Whether a White Rock duplex should run one shared water heater or two separate systems.
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Quick answer
A duplex can be set up with two fully independent water heaters, one per unit, or a single shared system serving both sides, and the right choice usually depends on how the property is titled and metered rather than on hot-water demand alone. In White Rock, where many duplexes are newer infill replacing older single-family lots, vent placement on the shared party wall is often the detail needing the most coordination.
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If the duplex is titled and owned as two separate properties, two independent water heaters are the more common setup, keeping gas usage and repair costs cleanly separated between owners.
A single shared system can work for a duplex owned as one rental property, but a failure then affects both units at once rather than just one side.
When each unit has its own water heater, the two vent terminations often end up close together near the shared wall, and code clearance between them needs to be checked carefully on a narrower infill duplex lot.
Even in a duplex where both sides look identical, actual hot-water demand can differ based on household size and fixture use, so each unit's water heater should be sized to its own household rather than assuming both sides need identical equipment.
A number of White Rock duplexes are newer builds on lots that previously held a single older cottage, and these are usually designed with tankless units planned in from the start rather than retrofitted into an older layout.
The City of White Rock permits gas work for new duplex construction alongside the building permit, and on a two-unit property it's worth confirming whether each unit needs its own separate permit application.
A single tankless installation for one duplex unit typically runs $3,500 to $7,500 as a ballpark, not a quote, and a duplex with two fully independent systems should budget for that range on each side.
Whichever setup a duplex uses, keeping clear labelling on shutoffs and vent terminations at installation time avoids confusion for whoever services either unit years down the line, particularly if the two sides are ever sold separately.
Safety note
If you ever smell gas near the water heater, hear a hissing sound at a fitting, or notice soot, a yellow flickering flame, or a persistent musty smell near the flue, leave the house right away and call FortisBC at 1-800-663-9911 from a neighbour's or your cellphone. Do not try to relight a pilot or reset anything yourself. Any gas line, venting, or combustion-air work has to be carried out by a Technical Safety BC licensed gas fitter, and CANRO holds gas licence LGA0043870.
If the units are separately titled and owned, independent water heaters are the more common setup so gas usage and repair costs stay separated between owners.
They can, but code clearance between the two terminations has to be checked, which can be a tighter fit on a narrower infill duplex lot.
Not necessarily — household size and fixture use can differ between otherwise identical units, so each side is best sized to its own actual demand.
Many newer infill duplexes are designed with tankless units planned in from the start rather than retrofitted later, though this varies by builder.
Each independent tankless system typically runs $3,500 to $7,500 as a ballpark, not a quote, so a duplex with two systems should budget for that range twice over.
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