Endless hot water — when it's sized and installed right.
Tankless is a great upgrade for the right home and a headache for the wrong one. We size for your actual simultaneous demand, handle the gas and venting correctly, and put the whole price in writing first.
Is tankless right for your home? The honest checklist.
Before we quote a tankless install, we walk through four things with you. If the answers don't add up, we'll tell you a quality tank is the better spend — here's the full tank vs. tankless comparison.
- • Simultaneous demand: two showers plus a dishwasher at once needs a bigger unit (or two) than most quotes assume.
- • Gas supply: tankless burners pull 150,000–199,000 BTU. Many homes need a gas line upsize to feed it.
- • Venting path: condensing units need proper PVC venting and a condensate drain — location matters.
- • Water hardness: Hill Country water scales heat exchangers fast. A softener or scale filter isn't optional here — it's what keeps the 15-year lifespan real.
What a done-right tankless install includes.
- • Unit sized from your fixture count and usage — not a one-size-fits-all model
- • Gas line evaluation and upsize if the existing line can't feed the burner
- • Code-compliant venting and condensate drainage
- • Isolation valves so annual descaling takes 45 minutes, not half a day
- • Removal and haul-away of your old tank
- • Optional recirculation pump for fixtures far from the unit
- • Code-compliant installation and a walk-through of the unit's controls
With our hard water, an unflushed tankless heat exchanger scales up in 2–3 years and voids most warranties. We install isolation valves on every job and offer an annual descaling service — or we'll show you how to do it yourself. Pair it with a water softener and you protect that 15-year lifespan.
The pros and cons — honestly.
The pros
Endless hot water (never run out mid-shower), ~15 year lifespan with maintenance, space savings, lower standby energy losses, and no wasted energy heating a tank 24/7.
The honest cons
Higher upfront cost. Often needs gas line and venting upgrades. Requires annual descaling — non-negotiable in hard-water areas. Recirculation pump adds cost if fixtures are far away.
Already have a tankless that's acting up?
Error codes, cold-water sandwich, or lukewarm output usually mean scale, a flow-sensor issue, or an undersized gas supply — all fixable without replacing the unit. Our technicians are trained to work on Rinnai, Navien & Rheem tankless. See the water heater repair page.
Electric tankless units require a massive electrical load — often 150–200 amps of dedicated service — that most homes simply don't have. The panel upgrades needed can cost as much as the unit itself, and electric tankless doesn't perform as well as gas in Texas summers when groundwater is warmest. For Hill Country homes, a properly sized gas tankless is almost always the better investment. If you only have electric available, we'll talk through the real trade-offs before you commit.
Related Services
Why Hill Country Homeowners Call Cowboy
We Know Hill Country Water
Tankless units scale up fast in 15–25+ GPG water. We size the water treatment alongside the unit so you actually get the 15-year lifespan, not 3.
Licensed for Gas & Plumbing
Texas Master Plumber License M-36742. Gas line upsizes, venting, and code-compliant installation — all under one license. No coordinating separate trades.
No Upselling
If a tank water heater is the better call for your home's layout and budget, we'll tell you. We'd rather give an honest answer than sell an install that makes us more money.
Questions Homeowners Ask
Do I have to upgrade my gas line for a tankless water heater?
Often yes. Tankless units need a large burst of gas to heat water instantly — often 150,000–199,000 BTU. We size your current line to see if it can handle the load and include the upsize in the quote if needed.
How long do tankless water heaters last?
With annual descaling and a properly sized water softener, a tankless unit typically lasts around 15 years in Hill Country hard water. Without those, the heat exchanger scales up much sooner.
Will tankless give me instant hot water?
Tankless means endless hot water, not necessarily instant. It still takes time for the water to travel from the unit to your faucet unless we install a recirculation pump.
How often should a tankless water heater be flushed?
In the Hill Country, we recommend an annual flush to remove scale buildup, unless you have a properly sized water softener, which can extend that interval.
Can a tankless unit keep up if we run two showers at once?
Yes, if sized correctly. We calculate your home's peak demand (GPM) and groundwater temperature before recommending a unit — not a one-size-fits-all model.
My existing tankless is throwing an error code — do I need a new one?
Usually no. Error codes are most often scale buildup in the heat exchanger, a flow sensor issue, or an undersized gas supply — all fixable without replacement. We service all major brands.
Tankless Install Service Area
We install and service tankless water heaters across Central Texas including:
New Braunfels · Canyon Lake · Seguin · San Marcos · Kyle · Buda · Boerne · Spring Branch · Bulverde · Northeast & Northwest San Antonio
Thinking tankless? Get the honest sizing math first.
We size for your real demand, quote the gas and venting work up front, and put the full price in writing before any work.