Tankless Water Heater in Fountain Hills, AZ

Why does Fountain Hills water matter for a tankless unit?

The Town doesn't run a water utility. EPCOR's Chaparral City district serves Fountain Hills and part of Scottsdale with Colorado River water from the Central Arizona Project, mixed with Lake Pleasant water and groundwater pumped from beneath the town. EPCOR's report puts hardness at approximately 16 grains per gallon, with chlorine disinfection. At that level, calcium and magnesium build up quickly in the narrow passages of a tankless heat exchanger, cutting flow and triggering overheat codes. Isolation valves for an annual flush are the minimum; many owners pair the heater with a softener or a scale-control cartridge.

Who handles permits and inspections?

Town of Fountain Hills Building Safety, part of the Planning and Zoning Department, processes construction permit applications through TOPPS, the Town's online permitting system. Its page doesn't list water heater rules specifically, so the plumber should confirm whether a tankless conversion needs a permit, particularly if the gas line is being upsized or a new vent goes through the roof or wall. Building Safety is at 16705 E Avenue of the Fountains, 480-816-5123.

What should I know about gas and placement?

Southwest Gas serves the town. A whole-house gas tankless unit at full fire uses much more gas than a tank, so the line from the meter often needs to be checked and sometimes enlarged. Many owners choose an outdoor-rated unit on an exterior wall to avoid running vent pipe through finished space; it needs a nearby outlet, and in a rare winter freeze its built-in protection only works with power. Indoor units need a dedicated sealed vent and, for condensing models, a drain for the condensate.

A Fountain Hills note

If you smell gas near the heater or anywhere in the house, leave first, then call 911 and Southwest Gas at 877-860-6020 from outside. Sewer issues are a separate matter for the Fountain Hills Sanitary District, which handles wastewater rather than the Town or EPCOR. When you call the number on this page, you'll be connected with an independent plumber who works in Fountain Hills; have the heater's label, your EPCOR bill and a count of bathrooms ready so the plumber can suggest a size and a scale plan on the first visit.