
Water Heaters
Repair and replacement for tank and tankless water heaters that leak, make noise or run out of hot water too fast.
Endless hot water and no tank to fill with sediment. We install, descale and repair tankless water heaters in McHenry, and we'll be straight with you about what hard water means for one. From our office on West Elm Street.

A tankless heater warms water only when a tap is open. Water passes through a heat exchanger, a burner or element heats it instantly and it flows to the fixture. Nothing is stored, so there's no tank for sediment to settle in and no standby heat loss. In hard water, though, minerals can build up inside the heat exchanger, so regular descaling is part of owning one.
Hard water changes the math a little:
| Tank Water Heater | Tankless Water Heater | |
|---|---|---|
| Hard water effect | Sediment settles in the tank | Scale builds in the heat exchanger |
| Upkeep | Yearly flush | Regular descaling, often yearly |
| Hot water supply | Limited to tank size | Continuous, limited by flow |
| Expected life | About 8 to 12 years | Often longer with descaling |
| Install work | Usually a direct swap | May need gas line and vent changes |
Tankless can work very well here if it's set up for the water.
With hard groundwater, scale builds in the heat exchanger. We install service valves so descaling is quick and easy.
A working softener ahead of a tankless unit cuts down on scale and service.
Tankless units need a properly sized gas line and their own vent. We check both before we quote.
We'll tell you if tankless isn't right for you.
Water, gas, venting and how you use hot water.
Unit, gas work, venting and removal of the old tank.
Service valves and a descaling schedule.

4.7 stars from 5,669+ Google reviews across all J. Blanton locations.
"Alex came out to provide a quote for a tankless water heater I wanted installed. He explained everything in so much detail, about the electric upgrade I would need, about how the heater will actually work 'in real life' (not just on paper). Then it turned out my electric couldn't support the tankless. [...]"
"We had our water heater leak and Kyle from J Blanton came and installed a tankless system in only a few hours. It works amazing and he was very fast and thorough. Thanks for the great job Kyle."
"Christian was fantastic l! He’s been here a few times for no drip club visits and he’s the man! Did our tankless water heater maintenance and was friendly and efficient, highly recommend 🙌🏼"
Yes, with regular descaling and ideally a softener.
Yes. Hard water builds scale in the heat exchanger, so it needs regular descaling. A softener ahead of it reduces how often. We set up every install with valves that make descaling simple.
Often once a year in hard water.
In hard water, often about once a year, sometimes more with heavy use. Your unit may show a scale warning when it's due.
Often scale, a dirty filter or a flow issue.
Scale in the heat exchanger, a clogged inlet filter or a flow problem can all cause shutdowns. A service visit with descaling usually fixes it.
Sometimes. We check before we quote.
Sometimes. Tankless units draw a lot of gas when they fire. We check your line and include any upgrade in the price.
It depends on the unit, gas line and venting. You get a flat price first.
It depends on the unit, any gas line work and the venting. We give you a flat-rate price before any work begins.
Annual Protection Plan
Most plumbing problems start small. The No Drip Club brings a J. Blanton plumber to your home for regular maintenance, so small issues get caught before they turn into big repairs.


Repair and replacement for tank and tankless water heaters that leak, make noise or run out of hot water too fast.

Slow, gurgling or backed-up drains in kitchens, bathrooms and basements.

Tree roots, cracked pipe and repeat backups in the line from your house to the street.

Running toilets, leaky shower valves and new fixture installs.

Hidden leaks behind walls, under floors and around fixtures, found and fixed.

Sump pump repair, replacement and battery backups to keep your basement dry through heavy rain.

Burst pipes, sewer backups and no hot water, any time of day or night.
Our McHenry office is at 3406 W Elm St, and our phone line is open 24/7.
We also serve Johnsburg, Wonder Lake, Ringwood, Spring Grove, Lakemoor, Fox Lake, Island Lake, Woodstock and more.