Water Heater Installation in Wilkes-Barre, PA
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What a Wilkes-Barre winter asks of your water heater
Water in the ground here comes in cold, and from October through May your water heater is working against that cold eight months of the year. On the nights it works hardest, the temperature outside averages 19°F, and the incoming water is colder too. That gap between cold intake and hot tap is what your water heater has to close, day after day, for most of the year.
Power is part of the picture too. Fifteen percent of Pennsylvania households went at least 24 hours without power in 2024, and this county has seen 13 winter storms and 151 damaging wind events over the past ten years. A gas water heater with a standing pilot keeps working through an outage. One with electronic ignition will not light until power is back. Either way, a new water heater has to meet the federal minimum efficiency for its size, and that minimum is set separately for each tank size and draw pattern, so the right number depends on the household it is sized for.
- 19°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 $400 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?
- The clearest sign is age. Most tank water heaters last about a decade, and once you're past that, a repair is often just delaying the next failure. Watch for water around the base of the tank, water that doesn't get as hot as it used to, or a tank that's making popping or rumbling sounds. Rust colored water from the hot side, especially, points to a tank that's corroding from the inside. If your unit is old and starting to show any of these, replacing it before it fails is worth talking to a contractor about, rather than waiting for a leak to force the issue in the middle of winter.
- Should I switch to a tankless water heater?
- It depends on what you want out of it, not on whether your current tank is failing. A tankless unit heats water only as you use it, so you get a steady supply of hot water without a tank holding a set amount in reserve. It also takes up less space and tends to last longer than a storage tank. But installing one usually means changes to venting and gas or electric supply lines, so it's not always a direct swap for the unit you have now. A contractor can look at your setup and tell you what switching would actually involve in your home.
- What changes when you install a tankless water heater?
- The biggest change is that hot water is made on demand instead of stored ahead of time, which means the unit itself is much smaller and usually mounts on a wall. Because there's no tank to insulate and no standby heat loss, venting requirements are different, and gas fired models often need a larger gas line or upgraded electrical service to deliver enough power in the moment water is running. The location can change too, since tankless units are often installed closer to where hot water is used most. A contractor will check your home's gas, electric and venting setup before installation to confirm what needs to be added or changed.