Why Homeowners Go Tankless
Running out of hot water halfway through a shower is a solved problem. A tankless system heats water only when you turn on the tap, so there's no storage tank in your basement reheating the same 50 gallons all day long. If you're weighing an on-demand system for your Loveland home, here's what the work actually involves and how our team handles it.
1st Action Plumbing, Heating & Air is family owned and based in Loveland. We carry Master Plumber license MP.00189768 and plumbing contractor registration PC.0003852, and we've been keeping Northern Colorado homes in hot water since 2018.
A tankless unit changes how hot water works in your house. The differences show up in a few places:
- Unlimited hot water. The unit heats on demand, so back-to-back showers and a running dishwasher stop competing for the same tank.
- Lower standby losses. A storage tank keeps water hot around the clock whether you need it or not. A tankless unit doesn't.
- Floor space back. Most units mount on a wall and free up the corner a 50 or 75 gallon tank used to occupy.
- Longer service life. Tankless systems typically outlast tank models when they're maintained, and most major components are serviceable rather than throwaway.
Tankless isn't automatically the right call for every house. Homes with very high simultaneous demand, undersized gas supply, or venting that would be expensive to route sometimes come out ahead with a high-efficiency tank. We'll tell you which one your house actually wants before you spend anything.
YOUR TANKLESS WATER HEATER INSTALLATION TEAM IN NOCO
The Navien 240A, and Why We Install It
After decades of working with water heater technology, we've settled on the Navien 240A as our go-to on-demand system. We can configure it for a home or a business, and we size it around your fixture count and your incoming water temperature rather than guessing from square footage.
If you already own a tankless unit from another manufacturer, we service those too. Repair and maintenance keep an existing system running longer, and we'd rather extend the life of a good unit than sell you one you don't need. Our tank and tankless service covers whatever is already on your wall.
What a Tankless Water Heater Installation Involves
Converting from a tank to an on-demand unit is more than a swap. Here's the sequence:
- Site survey and sizing. We measure your incoming groundwater temperature, count your fixtures, and calculate the flow rate your household actually peaks at. Northern Colorado's cold winter supply water means a unit works harder here than it would in a warm climate, and honest sizing has to account for that.
- Gas supply review. Tankless units fire at a far higher input rate than a tank does. We verify your meter and line can carry that load, and we handle any needed gas line work as part of the project.
- Venting. Condensing units need dedicated venting routed to an approved termination point. We plan that route before installation day so there are no surprises inside your wall.
- Permits and inspection. We pull the mechanical and gas permits your jurisdiction requires, whether you're in Loveland, Fort Collins, Greeley, or a nearby community, and we coordinate the inspection.
- Removal, mounting, and connections. The old tank comes out, the new unit goes on the wall, and we complete the water, gas, electrical, and condensate connections to code.
- Commissioning and walkthrough. We fire the system, verify combustion and flow, set your target temperature, and show you how the controls and error codes work before we leave.
Local Conditions That Affect Tankless Performance
Water hardness varies across the Front Range, and hard water is the single biggest factor in tankless longevity. Mineral buildup on the heat exchanger is the most common reason an otherwise healthy unit starts underperforming, which is why we talk through descaling intervals during the estimate instead of after the fact.
Elevation matters too. Combustion equipment installed at Northern Colorado altitude needs the correct setup for the air it's actually breathing, and that's part of our commissioning, not an afterthought. The same thinking applies to any gas appliance in the house, including boiler installation work.
Why Northern Colorado Calls 1st Action
- Local and family owned, serving Northern Colorado since 2018
- Licensed and insured technicians who install to code and pull the permits
- Written estimates you approve before any work starts, with no hidden fees
- Named "Best Plumber in Loveland, CO" by ThisOldHouse.com
- A 4.9 star average across more than 400 Google reviews
Ask about financing on qualifying installations. And if you'd rather hear it from someone other than us, read what our customers say.
Ready for On-Demand Hot Water?
If you're planning a tankless water heater installation in Northern Colorado, start with a free estimate. We'll survey the house, size the system honestly, and hand you a written number before anything gets disconnected. We serve Loveland, Fort Collins, Greeley, Longmont, Windsor, Estes Park, and the surrounding communities, and you can see the full list on our Loveland service page. Request your free quote online and we'll get you on the schedule.