Water Heaters (Tank & Tankless)

A gas or electric tank water heater lasts roughly 10 to 15 years in Metro Vancouver, and replacement is usually triggered by a leak at the bottom of the tank or a slow loss of hot water. The choices are another tank, a tankless on-demand unit, or a heat pump water heater, which uses about a third of the electricity of a standard electric tank and dehumidifies the room it sits in.

The City of Vancouver has changed the rules for this job. From January 1, 2027, every replacement water heater in a detached house or duplex in the City of Vancouver must meet its highest efficiency standard, which in practice means a heat pump, hybrid or electric water heater rather than a standard gas tank or gas tankless unit. Exceptions exist for homes where it is not practical, so ask your contractor before assuming. Outside the City of Vancouver, gas tanks and tankless units remain common and allowed.

Gas water heaters need a gas permit and a licensed gas contractor, and electrical work for a heat pump water heater needs an electrical permit. A proper quote covers venting (a tankless or high-efficiency tank often cannot reuse the old chimney), the gas line size for a tankless unit, the expansion tank and seismic strapping, and haul-away of the old tank. Income-qualified households can get CleanBC rebates toward a heat pump water heater.