Gas water heaters in Torrevieja and the Costa Blanca

Gas heater or electric, a decision that matters

Both systems coexist on the Costa Blanca. New urbanisations and detached villas with mains gas or central LPG almost always pick gas. Older apartment blocks, especially in central Torrevieja and La Mata, run electric heaters because the communal gas installation isn’t there.

Gas heaters have two clear advantages. First, instant hot water without waiting for a tank to fill, comfortable for larger families. Second, cost per hot litre is lower than electricity if usage is high. The drawback is install complexity: gas supply, proper ventilation, flue or forced draft and mandatory annual service required by law.

What we do

Installation in homes with natural, propane or butane gas. Replacement of old atmospheric units with modern sealed (room-sealed) models, which are safer and more efficient. Repair of common faults: pilot won’t light, intermittent ignition, lukewarm water instead of hot, excessive startup noise, leaks at inlet or outlet fittings.

Annual servicing with combustion analysis using electronic analyser, heat exchanger cleaning, gas pressure check, overpressure safety test, thermocouple check and issue of the official RITE certificate. It’s a legal requirement in Spain and many insurers can refuse claims if the unit isn’t up to date on servicing.

From atmospheric to sealed-combustion

Atmospheric heaters take combustion air from the room they sit in and expel fumes through a chimney. They were the Spanish standard for decades but are no longer manufactured and current rules require replacement with sealed units on any significant renovation. Sealed units work in a closed loop: outside air in, gas burned, fumes outside. Radically safer because it eliminates indoor carbon monoxide risk.

If your heater is atmospheric and over 12 years old but still works, you’re legal as long as you don’t renovate. Plan for replacement though, parts are scarce and any serious breakdown forces the upgrade.

Annual servicing: why it matters

The legal annual service isn’t just a formality. The check catches issues before they become dangerous: micro gas leak that only shows at extremes, heat exchanger crack letting fumes into the hot-water circuit, miscalibrated safety valve, low gas pressure from a line leak.

The electronic analyser reads CO, CO2, excess air, flue temperature and other parameters that reveal real combustion state. A poorly tuned heater wastes up to 25% more gas and emits more pollutants. The service pays for itself within a season.

Paperwork and rules

For new installs or replacements with a change of heater type, an official boletín signed by an authorised installer is needed, and in some cases notification to the gas supplier. Locally, that means working with Repsol Butano and Cepsa for bottled gas and local distributors for piped natural gas.

For apartments in blocks with communal installations, you must respect community rules on flue type. Some urbanisations require horizontal forced flue out the side, others ban visible flues. We check the bylaws before installing.