaking tank is not, and we will say so rather than selling you a repair that buys a week.
3. Permit where the work requires it.
4. Install and connect. Including the gas, venting and water connections corrected rather than reused if they are wrong.
5. Test and hand over. Temperature set safely, connections checked, and the old unit taken away.

The orphaned water heater problem

Worth knowing if you have replaced a furnace recently. When a high-efficiency furnace goes in, it stops sharing the old chimney — which leaves the water heater venting alone into a flue now far too large for it. That is a venting fault, not a water heater fault, and it is one of the most common things we find and the least often noticed. See venting.

Related work

Gas and tankless units depend on gas piping sized for them and correct venting. If you are replacing heating equipment at the same time, see furnace installation or heat pump installation.

Where we work

Vancouver, Salmon Creek and Camas, and across Clark and Cowlitz Counties — including Woodland, Kalama, Longview, Battle Ground, Hockinson and Ridgefield. If you are just outside that, call and ask; the office will tell you straight.

Licensed, insured and guaranteed

• HVAC license #TRITEHI952LL
• CCB license #161426
• N.A.T.E. certified technicians
• Licensed and insured
• We guarantee our work 100%
• Financing available through Synchrony, subject to application

Water heater questions we get

How long should a water heater last?

It varies with water quality, maintenance and how hard it has worked, so a single number would be a guess. Age plus a leak is a replacement; age alone is not.

Is tankless worth it?

Sometimes clearly, sometimes not. Endless hot water and the space saving are real; so is the cost of the gas supply and venting a tankless unit needs. It depends on your house, which is what the site visit establishes.

Is the estimate free?

Estimates on new equipment and installations are free. A repair on an existing unit is a service call.

Can you flush my tank?

Yes, and on a tank with years of sediment it is worth doing before concluding the unit is finished.

Can you come out after hours?

Emergency service is answered 24/7 on the same number. A leaking water heater counts.

Get hot water sorted

Call (360) 891-2002. The office is open Monday to Thursday, 8:00am to 5:00pm, and Friday, 8:00am to 4:00pm. Emergency service is answered 24/7 on the same number. You can also send us your details and we will call you back.