Tankless Water Heaters: Installation and Service in Northern Utah

Empire Plumbing installs, repairs and services tankless water heaters across Northern Utah, the Wasatch Front, the Wasatch Back and Southwest Wyoming, including Evanston, WY.

We are certified Navien partners, which means we are trained on their systems, we can source parts, and we know these units properly rather than learning on yours. We install gas tankless systems, and we handle the venting and gas work that a tankless conversion requires.

Whether you are switching from a tank, replacing an existing tankless unit, or your current one has stopped keeping up, we can help. Free estimates on larger jobs and financing available.

Tankless or Tank? The Honest Comparison

Tankless is not automatically the right answer for every home, and we would rather tell you that upfront than sell you one that does not suit how you live.

If a conventional tank is the right call for your home, that is work we do too. See our water heater installation page.

Where tankless makes sense:

You never want to run out of hot water You want the floor space a tank takes up You are planning to stay in the home long enough for the efficiency to pay back Your gas line and venting can support it, or you are open to that work

Where a tank may still be the better choice:

You regularly draw a lot of hot water at once across several fixtures The upfront difference matters more than the running cost The existing setup would need significant changes to support tankless We will look at your home, your hot water habits and your existing setup, and tell you which way we would go if it were our house.

Certified Navien Partners

Navien is one of the most widely installed tankless brands in the country, and we are certified Navien partners. That means training on their systems, access to parts, and knowing the error codes without looking them up. Rheem, Navien and Lochinvar are the three we see most in Northern Utah homes, and we service all of them. We work on most other tankless brands as well. If you are not sure what you have, send us a photo of the label on the front of the unit and we will tell you what we are looking at.

Our Navien certification covers their boilers as well as their tankless units, so if your home runs on hydronic heat we handle that side too.

A pair of black quotation marks on a white background.

What Our Customers Are Saying

A pair of black quotation marks on a white background.

What Our Customers Are Saying

Tankless Services We Provide

Empire Plumbing handles tankless water heaters from installation through to annual servicing.

Tankless water heater installation

Converting from a tank to a tankless system

Tankless replacement when a unit reaches the end of its life

Tankless repair and diagnosis

Annual descaling and flushing, starting at $195

Gas line and venting work for new installations

Certified Navien partners, servicing Rheem, Lochinvar and most other brands

Why Tankless Units Need Annual Descaling Here

This is the part most homeowners are never told, and it matters more in Northern Utah than in most places.

Our water is hard. As it passes through a tankless unit it leaves mineral scale behind on the heat exchanger, and that scale builds up year after year. A unit that should last two decades can start struggling in a fraction of that time if it is never flushed.

What a descale actually involves

We do not take the unit apart. We connect hoses and circulate a cleaning solution through it, which breaks the mineral buildup loose from the heat exchanger. Those mineral pieces come out into our bucket, and on a unit that has never been flushed there is a lot of it.

While we are there we also check two places that cause problems and that nobody thinks about: the air intake, where we regularly find leaves and debris, and the condensate trap, which collects dirt over time. Both restrict the unit and both are quick to clear once someone actually looks.

Diagram of a tankless water heater during an annual descale The three places buildup collects in a tankless water heater: the air intake at the top, where leaves and debris gather; the heat exchanger in the middle, where hard water leaves mineral scale; and the condensate trap at the bottom, which fills with dirt. Hoses circulate a cleaning solution through the unit and carry the loosened mineral out into a bucket. TANKLESS UNIT Air intake leaves and debris Heat exchanger mineral scale builds up Condensate trap dirt over time Cleaning solution in Mineral out mineral pieces What a descale clears

Where the buildup collects in a tankless water heater, and what an annual descale clears.

Signs your tankless unit is overdue for a descale

The water takes longer to get hot than it used to

Temperature that fluctuates during a shower

The unit is throwing error codes it never used to

Reduced flow at the taps

It has been more than a year, or you are not sure when it was last done

An annual descale starts at $195. It is one of the least expensive things we do, and it is the main thing that keeps a tankless unit running the twenty years it should. It also protects your warranty: the brands we work with require a yearly flush to keep the manufacturer warranty valid, though some are stricter about it than others.

Schedule a Descale

What to Expect During Installation

  1. We assess your home, your hot water usage and your existing gas and venting setup.
  2. We size the unit to your household rather than fitting a standard model everywhere.
  3. You get a written estimate covering the unit, the install and any gas or venting work.
  4. We schedule around you and confirm the timeline before starting.
  5. We remove the old system, install the new one and complete the gas and venting work.
  6. We test it, walk you through how it works, and explain when the first descale is due.
Knight in silver armor, holding a red wrench, wearing a blue and orange cape.

Empire Plumbing Service Areas in Utah & Wyoming

At Empire Plumbing, we provide expert residential and commercial plumbing services across the Wasatch Front and beyond. Whether you need an emergency repair in Salt Lake or a backflow test in Logan, our certified team is ready to help. We proudly serve the following communities:


Salt Lake County: Salt Lake City, Sandy, Draper, Riverton, South Jordan, West Jordan.

Utah County: Alpine, American Fork, Eagle Mountain, Highland, Lehi, Pleasant Grove, Saratoga Springs, Spanish Fork.

Davis County: Bountiful, Centerville, Clearfield, Farmington, Kaysville, Layton, Syracuse.

Weber & Cache Counties: Ogden, Roy, Hooper, Logan, Mantua, Brigham City.

Tooele County: Tooele and surrounding areas.

Wyoming: Proudly serving Evanston, WY.

Don’t see your city listed?

If you’re located near these areas and need professional plumbing services, contact us to see if we have a technician in your neighborhood.

What a Tankless System Costs

Very few companies publish anything about price, and we understand why. Every home is different. But these are the things that move the number.


What affects the cost

  • The size of unit your household actually needs, measured rather than guessed
  • Whether you are replacing an existing tankless or converting from a tank
  • Gas line capacity, and whether it needs upgrading
  • Venting requirements for the new unit

A conversion from tank to tankless costs more than a straight replacement, because the gas and venting work is part of it. We will explain exactly what your home needs before quoting, and the price we quote is the price you pay.

Frequently Asked Questions About Tankless Water Heaters

  • How long does a tankless water heater last?

    Around 20 years with regular servicing, which is roughly twice a conventional tank. That figure assumes annual descaling though. In water as hard as ours, a unit that is never flushed will not come close.

  • How often does a tankless water heater need descaling?

    Once a year in our water. Descaling removes the mineral buildup that collects on the heat exchanger and is the main thing that protects the life of the unit. The brands we work with also require a yearly flush to keep the manufacturer warranty valid, though some are stricter about it than others. Ours start at $195.

  • What happens during a tankless descale?

    We do not take the unit apart. We connect hoses and circulate a cleaning solution through it, which breaks the mineral buildup loose from the heat exchanger and carries it out into our bucket. We also clear the air intake, where leaves and debris collect, and the condensate trap, which fills with dirt over time. Both restrict the unit and both are quick to clear.

  • Is a tankless water heater worth it?

    For most homes, yes. Endless hot water, less floor space and lower running costs. It suits some households better than others though, particularly around how much hot water you draw at once. We will tell you honestly if a tank makes more sense for you.

  • Can I switch from a tank to a tankless system?

    Yes, and it is common. The conversion usually involves gas line and venting work alongside the unit itself, which is why it costs more than a straight replacement. We will assess what your home needs and explain it before quoting.

  • Gas or electric tankless, which is better?

    We install gas tankless units. Gas handles the whole-home demand that most households here need, and it is what homes in Northern Utah are generally set up for. Electric units suit limited applications and would usually mean significant electrical work in a home built around gas, so it is not what we recommend or install in our area.

  • Why is my tankless water heater not getting hot?

    Common causes are scale buildup on the heat exchanger, a gas supply issue, or a fault the unit is reporting through an error code. If it has been more than a year since it was flushed, that is the first thing we check.

  • Do you install Navien tankless water heaters?

    Yes. We are certified Navien partners, trained on their systems and able to source parts. Rheem, Navien and Lochinvar are the three we see most in homes here and we service all of them, plus most other tankless brands.

Schedule Your Tankless Service

Whether you are considering a tankless system, need an existing one repaired, or it is due for its annual descale, Empire Plumbing can help. Call 385-381-9995  to schedule service across Northern Utah and Southwest Wyoming.