A South Hill homeowner lost hot water on a Sunday in August when the 50-gallon gas tank in the garage gave out. By Monday Aiden was in the garage looking at the gas supply and the venting and pricing a tankless replacement, and on Tuesday the new unit was on the wall and running.
What We Did
On Tuesday Aiden drained and removed the 50-gallon gas tank and hung a Navien condensing tankless unit on the garage wall in its place. A tankless is not a drop-in swap for a tank. The gas line was reworked to feed the new burner, the water lines were re-run to the wall unit with isolation valves, a new intake and exhaust went out through the wall, and a condensate line was added, because a condensing unit makes water as it runs and that water needs a drain. He tested the whole assembly for leaks, ran it, and left the homeowners with hot water that does not run out.
The Review
Our water heater went out on Sunday, they did an estimate on Monday, then replaced on Tuesday. The area was left clean and tidy. There was an issue with the invoice but it was corrected. The pricing is very good plus they do a veteran discount. Happily recommend them.
Carrie M., Google review, September 2026 ★★★★★
The discount Carrie mentions has since become the Hero’s Club: the same VIP Home Protection plan and benefits, for first responders, military, veterans and medical professionals. See the membership.
Why It Matters
- The estimate and the install were the same plumber. Aiden looked at the gas, the venting and the wall space on Monday, so Tuesday held no surprises and no second visit.
- A tankless is a system, not a swap. Gas, water, venting and condensate all change when a tank comes out, and skipping any one of them is how a tankless disappoints its owner.
- Condensing units need a drain. The condensate line is small and easy to leave out, and it is what keeps acidic water off the garage floor and out of the unit.
Why South Hill
South Hill is the plateau south of downtown Puyallup, most of it built in the 1990s and 2000s and much of it outside the city limits in unincorporated Pierce County, so a water heater permit there usually goes through Pierce County rather than the City of Puyallup. Those houses have reached the age where the original gas tank gives out, and a garage with an exterior wall is where a tankless usually goes. We work South Hill and the rest of Puyallup every week, and our water heater page covers repair and replacement for tank and tankless alike.
When the Hot Water Quits
Call us or request service and we will tell you whether a repair, a new tank or a tankless unit makes sense for your house before any work starts.
More: water heater repair and installation · plumbing in Puyallup · is a tankless water heater right for your home?
