Tankless Water Heater Installation in Pico Rivera, CA

Tankless water heaters deliver a modern, energy-efficient way to enjoy hot water on demand — no more waiting for a tank to refill or worrying about running out. At Water Heater Genius, we specialize in the installation, replacement of an existing water heater, and setup of high-performance tankless systems from all major brands.

Our licensed technicians size the unit to your household's actual peak demand, then check whether the house can feed it. Gas line sizing is the usual gating item on a conversion — a tankless burner draws several times what a tank does, so the existing line is often too small and needs upsizing or a dedicated run from the meter. Add the new vent, the condensate drain, and power, and that is most of the difference in cost between a tankless conversion and a like-for-like tank swap. A gas tankless unit needs a grounded 120-volt outlet near it for its fan and controls; many tank installations never had one. We check all of it before quoting.

Making the switch to a tankless water heater is one of the smartest home upgrades you can invest in. Not only do these systems provide endless hot water, but they also use up to 30% less energy than traditional tank models — saving you money every month.

At Water Heater Genius, we take care of everything from start to finish. We’ll remove your old unit, inspect your home’s plumbing and gas or electrical connections, and install your new tankless system for maximum efficiency. Our technicians take the time to explain how to use and maintain your new water heater, ensuring you get the best performance for years to come.

Whether you’re replacing an outdated tank or building a new home, our team delivers professional, code-compliant installations backed by honest pricing and reliable customer support.

A tankless water heater is sized by flow rate, gallons per minute (GPM), at a given temperature rise, not by gallons. Incoming water in Los Angeles County runs about 55°F to 60°F in winter, so a unit has to lift it 60°F to 65°F to reach 120°F. That is the number we size to, not the “max GPM” on the box, which manufacturers rate at a 35°F rise.

At that rise, this is what a household needs and the class of unit that delivers it:

The target flow is the fixtures that run at the same time during the busiest moment, added up:

We install every major brand, so here is what the common models actually deliver at a Los Angeles rise, from each manufacturer’s own sizing document. These are published outputs at the stated rise, not the spec-sheet maximum:

Two showers plus the washer is about 6 GPM, which is 199,000 BTU territory here. A larger home with four showers and a dishwasher running is around 10 GPM, which means two units. We run this math on your fixtures and gas line before we quote, and the book-price EZTR40 and EZTR50 conversions above are sized the same way.

Four things decide a conversion: whether the gas line can feed a tankless burner, a vent of its own (a tankless unit cannot exhaust into the old tank’s flue as it is), a grounded 120-volt outlet for the unit’s fan and controls, and a drain for condensate on a condensing model. When the existing hookups can be reused, as they usually can with the Noritz EZTR40 and EZTR50, the conversion has a book price: $3,295 replacing a 40-gallon tank and $3,695 replacing a 50-gallon tank.

A tankless burner needs far more gas at once than a tank does. The Noritz EZTR50 we install as the standard 50-gallon conversion is compatible with the half-inch gas line most tanks already have, and Noritz rates the whole EZTR series for it on a short run at normal gas pressure; most other tankless units need a larger line or a dedicated run from the meter, which is why those are quoted on site. We check the line from the meter before we quote.

A tankless unit needs its own vent. On the EZTR models we install, that is a 2-inch flexible vent that usually runs up inside the old vent pipe as a sleeve, which is not allowed when another appliance, such as a furnace, still vents through that pipe. Other units, or a vent shared with a furnace, need a new PVC or stainless run, quoted on site.

A gas tankless unit needs a grounded 120-volt outlet near it for its fan and controls; many tank installations never had one, so we check for it before quoting.

The EZTR models are condensing units, so they produce a small, steady stream of acidic condensate that has to run to a drain, through a neutralizer where code or the drain material calls for one. We plan the drain route before the quote.

An EZTR swap that reuses the existing gas line and vent path is normally done the same day; a conversion that needs a new gas run from the meter or new venting takes longer, and we tell you which before we start. Every conversion needs a permit and inspection. The permit fee belongs to the homeowner either way: we can pull the permit for a $295 administrative fee on top of what the city charges, which covers standing the inspection, or you can pull your own.

Ask how they will size the unit, whether they have checked your gas line from the meter, where the vent will run, and what voids the warranty. A good installer answers each from your house, not from the box. Our answers:

1. How will you size it? We size to a 60 to 65°F rise, Los Angeles County’s winter inlet, not the box’s 35°F “max GPM”.
2. Is my gas line big enough? For the Noritz EZTR50, usually yes: it is compatible with the half-inch line most tanks already have. We check the line from the meter before quoting.
3. Where will the vent run, and what is it made of? On the EZTR models, a 2-inch flexible vent inside the old vent pipe; anything else is a new PVC or stainless run, priced before the work.
4. Are isolation valves included? Yes, on the book-price conversion; they make the yearly descale a service visit rather than a re-plumb.
5. Who pulls the permit, and what does the city charge? The permit fee belongs to the homeowner either way: we can pull the permit for a $295 administrative fee on top of what the city charges, which covers standing the inspection, or you can pull your own.
6. What warranty do I get, and who registers the unit? Our 1-year labor warranty on all connections plus the manufacturer’s heat exchanger term; registering is the homeowner’s step, and the deadline matters (Rinnai gives 90 days).
7. What voids the warranty? Skipping the yearly descale, an improper installation, or an uncontrolled recirculation pump.
8. Are you licensed? We are licensed, bonded and insured — our license is CSLB #1004038, and any contractor’s license can be checked on the Contractors State License Board site.

A recirculation pump keeps hot water close to the far fixtures, so it arrives in seconds instead of after a long wait, and less water runs down the drain while you wait for it. It works with a tankless water heater, but only on a unit built or approved for it and only with a timer, a push button or a temperature control, because a pump that runs uncontrolled cuts the heat exchanger warranty on some of the most common tankless units.

The pump moves the water sitting in the hot pipe back to the heater instead of letting it cool, either through a dedicated return line or, in most existing homes, through a crossover valve under the farthest sink that sends it back along the cold line. The trade-off is that the pump uses electricity and keeps the pipe warm: ENERGY STAR notes that a recirculation system that runs continuously can use more energy, in pumping and in heat lost from the pipes, than it saves, which is why a timer, a push button or an on-demand control matters. We install all three setups: the crossover valve under the far sink, a dedicated return line, and a tankless unit’s built-in pump. The pipe layout decides which one fits, so a circulating pump is quoted on site.

Yes, on the right unit and set up the right way. Some tankless models have a recirculation pump built in and others accept an external one, but the manufacturer’s warranty decides how it may run: on a Navien NPE, an uncontrolled recirculation pump cuts the heat exchanger warranty from 15 years to 5; Noritz limits its NR series heat exchanger to 12 years or 6,500 hours with a controlled pump and 3 years otherwise; and on the Noritz EZTR40, any recirculation system cuts the term to 3 years. We install both kinds, a unit with a built-in pump or an external pump on a return line or crossover valve, and a circulating pump is quoted on site, because the pipe layout decides what fits.

Replacing a storage tank with a tankless unit has a book price when the new unit can use the existing hookups. Noritz makes two models for exactly that: the EZTR40 replaces a 40-gallon tank and the EZTR50 replaces a 50-gallon tank.

Add-ons and code items such as the permit, earthquake straps, a gas sediment trap and venting are priced separately on our pricing page. A second-level or indoor installation carries a $249 surcharge. Book prices apply during normal business hours, Monday through Friday, 8 AM to 5 PM; pricing outside those hours or in an emergency is subject to change. We take calls 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Every installation is backed by a 1-year Water Heater Genius labor warranty on all connections. The unit carries the manufacturer’s warranty on top of that: 12 to 15 years on the heat exchanger for most residential tankless units. The two Noritz models we install at book price carry different terms: the EZTR50 has 25 years or 15,000 hours on the heat exchanger, and the EZTR40 has 12 years, both in a single-family home. Other parts are usually covered for 5 years. Registering the unit with the manufacturer is the homeowner’s step, and the deadline matters (A. O. Smith and Rinnai both give 90 days), so we go over the exact terms and the registration step before the work starts.

Every one of those warranties carries the same three conditions: professional installation (Rheem and Rinnai both say an improper install can void it), annual descaling (scale damage is excluded by all of them), and no uncontrolled recirculation pump, which cuts the heat exchanger term to 3 to 8 years; on the Noritz EZTR40, any recirculation system means 3 years. The descaling condition is the reason we put a yearly descale flush on the calendar the day we install. The labor column is each manufacturer’s own coverage and is separate from our 1-year labor warranty, which applies whichever brand you choose.