Recent Work • Greenwood, IN • Tankless Water Heater Installation
Tankless Water Heater Installation in Greenwood, IN
A Greenwood homeowner lost hot water on a Sunday morning with a 12-year-old 50-gallon gas tank leaking at the base. We drained and removed the old unit, upsized the gas line, ran new stainless venting and commissioned a wall-hung tankless unit the same day.
City
Greenwood, IN
Service
Tankless install
Home
2-story, 4 bath
On site
Same day
Warranty
Parts & labor
Job Report
| Call received | Sunday morning — no hot water, water on the utility room floor |
|---|---|
| Existing equipment | 50-gallon natural gas tank water heater, 12 years old |
| Failure mode | Corroded tank seam leaking at the base; anode rod fully consumed |
| Homeowner goal | Stop the leak today and never run out of hot water again |
| Installed | Wall-hung condensing natural gas tankless water heater |
| Supporting work | Gas line upsize, new stainless vent run, isolation valve kit |
| Permitting | Handled per Johnson County requirements for the scope of work |
What We Found On Arrival
The utility room floor was wet across roughly a six-foot area and the tank jacket was rusted through near the base weld. A leak at that seam is not repairable — once the glass lining fails, the tank is done.
Before quoting anything we shut off the gas and the cold supply, drained the tank down and checked the surrounding drywall and subfloor for damage so the homeowner knew the full picture up front.
- Water shutoff
- Isolated at the cold inlet, tank drained to a floor drain
- Gas supply
- 1/2" branch — undersized for tankless demand
- Venting
- Existing B-vent through the chimney chase
- Floor damage
- Surface water only, no subfloor rot
What Our Plumber Found
Tank Seam Corrosion
The bottom weld had rusted through. Sediment buildup over 12 years accelerated the corrosion and the anode rod was completely spent.
Undersized Gas Branch
The half-inch branch feeding the old tank could not support the BTU demand of a whole-home tankless unit. It had to be upsized.
Wrong Venting Type
A condensing tankless unit cannot share the old B-vent. It needs a dedicated stainless or PVC run with its own termination.
No Isolation Valves
The original install had no service valves, which makes flushing impossible. The new install got a full isolation valve kit.
What We Installed
We removed the failed tank, freed up the floor space entirely and mounted a condensing natural gas tankless unit on the wall. The gas branch was upsized, a dedicated vent was run to a new sidewall termination, and the unit was commissioned and tested against the home's actual fixture load.
- UnitCondensing natural gas tankless water heater
- Gas lineUpsized branch with new sediment trap and shutoff
- VentingDedicated stainless run, sidewall termination
- WaterIsolation valve kit with flush ports
- CondensateNeutralizer routed to the floor drain
Work Log
We document the job chronologically so homeowners can see exactly what goes into the work.
- 8:10 AM
Call answered
Live dispatch took the call and put the home in the first available window.
- 9:25 AM
Technician on site
Gas and water isolated, tank drained, damage assessed and photographed.
- 9:50 AM
Options presented
Flat-rate quotes for a like-for-like tank and for a tankless conversion, side by side.
- 10:30 AM
Old tank removed
Tank hauled out, area cleaned and dried, mounting location laid out.
- 12:15 PM
Gas and vent work
Gas branch upsized with a new sediment trap, dedicated vent run to the sidewall.
- 2:40 PM
Unit mounted and piped
Tankless unit hung, water piped through the isolation kit, condensate neutralizer set.
- 4:05 PM
Commissioning
Gas pressure verified, unit fired, temperature rise tested at multiple fixtures.
- 4:45 PM
Walkthrough
Homeowner shown the shutoffs, flush ports and maintenance schedule.
Final Testing & Verification
- Gas pressure checked static and under load
- All gas joints leak-tested
- Vent termination clearances verified
- Temperature rise tested at the furthest fixture
- Two fixtures run simultaneously to confirm flow
- Condensate drainage confirmed
- Work area cleaned and old unit hauled away
Permit and inspection requirements are handled according to the local jurisdiction and project scope.
The Result
The home went from no hot water at 8 AM to endless hot water the same evening, with the utility room floor space back and a unit rated for a far longer service life than the tank it replaced.
- DowntimeSame day — no overnight without hot water
- Floor space recoveredRoughly 9 square feet
- Simultaneous fixturesTwo showers plus a sink, tested
- MaintenanceAnnual flush, scheduled with the homeowner
What Homeowners Can Learn From This Job
Rust at the base is the end of the road
Once you see rust weeping at the bottom seam, the tank is failing. Repairs at that point buy days, not years.
Tankless is not a straight swap
Gas sizing and venting almost always change. A quote that ignores those two items is not a real quote.
Ask for isolation valves
Without service valves you cannot flush the unit, and skipped flushes are the fastest way to lose a tankless warranty.
Anode rods matter
On tank heaters, replacing the anode rod every few years is the cheapest thing you can do to extend the tank's life.
We're Local
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Give us a call for service you can trust
Technicians available now. Live customer service standing by.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long does a tankless water heater installation take?
A straightforward conversion is typically a same-day job. Gas line upsizing and new venting add hours, which is why we quote the full scope before we start.
Is tankless worth it in an Indiana home?
Groundwater here runs cold in winter, so unit sizing matters. Sized correctly, you get endless hot water and a longer service life than a tank. Sized poorly, you get lukewarm showers in January.
Do I need a bigger gas line?
Usually yes. Most tank heaters run on a half-inch branch, and whole-home tankless units need more. We verify the load before we quote.
What maintenance does it need?
An annual descaling flush, which is quick when isolation valves are installed. Central Indiana's hard water makes this non-negotiable.
This write-up documents work of this type completed in the Greenwood area. Job details, equipment and timing vary from home to home.
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