Endless Hot Water for Your SC Midlands Home

A tankless water heater heats water on demand — no storage tank, no standby losses, and no running out of hot water in the middle of a long shower. Conner Plumbing of the Midlands installs, repairs, and services tankless (also called on-demand) water heaters for homeowners in Irmo, Chapin, Lexington, Columbia, West Columbia, and Cayce. We’ve been the go-to plumbers in the Midlands since 2016, and tankless installs are one of our most-requested upgrades.

If your old 40- or 50-gallon tank water heater is on its last leg, you don’t have to replace it with the same outdated technology. A properly sized tankless unit can supply your entire home with on-demand hot water, recover floor space in your garage or utility closet, and last roughly twice as long as a traditional tank.

[Photo placeholder — tankless unit mounted on wall, neat install]

Why Midlands Homeowners Are Switching to Tankless

The water in our part of South Carolina runs hard, and traditional tank water heaters in Irmo, Chapin, and the surrounding areas often suffer from sediment buildup that shortens their lifespan to 8–12 years. Tankless units don’t store water, so they sidestep most of that wear. Combined with the energy savings — most tankless heaters are 24–34% more efficient than tank units in homes that use less than 41 gallons of hot water per day, according to the U.S. Department of Energy — the appeal becomes obvious.

Local benefits we hear from customers across the Midlands:

• No more cold-shower mornings. Multiple bathrooms running at once is no problem with a properly sized unit.
• Lower monthly utility bills. No more reheating 50 gallons of water all day long while you’re at work.
• Reclaimed floor space. Tankless units mount on the wall and free up an entire closet or corner of the garage.
• Longer equipment life. A well-maintained tankless heater can run 20+ years versus 8–12 for a tank in our hard-water Midlands service area.
• Cleaner hot water. No tank means no sediment circulating into your fixtures.

Our Tankless Installation Process

We don’t just swap units — we make sure the install is sized, vented, and connected correctly so you get every benefit the equipment was built for.

1. Free in-home estimate. A licensed Conner technician comes out, looks at your gas line, electric panel, and venting, asks how your family uses hot water, and recommends the right size unit (measured in GPM, not gallons).
2. Flat written quote — no surprise fees. You’ll see the full price in writing before we start. We do not work on a hidden-fee model.
3. Permits and code compliance. Tankless installs in Lexington and Richland counties require permits and must meet South Carolina mechanical and gas codes. We pull every permit ourselves.
4. Removal and disposal of your old tank. We haul away the old unit; you don’t have to deal with it.
5. Gas line, venting, and condensate work. Tankless units typically need a larger gas line, fresh stainless or PVC venting, and a condensate drain. We size and install all of it — if your home needs a gas line upgrade, we handle that too.
6. Commissioning and walkthrough. Before we leave, we test the unit at every fixture, set the temperature for your household, and walk you through filter cleaning and the error-code panel.

[Photo placeholder — tech connecting gas line to unit]

Tankless Water Heater Repair

Already have a tankless unit and it’s not behaving? Common issues we fix in the Midlands:

• Cold-water sandwich (cold burst between hot uses) — usually a recirculation or flow-sensor issue
• Error codes (most commonly C7, 11, 12, 14, 99 across Rinnai, Navien, Rheem, and Noritz units) — diagnosed and resolved on-site when possible
• Scale buildup — flush service to clear hard-water mineral deposits from the heat exchanger
• Ignition failures — gas pressure, vent blockage, or flame-rod problems
• Low or no hot water — flow sensor, thermistor, or filter issues
• Leaking unit — heat exchanger, fitting, or pressure-relief valve

We service and repair all major brands, including Rinnai, Navien, Rheem, Noritz, Bosch, EcoSmart, and Bradford White. Tankless units running cold or making noise can sometimes be a symptom of broader plumbing issues — if you’re also seeing a sudden water bill spike or low pressure across multiple fixtures, ask us about slab leak detection while we’re on-site.

Annual Maintenance Keeps the Warranty Valid

Most tankless manufacturers require an annual descaling/flush to keep the warranty intact. The hard water across Irmo, Chapin, Lexington, and Columbia makes that especially important here. Our annual maintenance visit includes:

• Vinegar or commercial descaler flush of the heat exchanger
• Inlet filter clean
• Burner and flame-rod inspection
• Vent and condensate drain check
• Combustion analysis and error-log review

Skip the flush for a few years and you’re looking at premature failure on a unit that should easily last two decades.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long does a tankless water heater last?

With annual maintenance, 20+ years is typical. Compare that to 8–12 years for a tank water heater in the Midlands’ hard-water conditions.

Will a tankless unit really save me money?

For most Midlands households, yes — but the savings show up in energy bills over time, not in the install price. The DOE estimates 24–34% efficiency gains for homes using under 41 gal/day, and 8–14% for higher-use households.

Do I need to upgrade my gas line?

Often yes. Tankless units pull more gas at peak demand than a tank does. We check this during the free estimate and include any upgrades in the written quote — learn more on our gas line installation page.

Can a tankless heater serve my whole house?

Almost always — if it’s sized correctly. We calculate peak GPM demand based on your fixtures and pick a unit that handles every shower, dishwasher, and washing machine running at once.

Do you service the brand I already have?

Yes — Rinnai, Navien, Rheem, Noritz, Bosch, EcoSmart, Bradford White, and others. We work on whatever’s on your wall.