A Boulevard Bluffs house whose old tankless kept throwing error codes, replaced by Chase in one May visit
Location: Boulevard Bluffs, Everett, WA
Service: Tankless water heater replacement
Technician: Chase
In May 2026 a homeowner in Boulevard Bluffs called about a Bosch tankless water heater in the basement that kept throwing error codes. Several technicians had already come out with different ideas for fixing it, and none had held. He wanted a reliable unit instead, a Navien 240A2, and Chase installed it in one visit.
What We Did
Chase measured everything at the estimate. The existing three-quarter-inch gas line was large enough, so it would not have to move. The exhaust was 29 feet of three-inch PVC, the basement would supply the combustion air, and the only way in was a small door about 21 by 40 inches. The new unit's water connections sit at the bottom, so the lines would have to come out and down, and the condensate would need a pump to lift it about five feet over a run of about 16 feet.
On install day he removed the Bosch, mounted the Navien and reworked the water lines for the new layout. The old condensate line had never been glued together or properly supported, so he rebuilt it. He also re-pitched the vent so it slopes back toward the heater, as a condensing unit needs. The house already had a recirculation pump, so he set the Navien for external recirculation and to its intelligent mode. Then he bled the air out of the system, fired the unit, confirmed hot water at several fixtures, checked every water joint and bubble-tested the gas.
Why It Matters
- A unit that keeps failing is a decision, not another repair. After several visits with different fixes, replacement was the homeowner's call.
- Tankless units need their condensate handled. A line that is not glued or supported will leak, and a long run uphill needs a pump.
- Vent pitch matters. A condensing heater's exhaust has to slope back to the unit so the condensate drains where it should.
- Measure the doorway. A basement reached through a 21 by 40 inch door decides how the unit and materials get in.
Why Everett
Boulevard Bluffs sits on the bluff above Mukilteo Boulevard, and many of its houses keep the water heater in a basement or a tall crawl space reached through a small door. Our shop in Old Town Mukilteo is about ten minutes away.
Tankless heater that will not stay fixed? Call and tell us the error code and the unit, and we will tell you whether it is worth another repair. Related: water heater replacement in Everett · tankless water heaters · plumbing in Everett · water heater questions, answered