Gradient Thermal is a Calgary heating manufacturer, founded here in 2011 and building at 6215 3rd
Street SE. Its residential range is the syncFURNACE Tankless, which combines a furnace and a
tankless water heater in one cabinet, the syncFURNACE Boiler, which adds hydronic heating for
in floor loops and radiators, the GCx wall hung condensing boiler, and the tFC fan coil. 180
Plumbing and Heating services, repairs and installs Gradient equipment across southeast Calgary
and including units in the compact mechanical closets common in new homes and townhomes,
and including units we did not install. Red Seal Journeyman Plumber and Certified Type B
Gasfitter. Call 403-404-9975.
What do you need?
Something is wrong right now. The screen has gone red and there is a code on it, or you have
no hot water. Start with the fault code reference. It explains every code the unit can show, what
each one actually means, and which ones you can safely clear yourself.
Go to Gradient syncFURNACE fault codes.
It needs its annual service. Gradient requires the burner and combustion chamber cleaned every
year, the condensate trap inspected quarterly, and an annual water system flush and descale. Most
owners have never been told the flush exists.
Go to Gradient service and maintenance.
You are thinking about installing one. One appliance instead of two, one vent instead of two,
and a closet instead of a mechanical room.
Go to Gradient syncFURNACE installation.
We service units we did not install
Say this out loud, because a lot of people assume otherwise: you do not have to have bought the
unit from us for us to look after it.
A large share of the Gradient units in Calgary went in when the house was built. The owner did not
choose the equipment, was never introduced to a heating company, and in many cases does not know
what brand is in the closet. Gradient’s own documentation says an emergency contact sticker is
left in the mechanical room at possession. If there is no sticker on yours, or it names a company
you have never dealt with, you do not currently have a service relationship for that appliance.
That is the most common situation we see, and it is completely normal. Call us and we will take it
on.
The four residential products
syncFURNACE Tankless
The flagship, and the great majority of what Gradient ships. A furnace and a tankless water heater
in one cabinet, sharing a single high efficiency gas burner and a single vent. Gradient rates it at
95 percent efficient for both space heating and water heating, and states it takes roughly half the
space of a separate furnace and tank. Current models are the sFT-202 and the sFT-201. Older V4
units are badged mOD-200.
Read more: syncFURNACE Tankless
syncFURNACE Boiler
Everything the Tankless does, plus a boiler capable of running in floor heating and other hydronic
loops. The hydronics are inside the cabinet, so there are no wall mounted pumps or manifolds to
find room for. It carries multi zone priority logic for up to four temperature setpoints and built
in relays for three external pumps.
Read more: syncFURNACE Boiler
GCx wall hung boiler
A wall hung condensing boiler with the pumps and controls built in, rated by Gradient at 95 percent
AFUE. It takes no floor space at all, which is why it turns up in homes with hydronic heating and a
tight mechanical room. It pairs with an indirect stainless storage tank for domestic hot water.
Read more: GCx boiler
tFC fan coil
A fan coil for homes that already have a hydronic heat source. Cabinet sizes are built to match
typical furnace dimensions, and the smaller models fit spaces under 24 inches square, which makes
them a fit for secondary suites. If your home has one, we service it.
Read more: tFC fan coil
Made in Calgary
Gradient Thermal was founded in Calgary in 2011 and manufactures here. That matters for a practical
reason rather than a patriotic one. Parts and technical support are in the same city and the same
time zone as your house, so when something unusual comes up on a job the answer is a local phone
call rather than a ticket queue in another country.
Units in tight closets and townhomes
Gradient units are certified for zero clearance to combustible material, which is a fire safety
rating. It is also the reason a home can be built with the furnace in a closet rather than a
mechanical room. Gradient separately recommends 24 inches of clearance at the front and 12 inches
above for service access, and a lot of closets do not have it.
The unit is designed to be serviced entirely from the front, so this is workable for a technician
who knows the platform. It is a common reason other companies decline the work.
If you are in a townhome, there is a good chance your neighbours have the identical unit in the
identical closet, often in a mechanical room under the stairs off the garage. That makes servicing
several units in one visit straightforward, and cheaper for everyone in the row.
Read more: Gradient service in tight mechanical closets
The warranty condition most owners have never been told about
Gradient covers the heat exchanger for ten years and the burner, pumps, valves and controller for
five, and registering the unit within sixty days of installation extends that five to ten. Both
periods are also capped by operating hours. Every one of those coverage paragraphs is granted, in
Gradient’s words, “provided regular maintenance is carried out and documented in accordance with
the Product manual(s)”. Their claims terms state that service records are required to support a
maintenance claim.
So the paperwork matters as much as the work. We complete Gradient’s own Annual Inspection and
Maintenance Record on every visit and leave it with you, whether you ever make a claim or not.
Read more: Gradient warranty, and what it actually requires
Who does the work
Desmond Neufeld, Red Seal Journeyman Plumber and Certified Type B Gasfitter, and a small crew
working out of Prestwick in southeast Calgary. Gradient’s manuals require service by a qualified
licensed technician, and there are good reasons for it. The high limit safeties sit on a 115 volt
line, and the burner door and combustion chamber insulation contain refractory ceramic fibres,
which Gradient identifies as a potential carcinogen requiring protective equipment.
We work across southeast Calgary. Call 403-404-9975.
Frequently asked questions
Who services Gradient furnaces in Calgary?
180 Plumbing and Heating services Gradient syncFURNACE, syncFURNACE Boiler and GCx units across Calgary, including units we did not install. Gradient Thermal is a Calgary manufacturer based at 6215 3rd Street SE. Servicing one properly needs a licensed gasfitter, because the annual work includes burner and combustion chamber cleaning and a water system flush and descale. Call 403-404-9975.
What is a Gradient syncFURNACE?
A combination appliance made in Calgary by Gradient Thermal. It replaces both your furnace and your water heater with a single unit. One high efficiency gas burner heats water, that water heats the air going into your ducts, and the same burner supplies hot water to your taps on demand. There are two versions: the syncFURNACE Tankless, a furnace and tankless water heater in one, and the syncFURNACE Boiler, which also runs in floor and hydronic heating.
Do I have to be a Gradient customer for you to service my unit?
No. Most of the units we see were installed when the house was built, so the owner never chose the equipment and has no service relationship with anyone. We service Gradient equipment we did not install, and we will check whether your unit is registered with Gradient while we are there.
Is 180 Plumbing and Heating a Gradient dealer?
We service and install Gradient equipment across Calgary. Gradient’s warranty requires work to be done by a Certified Contractor, which their document defines as a licensed mechanical contractor whose principal occupation is heating and plumbing installation. Desmond Neufeld holds Red Seal Journeyman Plumber and Certified Type B Gasfitter certification, which meets that definition.
Written by Desmond Neufeld, Red Seal Journeyman Plumber and Certified Type B Gasfitter. Last updated 23 August 2026.
