# Trying to find a good gas fitter in Hamilton to install hot water tank



## Addy (Mar 12, 2010)

My brother wants to get rid of his Enbridge hot water tank rental as it seems a rip off. My brother lives in Hamilton and works 7 days a week 12 hour shifts so he has asked me to try and find a gasfitter who will install a hot water tank. I live about six hours from Hamilton and would prefer if possible to find a good gasfitter for a reasonable price rather than dealing with the big companies. Does anyone here have a recommendation for me?


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## crazyjackcsa (Aug 8, 2010)

Try kijiji or the classifieds. Hamilton is full of trades people, some working some retired. It's an offshoot of (what's left of) the steel industry there. My dad recently retired (pipefitter/gasfitter) and while he doesn't have any plans to get into it, he says a lot of them continue working small jobs, side businesses or the like. If you want, message me your brother's email, I'll pass it over to my dad, he knows a lot of good ones.


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## Addy (Mar 12, 2010)

Thanks crazyjackca, I replied to your pm.


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## mind_business (Sep 24, 2011)

You could always try this website: http://www.ontariocontractors.com/


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## marina628 (Dec 14, 2010)

Make sure old one goes back to Gas company or they will continue to charge for it ,I think they charge $75 to return it.


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## carverman (Nov 8, 2010)

marina628 said:


> Make sure old one goes back to Gas company or they will continue to charge for it ,I think they charge $75 to return it.


The gas company( Enbridge) doesn't handle any more hot water tank rentals. Direct Energy took over the hot water tank rentals a few years ago, so if you have a (implied) contract with them, there could also be a cancellation fee which may or may not included the pickup of their rental tank.

I own my own HWT, bought it from H-D back in 2000 when Enbridge was getting out the tank rental business. Enbridge was offering cancellation of their hwt rental contracts at no charge at time + free pickup of the old rental tank, but not disconnection from your water system, which you had to do yourself or pay somebody
to do it for you. 

I self installed my own tank and got Enbridge to inspect the gas connections.

Mine is 12 years old now and still ok, but when it comes time to replace it, I will buy another one from H-D and arrange for H-D to have somebody install the new tank at an extra cost, of course.


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## marina628 (Dec 14, 2010)

Actually had to go into my husband's office today(HVAC Company) and asked the process ,you need to get Return Authorization form first you cant just drop it off.This is mainly so they have paper trail so you wont have billing issues down the road.


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## carverman (Nov 8, 2010)

marina628 said:


> Actually had to go into my husband's office today(HVAC Company) and asked the process ,you need to get Return Authorization form first you cant just drop it off.This is mainly so they have paper trail so you wont have billing issues down the road.


If the person in question has an existing hwt contract with Direct Energy, they cannot just remove the Direct Energy hwt and substitute their own hwt. They either have to *buy out* the hwt from Direct Energy at their determined price...(which may be cheaper in the long run than having to remove, buy a new tank, and install the tank)...
or pay some kind of *termination fee* (if applicable) to break the hwt rental contract with Direct Energy.

This link explains the options.
http://residential.directenergy.com...uments/Pre-Sept-15th-Terms-and-Conditions.pdf


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## Ponderling (Mar 1, 2013)

While replacing my 40 year old forced air furnace 9 years ago, I inquired about buying out my 40 US Gallon gas fired B vent rental water heater that came with the house.

It was 12 years old, so I thought it was worth the ask. Well they wanted $140 to do the buy out. I don't think so was my reply. Take it out - oh that was something like $60. How much if I return it to your depot - oh that is no charge. OK. 

I plumbed in a few water shut offs that were lacking, and I disconnected and drained it the day before the new furnace was being installed. I made a deal that the furnace guys would sign off and connect the new hot water tank gas line when they were changing the b venting to remove the old furnace connection. At the time on demand tankless units were really expensive - like $2000, so I spent $300 for a new 40US gallon tank, and installed low flow shower heads and faucet aireators. WE have lots of hot water wit the current set up.

The next one will be tankless, but for now all is fine.

Then I bought a gas stove, and try to find a fitter to come and put one connection in. Good luck. There is a guy in the phone book advertising the service, and I accepted his $180 quote for one connection and he never came despite 2 follow up calls, and leaving the scheduling to fit him best for 6 weeks.

In the end I worked the pressure drop calcs, sized the piping and tubing, bought the parts, and swaging tool needed for the copper and the right fittings, and up-sized per the calculated needs of the manifold up-sized needs where all of the gas shut offs tap off. 

Then bought a case of premium beer, and put the word out to my commercial spaces electrician mate who lives 2 doors down that the beer was for the first gas fitter of the heating guys he works with who would swing past to inspect, and if necessary, tell me how to fix the stuff I had done to bring it up to code, and once he was happy put his ticket on it. 

Two days later his bloke pooped in after calling, looked it over, took apart a few swagged fittings to see I had them with the right amount of flanged pipe material in the fittings, and said I had done a better job that most commercial guys. They would have not up-sized the manifold part, even though by rights it would have been overloaded.

Pressure tested it, no leaks, and sealed the work. 

Yes, a hassle, but the stove gas line installed for 2 hours of on site install by me, and the time spent going to the beer store (we are more wine drinkers). 
For less money than the specialist guy who quoted me, even after buying the right tools, twice as much copper tubing as I needed in the roll size available to me, and the case of beer.


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## canabiz (Apr 4, 2009)

We are considering buying our tank outright from Reliance.

We took possession of our new build last year and the 1-year mark is fast approaching. I called Reliance earlier and I was told it would cost me $1,210 + HST to buy the tank outright. It is a power-vented Rheem model. We are paying $24.66 + HST per month for rental and we do plan to stay here for the long haul so the rental cost will pay for the tank in just 4 years. They asked me if I am interested in staying with them for another year and I would get 1 month credit, i told them let me crunch some #s and get back later ;-)

There will be some costs associated with this e.g. $40 for inspection and account closure. $125 if they have to drain and $65 to remove and pick up the tank (or we can drop it off) if we decide to go with another model. We will of course be on our own with respect to maintenance and warranty but I am hoping this newer unit will be reliable enough. I was told the lifespan for this unit is about 16 years.

I will be doing some research and will also consider going tankless. From past discussions, I am not sure if it any more energy-efficient than regular tank but it does save a lot of space which will come in handy if and when we are ready to finish our basement. But it is almost more costly (~3K from what I gather).


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## Ponderling (Mar 1, 2013)

I own my own conventionally vented heater. The economics did not make sense to me up front almost 10 years ago to go tankless. it was about $300, versus $3000 back then.

You have a power vented option, so don't have the air infiltration heat losses that I do by having a naturally vented B vent on the water heater.
When this heater goes, I may go power vented just to be able to decommission and seal off the b vent.
That should cut the amount of cold air that gets sucked into the house in the winter as warmed air goes up the vent.

Life of tanks can be extended by draining the crud off of the bottom of the tank on a semi regualr basis. 
Consider finding a spare drain plug when the tank is new, because the draining is recommended but the tank drain gasket does not actually last and fully seal after 6 or so years of annual drains. 

I drain it - maybe a 10l amount into the floor drain about 10' away after we com back from summer vacation, before turning the tank back up from low idle. 
I actually leave a section of garden hose hooked up, after one of my watering hoses did not survive old age under pressure service well.
The hose developed a number of pin holes. Well, no pin holes on the low pressure drain duty. 

There is a sacrifical anode in the tank. In GTA I have found the water here is not fast to attack them. 
I pulled mine to look at it after 5 years, and it looked new.

Some water environments attack them a lot faster, and once the scraficial is eaten up, the corrosion potential turns its attention to the tank walls, and then a leak will soon follow.
Talk to the plumbing supply guy at the home improvement store, or better yet the plumbing wholesaler in the area. 
They will know if sacarfical anodes are a moving item in your area.
If they are, look to change yours on a regluar, say ever 5 year basis if you want your tank to last the longest.


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