Choosing and Installing Water Heaters and Fixtures in Stow

Tank or Tankless?

This is the first question most Stow homeowners ask. Both work well when they're matched to the house and the household. The right answer depends on your budget, your space and how you use hot water.

Gas tank water heaters

A tank keeps a supply of hot water ready. Replacement is usually simpler and less expensive up front, especially when the new tank matches the old size and venting. Tanks suit households with predictable demand and a basement with room for them.

Tankless water heaters

A tankless unit heats water as it flows, so it doesn't run out during back-to-back showers and frees up floor space. It typically needs a larger gas supply line, dedicated venting and an electrical outlet. Hard water makes periodic descaling important. The installation is more involved, which affects the up-front cost.

Getting the Size Right

Oversizing wastes energy heating water you don't use. Undersizing means cold showers. For a tank, we look at how many people live in the house, how many bathrooms are used during the busiest hour, and whether you have a large tub. For tankless, the key number is flow rate: how many fixtures might run hot water at the same time.

Families that have grown since the last water heater was installed, or teenagers who now take long showers, are the most common reason we recommend sizing up. Empty nesters sometimes size down.

The Parts That Come With a Proper Install

A water heater installation is more than swapping one tank for another. Depending on the unit and the house, a complete job includes:

• Venting checked for size, slope and condition, and replaced or re-routed when the new unit requires it
• A new gas connector and sediment trap, plus a gas shutoff valve within reach
• A thermal expansion tank when the water system is closed by a check valve or pressure regulator
• A temperature and pressure relief valve with a discharge pipe ending near the floor
• A full-port cold water shutoff and, where needed, a drain pan
• Testing for gas leaks, proper draft and correct water temperature before we leave

While We're Already There

Water heater day is a good time to check the rest of the system. We often replace the main shutoff if it's an old gate valve and address leaking washer valves in the same basement. Upstairs, kitchen faucets and disposals in Stow homes of this age are frequently on their second or third replacement. Our Stow faucet installation service and disposal installation in Stow pages cover those jobs.

For more detail on water heater repair versus replacement, visit our Stow gas water heater page.

Scheduling Your Stow Install

Stow is about 27 miles from our East Canton shop, and we also serve Silver Lake, Munroe Falls, Cuyahoga Falls, Tallmadge and Kent. Every project starts with a free estimate. You approve the unit and specifications, we install it, and we finish with a quality inspection. Our installation services page lists everything else we install.