Water Heater Installation in Allentown, PA
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Cold incoming water for eight months, and power that doesn't always hold
Your water heater works from October through May here, eight months a year, with winter nights averaging 22°F. That's most of the year spent heating water that starts out cold.
Power is part of the picture too. Fifteen percent of Pennsylvania households lost power for at least 24 hours in 2024, and the region has logged 22 winter storms and 211 damaging wind events over the past ten years. A gas water heater with a standing pilot keeps working through an outage. One with an electronic ignition or an electric tank does not, until power is back. Whatever you install, the federal minimum efficiency it has to meet depends on its tank size, since the standard is set separately for different volumes and draw patterns rather than as one number for every heater.
- 22°F
- the average winter night, and colder incoming water means longer heating
- 8 months
- October through May, the months homes here need heat
- 15%
- of Pennsylvania households lost power for a day or more in 2024, and a heater with an electric element or electric ignition stops without it
NOAA nClimDiv, 1991–2020 normals
A heat pump water heater would save about $390 a year to run in Pennsylvania compared with an electric water heater.
Estimates for a typical Pennsylvania home, from EIA household energy data and Pennsylvania fuel prices. Your home will differ.
- How do I know it's time to replace my water heater?
- Once your water heater is getting old, start planning for the replacement rather than waiting for it to fail. Look for rust colored water from the hot tap, a tank that's damp or rusted around the bottom, or popping and rumbling sounds as it heats. A leak at the tank itself, not a fitting, means it needs to be replaced, since the tank can't be repaired. If you're calling for the same repair a second time in a year, that's usually the tank telling you it's done.
- Should I switch to a tankless water heater?
- It depends on what you want out of it, not on your current tank failing. A tankless unit heats water as you use it instead of storing it, so you don't run out of hot water partway through back to back showers or a big load of laundry. It also takes up much less space than a tank. Switching usually means changes to the gas line, venting, or electrical supply, so a contractor needs to look at your setup before you decide.
- What changes when you install a tankless water heater?
- The unit itself is much smaller and mounts on a wall instead of standing on the floor, so where it sits in your house will likely change. Because it heats water on demand instead of storing it, it usually needs a larger gas line or a dedicated electrical circuit to deliver enough energy fast enough, and it needs its own venting suited to that unit. Some tankless models also need a condensate drain nearby. A contractor can tell you exactly what your gas line, venting, and electrical will need for the model you choose.