Water Heaters
Why We Install Only Navien Tankless Water Heaters in Akron
If you get a tankless water heater from Mackin, it will be a Navien. We install one brand on purpose. Here is the reasoning, who tankless actually suits, and what it costs around Akron.
One brand, on purpose
We have done 17,000 plus jobs since 2009, and a lot of them taught us the same lesson. A plumber who installs six tankless brands knows none of them well. Standardizing on Navien means our trucks carry the right parts, our techs have installed and serviced the same units hundreds of times, and warranty claims move fast because we know the process cold.
When something acts up three years in, that depth is what gets your hot water back the same day instead of next week. You are not paying us to learn on your house. That focus is a big part of why we hold a 4.9 rating across 600 plus Google reviews.
Tank or tankless: the honest comparison
Tankless is not automatically better for everyone. Here is how the two stack up.
| What matters | Standard tank | Navien tankless |
|---|---|---|
| Hot water supply | Limited to tank size, runs out | Endless, heats on demand |
| Space used | Floor unit, 40 to 80 gallons | Wall unit, about the size of a suitcase |
| Typical lifespan | 8 to 12 years | 20 years or more |
| Upfront cost | Lower | Higher, earned back over time |
| Energy use | Heats and reheats all day | Heats only when you need it |
The short version: tankless costs more upfront and saves on space, energy, and how often you replace it. A tank costs less today and is simpler to install.
Who tankless is right for
Tankless tends to win when:
- You run out of hot water with a tank now, big household, back to back showers.
- You want the floor space back in a small utility room or closet.
- You plan to stay in the home long enough to earn back the higher upfront cost.
- Your gas service and venting can support it, which we check on site.
Not sure how big a unit you need either way? We break that down in what size water heater your home needs.
Who should probably stick with a tank
We will tell you when a tank is the smarter buy. That is usually when:
- Your budget is tight right now and the heater already failed.
- The gas line or venting would need expensive rerouting for marginal benefit.
- Hot water demand is light and a tank covers it fine.
Honesty here saves you money. You can see how we size and install water heaters of both kinds for the full picture.
The hard water catch
Northeast Ohio water is hard. Minerals drop out and coat the inside of any water heater, tank or tankless. With tankless, that scale builds in the heat exchanger and shortens its life if you ignore it.
Two things keep a tankless healthy here: an annual flush, and ideally a softener feeding the house. If your water leaves spots on glasses and crust on faucets, read up on water treatment before you spend on a premium heater. Protecting the investment is cheap next to replacing it early.
Keeping a Navien running 20 years
A tankless is a 20 year appliance only if it gets a yearly descale and flush. We do that in about an hour, and it is built into our Mackin Protect membership along with the rest of your system. Skip the flush in hard water and you can lose half the lifespan. This is the single thing owners get wrong.
What a tankless install costs around Akron
We do not post one sticker price because no two installs are identical. Gas line size, venting, and where the unit hangs all move the number. Most tankless installs land in the mid four figures around here.
What does not change is how we price it. Your tech texts when they are on the way, looks at your actual setup, and gives you a flat rate in writing before touching anything. The dispatch fee is $79 in our core area and $89 in Greater Akron, and it rolls into the job if you approve the work. Financing is available on larger jobs like this one.
How the install goes
Most conversions are a one visit job. We pull the old unit, run any new venting and gas line, mount and commission the Navien, and walk you through the maintenance that keeps it running. Trucks are stocked, so we are not leaving mid job to chase a part.
Mackin is family owned out of Wadsworth and has kept Greater Akron in hot water since 2009. If you are weighing tankless against a tank, book online or call 330-825-3686 and we will give you a straight answer for your house, not a sales pitch.