Converting from a storage tank to tankless: what changes, and what it costs to change it

The conversion conversation in Burnaby usually starts on a post-war bungalow whose brick chimney is shared, cracked or simply too old to line, or in a townhouse where floor space in the mechanical room has a competing use. Converting retires the chimney from the water-heating side, caps the flue and stands a wall-hung unit where the tank used to sit.

A conversion changes the gas footprint the old tank was quietly hiding: the 1/2-inch line and roughly 40,000 BTU/h draw become a supply sized for up to 199,000 BTU/h, the atmospheric flue becomes sealed PVC venting to an exterior wall, and condensate and a 120-volt receptacle appear. The Gas Permit and the plumbing permit both run through the City of Burnaby for single and duplex dwellings, and homes with a suite go to a licensed contractor.

The honest part is demand: continuous hot water at a limited flow. The assessment checks the fixtures used at once against the unit's flow at the winter rise and says plainly when one unit will fall short, pricing the conversion allowance separately so the estimate shows why a conversion costs more than a tank swap.