Cold shower this morning, water pooling under the tank, pilot out, error code on the tankless unit? HVAC Services Ottawa is a water heater repair service in Ottawa that handles repair, installation and replacement of gas and electric tanks and tankless hot water heaters — Rheem, Bradford White, A.O. Smith, GSW, Navien, Rinnai, John Wood — in Orléans, Kanata, Nepean, Barrhaven, Gloucester and Stittsville. New tanks on the truck, rental units swapped for one you own, flat-rate price in writing.
When to call
If the tank is leaking, close the cold-water valve on top and switch off the breaker or gas before you call. Everything else can wait for the technician.
Electric: burnt element, thermostat or tripped high-limit. Gas: pilot out, thermocouple, gas valve. Usually repaired on the first visit.
Lower element dead so only the top half heats, broken dip tube, sediment taking a third of the tank, or a tank too small for the household.
A drip from a fitting or the relief valve is a repair. Water from the bottom seam isn't: the tank is rusted through and we replace it the same day, before the basement floods.
Gas tank: pilot won't stay lit, thermocouple. Tankless: code 11, 12, 29 or an E-code depending on brand, usually air intake, low flow or scale in the exchanger.
Hardened sediment on the bottom with water boiling under it. A flush fixes it; left alone, the lower element overheats and the tank floor fatigues.
Brown water on the hot side only: the anode rod is spent and the tank is starting to rust. Sulphur smell: bacteria in the tank, common on wells in Greely and Carp. Anode replaced, tank sanitized.
A 60-gallon tank that splits dumps 230 litres on the floor, and the cold feed keeps coming until someone closes the valve. A family with no hot water on a Saturday can't wait for Monday. We come the same day, Orléans to Kanata, with a new tank on the truck if yours can't be saved.
Which one do you have?
All three give you hot water; they fail differently and need different parts. The label on the unit tells you which one you have.
Most common
The 40- or 60-gallon cylinder in the basement corner. Gas (Enbridge) in most of Kanata, Barrhaven and Orléans; electric in condos and rural homes. Cheap to fix, but 8 to 12 years is the lifespan. Rheem, Bradford White, A.O. Smith, GSW, Giant, John Wood.
On demand
Wall-hung, heats as you use it, unlimited hot water, up to 20 years. Gas units (Navien, Rinnai) need a proper gas line and venting; electric ones often need a panel upgrade. Needs annual descaling with Ottawa's hard water. We repair and install both.
Heat + hot water
One gas unit that heats the house through radiators or in-floor loops and makes domestic hot water. Common in the Glebe, Westboro and newer infill. When it fails you lose both. Typical faults: scaled plate exchanger, diverter valve, flow sensor. See also our boiler repair page.
Ontario homeowners
Most Ottawa homes built after 1995 came with a rental tank, and the monthly fee is still on the gas bill 15 years later. Over the life of a tank, rent typically adds up to two or three times the price of buying one. And when a rental leaks, you wait for the rental company's schedule, not yours.
Term, buyout amount, return conditions. We tell you what to look for before you call them.
Tank or tankless, sized to your household, same day in most cases.
Drained and disconnected; you schedule the return and the monthly charge stops.
Your new unit is covered by the manufacturer warranty; we register it in your name.
New and replacement
Capacity chosen by people and bathrooms, not by what's on the shelf. Old unit out, new one in, relief valve, drain pan, expansion tank where code requires, fired up and tested.
01
New build, finished basement, secondary suite, cottage in Carp. Gas line, venting and drain planned before the unit is ordered.
02
Tank past 10–12 years, first leak from the seam, or rusty hot water: replaced the same day with a like-for-like tank or an upgrade, old one hauled away.
03
Switching from a tank to on-demand: we check gas supply, vent route and water hardness first, then install Navien or Rinnai with an isolation kit so it can be descaled every year.
Every one to two years
Ottawa water leaves scale. A tank that's never been flushed loses a third of its capacity in five years; a tankless unit that's never been descaled loses its manufacturer warranty.
Sediment drained from the bottom; ends the popping, protects the lower element.
The rod rusts so the tank doesn't; replaced when it's eaten through.
Exchanger flushed with descaling solution, inlet filter and burner cleaned.
Relief valve tested, temperature set, fittings and gas venting checked.
Honest call
The manufacture date is on the label. Many Ontario insurers won't cover water damage from a tank older than 10–12 years, so check your policy before paying to repair an old one.
Commercial
Restaurants on Elgin and Preston that can't run a dishwasher without 60 °C water, salons in Westboro, gyms, daycares, apartment buildings in Vanier with one central tank for twenty units. A commercial water heater down means closing. We repair and replace high-recovery tanks, cascaded tankless units and large gas heaters, with maintenance contracts for buildings.
Every brand sold in Ontario, OEM parts whenever the manufacturer warranty requires them.
FAQ
An element, thermostat or thermocouple is a small repair; a gas valve or tankless board is the middle; a leaking tank is a replacement. We don't quote blind: the technician diagnoses on site and gives you a flat-rate price in writing before touching anything.
From a fitting on top, the relief valve or an element gasket, yes. From the bottom or side of the tank, no: the steel is rusted through and it's a hot water tank replacement. Close the cold valve, cut power or gas, and call; we bring a new one.
For a busy household with gas service, usually yes: unlimited hot water, 20-year lifespan, no 60-gallon tank taking up floor space. It costs more to install and needs yearly descaling with our hard water. For a one-bathroom condo on electric, a tank is often the better buy. We look at the house before recommending.
Yes. You check the term and buyout in your rental contract, we install your own tank or tankless unit and leave the rental disconnected for pickup. Over ten years, owning is usually far cheaper than the monthly rental fee on the Enbridge bill.
A tank, 8 to 12 years; a well-maintained tankless, 15 to 20. The manufacture date is on the label. Many Ontario insurers require replacement of a tank after 10 or 12 years to cover water damage, which is worth knowing before you repair an old one.
Yes, every part of Ottawa plus Manotick, Greely, Carp, Rockland and Kemptville. Gas and electric tanks, tankless water heater installation, residential and commercial, 24/7. The technician nearest to you is dispatched; most installs are done the same day.
Same-day water heater repair or replacement, flat-rate price in writing. 24/7.
Book a service
Furnace, heat pump, boiler or water heater: leave your details and we'll call back to set a time and give you a flat-rate price.
No heat, no hot water, AC down: our emergency line answers 24/7, anywhere in Ottawa.
(613) 701-6014We call back within the hour. For emergencies call (613) 701-6014.
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Reviews
Gas and electric tanks, tankless units and rental swaps in Orléans, Kanata, Nepean, Barrhaven, Gloucester and Stittsville.
Puddle around the tank on a Sunday morning, 13 years old. I searched "water heater repair near me" and HVAC Services Ottawa answered on the first ring. They walked me through closing the valve on the phone, then the tech showed up with a 60-gallon tank on a hand truck. Old one gone, hot water back before dinner.
Janet W.
Gloucester
Mar 15, 2026
Electric tank giving five minutes of lukewarm water then cold. Another company said replace it. Their tech tested both elements: the bottom one was burnt and the tank was half full of sediment. New element, full flush, one hour, and he showed me the old calcified element. Honest Ottawa water heater repair.
Kevin B.
Nepean
Jan 22, 2026
Tankless water heater installation in Kanata for a family of five, replacing an old 40-gallon tank. They checked the gas line and vent route before recommending the Navien, installed in a day with an isolation kit for descaling, and explained the yearly flush with our hard water. No more cold showers at 7 a.m. Manufacturer warranty registered for us.
Sandra P.
Kanata
May 8, 2026
Gas water heater pilot kept going out every night. Googled "hot water heater installation near me" expecting to need a new one; they were the only ones who could come that evening in Orléans. Turned out to be a thermocouple, swapped in twenty minutes, burner cleaned while he was there. Saved me a tank I didn't need.
Luc T.
Orléans
Nov 3, 2026
We'd been renting our tank for nine years without ever doing the math. They showed me I'd paid for almost two new heaters. Hot water tank replacement with our own Rheem 60-gallon, and they told me exactly what to ask the rental company before returning the old one. Monthly charge gone from the Enbridge bill.
Michelle A.
Barrhaven
Jun 17, 2026
Commercial gas water heater died at our restaurant on Preston Street, Friday 11 a.m., dishwasher down, health inspector due Monday. HVAC Services Ottawa had a high-recovery tank installed and tested at 60 °C before the dinner rush. They now flush both our units every fall. Fast, and they understood what a closed kitchen costs.
Dimitri K.
Little Italy · restaurant
Feb 27, 2026
Service area
Orléans to Kanata, Barrhaven to Rockland, 24/7. We dispatch the technician closest to your address, not whoever is free first.
Don't see your area? (613) 701-6014, we likely cover it.
East
Orléans, Cumberland, Rockland
West
Kanata, Stittsville, Carp
South
Barrhaven, Riverside South, Manotick
Central
Glebe, Westboro, Centretown, Old Ottawa South
Nepean & Gloucester
Nepean, Gloucester, Vanier, Sandy Hill
Rural
Greely, Richmond, Embrun, Russell, Kemptville
