How a Richmond duplex's shared-wall layout and separate ownership or rental arrangement shape the water heater setup on each side.
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Quick answer
Most duplexes in Richmond are set up with two completely separate gas water heaters, one per unit, each tied to its own gas meter so utility costs and equipment decisions stay independent between the two sides. The main planning questions are where each unit's water heater and vent termination sit relative to the shared wall and the neighbouring unit's windows, and whether the existing gas service to the property has a meter and line for each side or needs to be split.
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A duplex built or subdivided with two separate gas meters, which is the norm across Richmond's duplex stock, lets each side choose its own water heater independently — one owner might run a tankless unit while the other keeps a storage tank, and each side's gas bill reflects only its own usage. A duplex still sharing one meter is less common but does exist on some older converted properties, and in that case a recirculation loop or a single larger-capacity unit serving both sides is sometimes used, though this requires an access and maintenance agreement between the two households.
Whichever arrangement is in place, the gas fitter needs to confirm which meter and line actually feeds which unit before any replacement work starts, since older duplex conversions in Richmond don't always have this documented clearly.
Because a duplex's two units sit close together, often sharing a property line down the middle, venting placement needs extra attention. A tankless unit's sealed exterior termination has to clear the neighbouring unit's windows, doors, and any fresh-air intakes by the distances set in the manufacturer's installation manual, and on a narrower Richmond duplex lot that can mean routing the vent to a different exterior wall than where the old atmospheric flue used to run.
| Consideration | Why It Matters | What Happens |
|---|---|---|
| Meter and line ownership | Some older Richmond duplexes share one meter | Confirmed before any equipment change |
| Vent termination clearance | Two units sit close together on a narrower lot | Termination point checked against both units' openings |
| Water heater location | Original mechanical room may be split between units | Access confirmed for each side independently |
Each unit's water heater is sized to that unit's own household — bedroom count, bathroom count, and whether the unit has a laneway or basement suite of its own adds to demand. It's a mistake to assume both sides of a duplex need identical equipment; a three-bedroom side with a basement rental suite has a very different hot water demand profile than a two-bedroom side without one.
Each side of a Richmond duplex generally pulls its own permit through the City of Richmond when its water heater is replaced, since the units are treated as separate dwellings for permitting purposes even when they share a roofline and a lot. Richmond's soft, treated municipal water applies equally to both sides of the property, so scale build-up isn't a factor that differs unit to unit the way it might on well-fed properties elsewhere in the Fraser Valley.
Because each side runs its own equipment, a fault on one unit's water heater has no bearing on the other side's system, which simplifies the repair-or-replace call to a single household's usage pattern and the unit's age and condition. A technician still checks whether the shared wall or a tight mechanical closet limits what replacement equipment will physically fit, since older Richmond duplex conversions sometimes have mechanical space that was awkwardly split down the middle when the property was originally divided.
Safety note
If you ever smell gas, hear hissing near a gas line, or suspect a venting or carbon-monoxide problem, leave the home right away and call FortisBC at 1-800-663-9911 from somewhere safe before doing anything else. All gas connection, venting, and combustion-safety work must be completed by a Technical Safety BC licensed gas fitter.
In most cases yes, since most duplexes have two separate gas meters, though some older shared-meter conversions still exist and are handled differently.
Yes. With separate meters and gas lines, each side's equipment choice is independent of the other.
Generally yes, since each unit is treated as a separate dwelling by the City of Richmond for permitting purposes.
The vent termination for each unit's water heater has to clear the neighbouring unit's windows and air intakes by the distances set in the manufacturer's manual.
That arrangement is less common but exists on some older conversions; it usually needs a recirculation loop or an access agreement between the two households.
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