Water Heater Installation & Replacement in Vancouver WA
$1,500 Rebate on Heat Pump Water Heaters
Clark Public Utilities customers can get a $1,500 rebate on a qualifying heat pump water heater that replaces an electric tank water heater. Ask us whether your home qualifies. See rebate details.
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, Cowlitz and Skamania Counties and the Portland metro area — 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
Water heater replacement: 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.
Time for a new water heater?
Contact Tri-Tech Heating, Inc. for a free installation estimate.
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.
Water heater replacement and installation
We install three types, and we'll help you choose the one that fits your home, your hot water use and your budget.
Gas water heater installation
A dependable, lower-cost replacement for the tank you have now. Replacement is usually quick, and we haul away the old unit.
Tankless water heater installation in Vancouver WA
A tankless water heater heats water only when you turn on the tap, so you don't run out during back-to-back showers. Rinnai rates its tankless units for up to 20 years of life, about twice a typical tank, and they mount on the wall to free up floor space. According to ENERGY STAR, a certified gas tankless water heater can save a family of four about $95 a year compared with a standard gas tank. Tankless units need a yearly flush to clear mineral buildup, and we can take care of that for you. See tankless water heater installation and repair.
Heat pump water heaters
A heat pump water heater pulls heat from the surrounding air instead of making it with electric elements. ENERGY STAR estimates a family of four can save about $550 a year on electricity compared with a standard electric water heater.
Clark Public Utilities rebate: $1,500. When a qualifying heat pump water heater replaces an electric tank water heater in an existing home, Clark Public Utilities offers a $1,500 rebate. Tri-Tech Heating, Inc. is a Clark Public Utilities participating contractor for heat pump water heaters. See our Active Rebate Programs page for current rebates and financing.
Have an electric tank water heater? If yours is ready for replacement, a heat pump water heater is a good upgrade, and it may qualify for the $1,500 rebate.
How a water heater job runs
- What you have and what you need. Household size, peak demand, fuel available, and where the unit lives.
- 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.
- Permit where the work requires it.
- Install and connect. Including the gas, venting and water connections corrected rather than reused if they are wrong.
- 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.
Heat your home and your water with one system
Some systems handle both jobs. A high-efficiency combi boiler heats your home through radiant floors or baseboards and supplies your hot water, and a geothermal heat pump can help heat your water, too. See Geothermal & Hydronics.
Related work
Need a repair rather than a replacement? See water heater repair. 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, Cowlitz and Skamania Counties and the Portland metro area — 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. Apply online.
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.
Is there a rebate for a heat pump water heater?
Yes. Clark Public Utilities offers a $1,500 rebate when a qualifying heat pump water heater replaces an electric tank water heater in an existing home. Tri-Tech Heating, Inc. is a participating contractor. See our Active Rebate Programs page for details.
Can you come out after hours?
After hours, call the same number and a live person from our answering service will take your information. They'll text our on-call technician right away, or, if you'd rather wait, pass your request to our office and we'll respond by 9:00am the next business day.
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, and closed on Memorial Day, July 4, Labor Day, Thanksgiving and the day after, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and New Year’s Day. After hours and on holidays, call the same number and a live person from our answering service will take your information. They'll text our on-call technician right away, or, if you'd rather wait, pass your request to our office and we'll respond by 9:00am the next business day. You can also send us your details and we will call you back.