Tankless hot water cleaning and descaling... cost? what did you pay?

[Anonymous]

Yes I know there are youtube videos out there on how to do it yourself, but frankly they look a little complicated and I'd have to purchase tools anyway.

What did you pay to have your tankless hot water heater cleaned as part of regular maintenance? Brand is Navian, if it matters.

[Anonymous]

No one here has a tankless hot water heater? And no one has paid to clean it??

[Anonymous]

I think it was 400 per tank (we have 2 Navien).

[Anonymous]

$500 for a full flush. We have only had it for a year so paid that once. Seemed like too much. The person who did it, said ours was surprisingly clean so I am not sure if we will keep doing it every year?

[Anonymous]

I have literally never even heard of this and I have a tankless. We've never done it in the 3 years we've had it and it's fine. I'll google!

[Anonymous]

I finally remembered to ask my DH your question.

We have a plumber buddy and he and my DH service our tankless water heater once a year.

My part in it all is that before they do whatever it is they do, I buy 2 half gallon containers of vinegar. While they are doing whatever it is they do, I go to the rib place and pick up lunch for us all.

I just asked my husband what it is he and plumber buddy do. He said they unscrew the cover on the part of the water heater that is outside. Then they clean all the contacts with a dollar bill. Then they shut off the water feed to the water heater. Then they flush it all out with vinegar. Our plumber buddy has some type of re-circulator machine thingie that he puts in a bucket and the machine runs the vinegar through the water heater several times.

Then they eat lunch. Then they do it all again. Then they everything back together. Then they are done.

The yard and the water all smell like vinegar for a few days afterward.

We have had our tankless water heater at least 10 years. It uses natural gas. We live in an area of the U.S. where it only gets below freezing temps about 20 days a year so it is fine in our area that most of the tankless water heater is outside. Also, we have one of those basic tankless kind of water heaters where it takes 2 - 3 minutes before the hot water gets to the faucets in the house.

[Anonymous]

refused to pay for it. my DH figured it out and it was like a hose, vinegar, and a big bucket. ALso couldn't find anyone in our area to do it.