An indirect water heater tied to a home's boiler in Langley is priced within the $6,500 to $14,000+ boiler install range, not as a standalone appliance.
Tell us what you need—we’ll call you back fast.
Quick answer
An indirect water heater doesn't have its own burner — it uses your home's boiler to heat a separate storage tank, so its cost falls inside a boiler installation, typically $6,500 to $14,000 or more depending on the system. That's a 2026 public market ballpark, not a quote — the CANRO office and our certified gas technicians confirm the real number based on your boiler and household hot water demand.
Need a licensed gas fitter for your gas boiler? Call CANRO at (604) 359-1081 — residential natural-gas heating and hot water across Metro Vancouver since 1999.
An indirect water heater is a storage tank with no burner of its own. Hot water from the home's boiler circulates through a coil or heat exchanger inside the tank, transferring heat to the water stored there, and a control system cycles the boiler to keep the tank at temperature. This is different from a standard gas storage tank, which has its own dedicated burner, and different again from a combi boiler, which heats water on demand without storing it at all. Indirect systems are most common in Langley homes that already have — or are installing — a boiler for hydronic heat, since adding an indirect tank to an existing boiler is usually more efficient than running a separate standalone gas water heater alongside it.
Older Fort Langley and Murrayville character homes with cast-iron radiator systems are a natural fit for this, since the boiler is already there doing the heavy lifting for space heating.
| Scenario | Typical range | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| New boiler sized to include an indirect tank | $6,500–$14,000+ | Full boiler install range applies since the tank is part of the system |
| Adding an indirect tank to an existing boiler with spare capacity | Labour-based | Priced by labour hours ($95–$165/h) plus the tank and coil hardware |
| Diagnostic / sizing visit | $90–$150 | Confirms whether your existing boiler has capacity for an indirect tank |
The honest first question isn't the tank's price — it's whether your current boiler, if you already have one, has enough spare capacity to also heat an indirect tank without struggling to keep up with both space heating and hot water demand at the same time. A boiler that's already sized close to its limit for radiators or baseboards may need to be upsized or replaced to take on an indirect tank properly, which folds the tank cost into a larger boiler project rather than a smaller add-on.
For a home that already has a boiler running efficiently for space heat, an indirect tank is often a sensible way to get hot water without maintaining a second gas-burning appliance and its own venting. For a home without a boiler at all, installing one purely to gain an indirect water heater is a much bigger commitment than a standard gas storage tank, and rarely makes sense unless hydronic space heating is also part of the plan.
Safety note
An indirect water heater is tied into a natural-gas-fired boiler system, and any work on the boiler, its controls, or gas connections must be performed by a Technical Safety BC licensed gas fitter — CANRO holds gas licence LGA0043870 and boiler licence LBP0046450. If you ever smell gas near your mechanical room, leave the home immediately and call FortisBC's emergency line at 1-800-663-9911 before doing anything else.
Not on its own — it only makes financial sense as an add-on to a home that already has, or is installing, a boiler for space heating. Without a boiler already in the picture, a standard gas tank is the simpler and cheaper option.
Sometimes, if the boiler has spare capacity for the added hot water load. A diagnostic visit confirms whether your current system can take it on or needs upsizing first.
No — since it has no burner of its own, it doesn't need separate venting. It relies entirely on the boiler's existing combustion and venting system.
A combi boiler heats water on demand with no storage tank; an indirect system stores heated water in a tank. Both use the same boiler for space heat, but they handle hot water differently.
Often, yes, particularly in homes already running a boiler for cast-iron radiators, since the infrastructure to support it is already largely in place.
Sizing depends on household hot water demand and the boiler's output — a technician can walk through fixture count and usage patterns to recommend an appropriate size rather than guessing.
Family-run, TSBC-licensed (gas LGA0043870 · boiler LBP0046450), serving Metro Vancouver homes since 1999. Residential, natural gas only.
Call (604) 359-1081 Email info@canroheat.ca“Canro does an amazing job! Super professional and skilled with everything—boilers, furnaces, and AC. Always a pleasure working with them!”
“Five stars for Canro. We needed a replacement of a 30-year-old boiler. A new high-efficiency unit was installed—clean, professional work.”
“I can’t speak highly enough about George, who was recommended for a boiler service call for my parents’ home. George is excellent.”
25+ years keeping Metro Vancouver homes comfortable. Honest advice, upfront pricing, work that lasts.