Electric Tankless Water Heaters in Richmond, VA
Electric tankless water heaters skip the gas line and the vent, which makes them simpler to place in Richmond-area homes without gas service. The tradeoff is how much electricity they need. Here's how to tell whether electric makes sense for your home.
Why people choose electric
- No gas line, no venting, and no combustion, so they can go almost anywhere with room for the unit.
- They are compact and quiet.
- Small point-of-use models can serve a single sink or bathroom far from the main water heater.
The big question is your electrical panel
A whole-home electric tankless unit can draw 100 amps or more at full output, often across several large breakers. Many homes do not have that much spare capacity, so an electric conversion can mean a service or panel upgrade, which adds cost and time. Have a licensed electrician check your panel before you commit.
Winter matters more for electric
Every tankless unit has to heat incoming water up to your set temperature, and incoming water is colder in winter. Whole-home electric units have less heating power than large gas units, so a model that handles two showers in summer may only keep up with one in January. Sizing for winter is the key.
Licensing and permits
The electrical work requires a contractor with the electrical (ELE) classification, or a licensed electrician working with your installer, and usually a permit. Who installs tankless water heaters in Richmond explains which licenses to look for.
Whole-home or point-of-use
Whole-home electric units are sized to serve the entire house and draw the most power. Point-of-use units are much smaller, serve one sink, bathroom, or addition, and can sometimes run on a single circuit. A point-of-use unit can be a practical fix for a far bathroom with a long wait for hot water, even in a house with a gas water heater.
The math on amps
Electric tankless units are rated in kilowatts. A 27-kilowatt whole-home unit running at 240 volts draws about 112 amps at full output, often split across three double-pole breakers. That's why many whole-home electric units call for 200-amp electrical service, and why homes with 100- or 150-amp service often need an upgrade first. The unit's installation manual lists the exact breakers and wire sizes it needs.
How much hot water an electric unit can deliver
That same 27-kilowatt unit can deliver roughly 2.6 gallons per minute when it has to raise the water 70 degrees, and closer to 3.7 gallons per minute with a 50-degree rise. A typical shower head uses up to 2.5 gallons per minute, so in winter a whole-home electric unit may handle one shower comfortably but struggle with two showers and a dishwasher at once. A large gas unit, for comparison, delivers roughly 5 gallons per minute at the same 70-degree rise. See gas tankless water heaters.
Electric tankless or a heat pump water heater?
If your home has no gas, electric tankless isn't the only option. A heat pump water heater stores hot water in a tank but heats it by moving heat from the surrounding air, and typically uses a fraction of the electricity of a standard electric tank. It needs more space and works best in a garage or basement, but it can avoid a panel upgrade. Ask your contractor to compare the two for your home.
What commonly goes wrong with electric installs
- Skipping a load calculation and finding out later that the panel can't support the unit.
- Wire or breakers smaller than the manual requires.
- Choosing a unit by its maximum flow instead of its winter flow.
- Very low-flow fixtures that don't reach the unit's minimum flow to turn on.
On cost, Angi's 2026 national data puts a typical tankless installation at about $1,400 to $3,900. A service or panel upgrade is priced separately and can add significantly, so get it quoted before you commit.
Electric tankless questions
Will an electric tankless water heater raise my power bill?
It draws a lot of power while it runs, but only while hot water is flowing, and it avoids the standby losses of keeping a tank hot. Whether your bill goes up or down depends mostly on how much hot water your household uses and what the unit replaces.
What size breakers does an electric tankless need?
It depends on the model. Whole-home units often need two to four double-pole breakers, while point-of-use units need far less. The installation manual lists the exact sizes, and a licensed electrician should confirm your panel can carry them.
Is electric tankless a good choice for a whole house in Richmond?
It can be for smaller households with modest hot water use and enough electrical capacity. Larger households that run several showers at once in winter are usually better served by gas tankless, a heat pump water heater, or a tank.
Does an electric tankless unit need venting?
No. Electric units have no combustion, so there's no vent and no gas line, which is a big part of their appeal.
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