Professional Water Heater Installation in Durham, NC

When your water heater starts failing, you know it. Lukewarm showers that used to be hot. Rumbling or popping sounds from the tank. A puddle forming underneath the unit. Rust-colored water coming out of the hot side. If any of that sounds familiar, you're probably looking at a replacement — and the decision you need to make is whether to go with another tank or switch to tankless.

A standard tank water heater in Apex runs $1,200 to $2,500 fully installed. A tankless unit costs $3,000 to $5,500 or more. The price gap is real, and which option makes sense depends on your household size, hot water usage patterns, and how long you plan to stay in your home. Let's break it down.

Tank water heaters are what most Apex homes have right now. You've got a 40- or 50-gallon insulated tank that keeps water hot 24/7, ready whenever you need it. A 40-gallon tank works for 1-2 people. A 50-gallon tank handles most families of 3-4. Larger households or homes with soaking tubs and multiple bathrooms may need a 75-gallon tank or a tankless setup. The upfront cost is lower, installation is straightforward if you're replacing with the same type, and repairs are simple and cheap. The downside? You can run out of hot water if everyone showers back-to-back, and you're paying to keep that water hot even when nobody's using it.

Tankless water heaters heat water on demand as it flows through the unit. No storage tank, no standby heat loss, and theoretically endless hot water. Gas-powered tankless units are the most common for whole-house applications. Electric tankless units exist but often can't keep up with whole-house demand — they work better for point-of-use applications like a single bathroom or kitchen sink. The upfront cost is higher, but tankless units last 20+ years compared to 10-15 for tank models. Energy savings run about $100-$150 per year according to Department of Energy estimates.

Picking the right size matters more than most people realize. For tank water heaters, it's about the first-hour rating — how many gallons of hot water the unit can deliver in the first hour of use. A family that runs the dishwasher, a shower, and a load of laundry during the same hour needs a higher first-hour rating than someone living alone. For tankless units, sizing is based on flow rate (gallons per minute) and temperature rise. In the Triangle, incoming water temperature averages around 55-65°F depending on the season. To deliver 120°F water at the tap, your tankless unit needs to raise the temperature 55-65 degrees. The higher that temperature rise, the lower the flow rate. A unit rated at 8 GPM in Florida might only deliver 5 GPM here in winter.

Wake County water hardness plays a bigger role in water heater lifespan than most homeowners know. Our local water ranges from 3-7 grains per gallon, which is moderate. But even moderate hardness causes sediment buildup inside tank water heaters. That sediment settles at the bottom, insulating the water from the burner and forcing the unit to work harder. Annual flushing extends the life of a tank heater by years. For tankless units, hardness causes scale buildup inside the heat exchanger. Annual flushing with vinegar or a descaling solution is critical — skip it and you'll cut the lifespan of a $4,000+ unit in half.

Installation is more involved than just swapping boxes. For a tank-to-tank replacement, our techs disconnect the old unit, drain it, remove it, set the new one, connect the water lines, connect the gas or electric supply, and install a new expansion tank if one isn't already present. North Carolina plumbing code requires expansion tanks on closed plumbing systems, and most municipal water systems in the Triangle (including Apex) have backflow preventers that create a closed system. If your current installation doesn't have an expansion tank, we'll add one. The Town of Apex requires permits for water heater replacements, and we handle that paperwork and inspection scheduling.

Switching from tank to tankless involves more work. Gas tankless units need a larger gas line — typically 3/4-inch instead of the 1/2-inch line that feeds most tank water heaters. Many older homes in the Raleigh-Durham area need a gas line upgrade, which adds $300-$800 to the project. Tankless units also need different venting. Most use stainless steel category III or PVC venting that goes through an exterior wall, which is actually easier in some cases than the vertical B-vent used by tank heaters. Electrical requirements differ too — even gas tankless units need a dedicated outlet for the electronic controls.

We offer same-day installation for tank water heaters when the unit is in stock and the job is straightforward. Tankless conversions typically take a full day. Either way, our NATE-certified techs handle everything from permits to final testing.

For homeowners weighing the financial side: a tank water heater at $1,800 installed that lasts 12 years costs about $150 per year in equipment cost alone, plus roughly $300-$400 per year in energy. A tankless unit at $4,500 installed that lasts 22 years costs about $205 per year in equipment, plus roughly $200-$250 in energy. The total annual cost ends up surprisingly close. Tankless wins on longevity and energy savings. Tank wins on upfront cost and simplicity. Neither is the wrong choice — it depends on your priorities.

We provide free in-home estimates for water heater installation across Apex, Cary, Raleigh, Durham, Holly Springs, and Fuquay-Varina. Financing is available for homeowners who prefer to spread the cost out. Element Service Group is veteran-owned with 700+ five-star reviews, and our plumbing team installs both tank and tankless systems daily. We'll give you honest advice on which type fits your household — not just push whatever has the highest margin.