What to expect replacing an aging boiler with a Rinnai i-Series condensing wall-hung unit in a North Vancouver hillside home.
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Quick answer
Replacing an old boiler with a Rinnai i-Series in North Vancouver typically means a licensed gas fitter removing the existing unit, updating venting to a sealed-combustion sidewall or roof termination, and commissioning the new condensing boiler under permit — usually a one to two day job depending on access.
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.
A lot of the boiler replacements we do in North Vancouver, whether inside the City or the District, involve swapping out an aging cast-iron atmospheric unit that vented up a masonry chimney for a Rinnai i-Series, a condensing wall-hung boiler offered in solo (heat-only) and combi configurations. The trigger is usually a combination of age, rising repair frequency, and the fact that a hillside mechanical room built decades ago wasn't designed around a modern sealed-combustion unit's venting or condensate needs.
North Vancouver's steep lots and heavier annual rainfall also factor into where the new vent terminates and how condensate is routed to a drain, both things a licensed fitter plans before the old unit even comes out.
The old boiler is disconnected from gas, water, and any chimney venting, and removed. If the old chimney was serving the boiler, it typically gets capped and the new i-Series vents instead through PVC or CPVC pipe to a sidewall or roof termination — this is one of the bigger differences homeowners notice, since it changes where warm exhaust vapour exits the house. The new unit is mounted, connected to the existing hydronic piping (with any needed updates), and a condensate line is run to an approved drain.
Commissioning includes checking gas pressure, combustion readings, and system pressure before the fitter walks you through basic operation.
A boiler replacement requires a gas permit, pulled through either the City of North Vancouver or the District of North Vancouver depending on your address — CANRO handles this as part of the job rather than leaving it to the homeowner. Given how many North Shore homes sit on sloped lots, an inspector may also want to confirm the new vent terminal has proper clearance from grade, windows, and any adjacent structures, especially where the slope changes that math from a flat-lot install.
Because the region gets significant rainfall, drainage around the new vent terminal and condensate discharge point gets extra attention during both install and inspection here.
Access is the biggest cost driver in a hillside home — a mechanical room reached by a straightforward basement stair costs less to work in than one requiring venting to be routed a longer distance to daylight on a sloped lot. Whether the old system needs hydronic piping updates for the new unit also affects the final number.
| Item | 2026 ballpark |
|---|---|
| Boiler install | $6,500–$14,000+ |
| Boiler replacement | $7,500–$15,000+ |
These are 2026 public-market ballparks for the region, not a quote — CANRO's certified technicians confirm your actual price after a short assessment of your specific mechanical room and system.
Once the i-Series is commissioned, the fitter walks you through basic day-to-day operation and hands over documentation for warranty registration — terms are set by the manufacturer, so it's worth reading your certificate rather than assuming standard coverage. Old boiler disposal is handled as part of the job; the unit is removed from the property and doesn't need to be dealt with separately.
On rebates, programs through FortisBC, CleanBC, BC Hydro, and the Government of Canada change from year to year, and the Canada Greener Homes Grant is closed as of this writing; a Greener Homes Loan or FortisBC/CleanBC programs may apply depending on your household and equipment, so confirm current eligibility directly with those programs rather than assuming what applied to a neighbour's install still applies to yours. A hillside North Vancouver property with a longer vent run or trickier access sometimes shifts where in the ballpark range the final price lands, and that gets discussed plainly during the assessment, not after the work is done.
Safety note
If you ever smell gas, hear a hissing sound near the boiler, or see soot or scorch marks around the burner compartment, leave the house and call FortisBC's emergency line at 1-800-663-9911 from outside before doing anything else. Do not try to relight a condensing boiler yourself if it has locked out on a flame-loss or ignition fault more than once.
Most straightforward swaps are done in one to two days; a hillside home needing a longer vent run or hydronic piping updates can take a bit longer.
No, a condensing boiler vents through a sealed sidewall or roof termination rather than an old masonry chimney, so the chimney is typically capped once it's no longer serving the boiler.
CANRO is a licensed gas contractor that installs and services Rinnai equipment; we don't represent ourselves as a factory-authorized dealer.
Yes, any boiler replacement needs a gas permit through the City or District of North Vancouver, and CANRO pulls that as part of the job.
In most cases the existing piping and radiators stay in place and connect to the new unit, though the fitter will flag if anything needs updating during the assessment.
Programs through FortisBC, CleanBC, and other bodies change and eligibility varies by equipment and household; confirm current eligibility directly rather than assuming a prior rebate still applies.
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