A tankless water heater heats water only when you turn on the tap. No 50-gallon tank sitting in your garage losing heat all day, no cold shower because someone else went first, and no 40-gallon flood when the tank finally rusts through. Premier Plumbing has installed and serviced water heaters across Hampton Roads since 1978.
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Why Hampton Roads Homes Are Good Candidates
Space is the first reason. A tankless unit mounts on the wall and frees up a closet or garage corner, which matters in the older homes around Ghent, Olde Towne Portsmouth, and South Norfolk where utility space was never generous.
The second is flood risk. If your current tank sits in a crawlspace or on a slab in a low-lying neighborhood, removing 50 gallons of standing water from the equation removes a real failure point.
The third is efficiency. Most households only need hot water a few hours a day. Heating a full tank around the clock is money leaving the building.
What a Correct Installation Involves
Tankless is not a swap-in-place job, and installers who treat it that way cause the callbacks. A proper installation includes:
- Gas line sizing. A tankless unit fires at 150,000–199,000 BTU versus roughly 40,000 for a tank. Many older homes have a 1/2″ line that must be upsized. We handle gas line work in-house.
- Correct venting. Condensing units need stainless or PVC venting run to code — not the old B-vent.
- Condensate drainage. High-efficiency units produce acidic condensate that needs a proper drain and neutralizer.
- Permits and inspection. Pulled in every city we work in. No exceptions.
- Descaling valves. Hampton Roads water leaves scale. Isolation valves make annual flushing a 30-minute job instead of a teardown.
Brands We Install
We install and service Rinnai Tankless Water Heaters. Rinnai is our most-requested line for residential retrofits — see our Rinnai installation, repair, and maintenance page. For homes without gas service, we spec high-efficiency electric and heat-pump alternatives instead of forcing a bad fit.
We service what we sell, including warranty work, error-code diagnosis, and annual descaling. Still weighing your options? Compare against a conventional tank water heater.
Our Service Area
Same-day and 24-hour emergency service throughout:
- Chesapeake — our home base, including Great Bridge, Western Branch, and Deep Creek
- Norfolk — Ghent, Colonial Place, Larchmont, and Downtown
- Virginia Beach — Oceanfront through Kempsville and Great Neck
- Portsmouth — Olde Towne, Churchland, and Cradock
- Suffolk — Harbour View, North Suffolk, and Downtown
Licensed, insured, bonded, flat-rate pricing, and financing available through Synchrony.
Common Questions
Do I need a bigger gas line for a tankless water heater?
Often yes. A tankless unit fires at 150,000 to 199,000 BTU compared to roughly 40,000 for a standard tank. Many older Norfolk and Portsmouth homes have a 1/2″ gas line that must be upsized to 3/4″ to supply the unit safely. We evaluate the line and meter capacity before quoting.
How long does a tankless water heater last?
A properly installed and annually descaled tankless unit typically lasts 20 years or more, roughly double a conventional tank. Skipping maintenance in a hard water area shortens that considerably, which is why we install isolation valves on every job.
Which cities does Premier Plumbing serve for tankless installation?
Premier Plumbing installs and services tankless water heaters throughout Chesapeake, Norfolk, Virginia Beach, Portsmouth, and Suffolk, Virginia, with same-day and 24-hour emergency service available.