Not every RE series component is equally easy to get - here's what a Metro Vancouver technician typically has on the truck versus what needs ordering.
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Quick answer
Common wear parts for the RE series - igniters, flame sensors, inlet filter screens - are generally straightforward to source through Rinnai's Canadian parts network, and a well-stocked technician often carries them on the truck. Larger components like a full heat exchanger or control board can take longer to arrive, which is one of several factors that goes into the repair-versus-replace conversation on an older unit.
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For the parts that fail most often - flame sensors, igniters, inlet water filter screens, and common gaskets - a technician doing regular tankless service work typically carries stock or can get them from a local supplier within a day. These are the repairs most homeowners experience, and they're rarely the ones held up waiting on parts.
Bigger, more expensive components - a full heat exchanger assembly, a specific control board revision, certain venting adapters for older install configurations - aren't stocked on every truck because they're needed far less often and represent significant inventory cost to carry speculatively. When one of these is the confirmed fix, your technician will give you an honest sense of expected timing rather than a guess, since it depends on what's currently in the regional supply chain.
This is also where unit age becomes relevant to parts, not just to the unit's general condition. As Rinnai's lineup has shifted toward condensing platforms in recent years, sourcing for older non-condensing components can take longer than it did when the RE series was newer to market - not because the parts have vanished, but because distributor stock naturally weights toward current-production lines.
Parts timing on its own is rarely the deciding factor in whether to repair or replace, but it does matter when it's combined with other signals - if a unit needs a hard-to-source heat exchanger and it's already had a couple of other repairs, that combination tips the conversation toward replacement faster than either factor alone would. Your technician will lay out realistic timing alongside cost so you can weigh living without hot water for longer against the price difference honestly.
The part itself and the labour to install it still fall within the typical tankless repair ballpark of $250-$900 for 2026, regardless of how long it took to source - availability affects timing, not the repair price. A diagnostic or service call is $90-$150 and is typically credited toward the eventual repair. CANRO's certified technicians confirm actual costs after assessing your specific unit.
Safety note
If you smell gas, hear a hissing sound near the water heater, or a carbon monoxide alarm sounds, leave the house immediately and call FortisBC at 1-800-663-9911 from outside before doing anything else. Do not try to relight a gas appliance yourself, and do not use the water heater again until a Technical Safety BC licensed gas fitter has cleared it.
It's usually better to let the technician confirm the exact part number and source it, since an incorrect revision or a part that doesn't match your unit's production run can cause delays or fit issues that cost more time than ordering through the shop in the first place.
That's not standard, but ask the office about your specific situation - if the household is going without hot water for an extended wait on a major part, it's worth raising directly so options can be discussed honestly.
Rinnai has shifted much of its current lineup toward condensing platforms, but that doesn't mean RE series units in the field are unsupported - it means planning for eventual replacement is reasonable as the unit ages, rather than an urgent concern today.
Supply chains for any manufacturer shift over time as production focuses on current models, and regional distributor stock can vary seasonally. It's not usually a sign of anything wrong with your specific unit.
Generally not necessary for a unit that's being maintained on a reasonable schedule - most failures are predictable wear items that a technician can source without much lead time. It becomes worth discussing only for a unit where a specific hard-to-source part has already been flagged.
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