A tankless water heater that is sized and installed right will deliver hot water for fifteen to twenty years. One that isn't will short-cycle, throw error codes, and run cold when two showers are on. Number One's licensed Albuquerque plumbers have installed and repaired tankless water heaters across the metro since 2005. We install Rinnai and Navien units, service all major brands, and handle the whole job: sizing, gas line, venting, permit, and inspection. Weekend calls are billed at weekday rates; after-hours calls carry an additional charge.
A tankless installation starts with sizing, not the box. A tankless unit is rated by how many gallons per minute it can heat and by how many degrees, so we work out how many fixtures your household runs at once and how cold your incoming water gets in winter. An undersized unit is the most common reason a tankless system disappoints. If a tank is still the better fit for your home, our water heater repair and replacement team will tell you so.
Switching from a tank to a gas tankless unit usually means more than swapping equipment. A tankless burner needs far more gas at full fire than a tank does, so the gas line often has to be upsized, and we handle that work. Most modern units are condensing models that vent through PVC, so the old metal flue is replaced with new venting through the wall or roof. Electric tankless units need dedicated high-amperage circuits and a panel with the capacity to carry them.
Every tankless installation we do is permitted and inspected. We pull the permit, mount the unit, make the gas, water, and venting connections, set it up and test it under load, and haul away the old tank. Done properly, the result is hot water that does not run out and a unit that hangs on the wall instead of taking up floor space.
Most tankless problems are repairs. These units are built from serviceable parts, and a unit that shuts off mid-shower, shows an error code, or will not light usually has one failed component or a heat exchanger choked with scale. Descaling the heat exchanger clears many of the flow and temperature problems we see in Albuquerque, and parts like flame sensors, igniters, flow sensors, and fans can be replaced without touching the rest of the system.
Diagnosis starts with the error code and the unit's history. We check gas supply and pressure, venting and condensate drainage, the flow sensor, the ignition components, and the condition of the heat exchanger, and we tell you what failed and why before any part is ordered. Units that shut off intermittently are one of our most common tankless calls, and we see them often enough to know where to look.
Replacement makes sense when the heat exchanger itself has failed or is leaking, when a unit well into its second decade needs a major part, or when the original unit was undersized for the household from the start. If your tankless water heater has years left in it, we will fix it and tell you how to keep it running.
Scale is the biggest threat to a tankless water heater in Albuquerque. Our water carries high levels of calcium and magnesium, and a tankless unit heats water fast through a narrow heat exchanger, which is exactly where those minerals come out of solution and stick. As scale builds, flow drops, the unit works harder to keep up, and eventually it throws an error code or shuts itself down to protect the heat exchanger.
Annual descaling prevents most of that. We isolate the unit at its service valves and circulate a descaling solution through the heat exchanger to dissolve the buildup before it does damage. Units that go years without it tend to show the same symptoms: water that runs hot then cold, weaker flow at the tap, and error codes that clear and come back.
Winter adds its own load. Incoming water is coldest from December through February, so a tankless unit has to raise the temperature further to deliver the same shower. That is why we size units for winter conditions, and why a unit that kept up fine in July can fall short in January if it was sized too tight.
We install Rinnai and Navien tankless water heaters and service all major tankless brands, gas and electric.
Most of them, yes. Nearly every tankless failure we see in Albuquerque traces back to scale that built up for a year or more before the unit complained, and keeping the heat exchanger clean is the single biggest factor in how long a tankless water heater lasts. The Uno Care Club covers annual tankless descaling and puts it on a schedule, along with priority scheduling when something does go wrong and repair protection that takes the sting out of an unexpected call.
Members earn up to $600 annually and can bank up to $3,000 in credits.
Real people, real results
"I hired Number One Plumbing to make corrections to a new tankless water heater installation that a previous contractor had fouled up so terribly that it would not pass the required city inspection. Arnold and his apprentice completed a clean and professional job on the water heater, ensuring it passed inspection--which it did with zero problems."
"I called Number One Plumbing for a tankless water heater repair and was impressed from start to finish. They provided a clear estimate over the phone and showed up exactly when promised. They fixed a long-standing issue for a very reasonable price, and the unit is working better than it has in years."
"I called Number One Plumbing when my tankless water heater was intermittently turning off for unknown reasons. They scheduled someone to come out the very next day! Many companies do not know how to properly diagnose or service tankless water heaters. Number One Plumbing was able to assess the issue and get it taken care of in no time at all."
We answer the phone 24 hours a day, every day of the year, and get a plumber to you as quickly as the schedule allows. Weekend calls are billed at weekday rates; after-hours calls carry an additional charge. Uno Care Club members get priority scheduling when demand is high. Call us or book online below. Every tankless installation and repair is backed by our Satisfaction Pledge.
Not the way a tank does. A tankless unit heats water as it flows, so it never empties. What it can do is fall behind when more fixtures are running than it was sized for, which shows up as lukewarm water at peak use. Sizing for your household's peak demand and Albuquerque's winter water temperatures prevents that.
It depends on how many fixtures you run at the same time and how cold your incoming water gets. Each shower, dishwasher, or washing machine adds flow, and winter water here needs a bigger temperature rise than summer water. We size every unit from those two numbers, not from the size of the tank it replaces.
In most homes, yes. Converting to a gas tankless unit usually means upsizing the gas line and replacing the old metal flue with new PVC venting, and an electric unit needs dedicated circuits with enough panel capacity. We handle the gas line, venting, permit, and inspection as part of the installation.
The most common causes are scale on the heat exchanger, a dirty flame sensor or failing igniter, a venting or condensate drain problem, or low gas supply. The error code on the display points to where to look. Write the code down before you call, and stop resetting a unit that keeps shutting itself off.
Once a year. Albuquerque's hard water deposits scale on the heat exchanger faster than in most places, and annual descaling keeps flow and efficiency up and helps the unit reach the fifteen to twenty years it is built for.
Weekend calls are billed at weekday rates; after-hours calls carry an additional charge.
At Number One Plumbing, AC, Solar & Electric, everything we do is backed by our unwavering commitment to your satisfaction. As a customer-focused company, we prioritize your experience above all. Your satisfaction is crucial to us, and we strive to ensure that you're completely pleased with our work, our professionalism, and our overall service.
If, for any reason, you find yourself less than satisfied, please do not hesitate to reach out to us. We are eager to listen and understand your concerns and are committed to resolving them. As a deeply rooted local business, our goal is to uphold the trust and respect of every customer and every home we serve.
Let us know how we can make things right. Your contentment is our promise, and we will do whatever it takes to achieve it.
Number One Plumbing, AC, Solar & Electric makes it easy to afford the services you need for your home. Contact us today to learn more about our financing program.
