Water Heater Installation in Cabot, AR
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What a water heater in Cabot has to handle
Winter nights here average 34°F from December through February, and homes need heat from November through March, five months a year. The water entering the tank runs colder through that stretch, so a new water heater has to work harder to bring it up to temperature every time someone showers or runs a load of laundry.
Lonoke County has seen 12 winter storms and 80 damaging wind events over the past ten years, and in 2024, 24% of Arkansas households went at least 24 hours without power. Most tank water heaters come back on by themselves once power is restored. A gas model with a standing pilot keeps working through the outage itself. Whatever size goes in, it has to meet a federal efficiency minimum, and that minimum is set differently depending on the tank's size, so two tanks of different sizes aren't held to the same number.
- 34°F
- the average winter night, and colder incoming water means longer heating
- 5 months
- November through March, the months homes here need heat
- 24%
- of Arkansas 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 $290 a year to run in Arkansas compared with an electric water heater.
Estimates for a typical Arkansas home, from EIA household energy data and Arkansas fuel prices. Your home will differ.
- How do I know it's time to replace my water heater?
- Most tanks give you a decade or so before they start to fail, so age alone is worth paying attention to. If the water coming out runs rusty, if the tank is leaking or damp at the base, or if it's making a low rumbling sound as it heats, that's the inside of the tank wearing out. A unit that struggles to keep water hot for a full shower after doing that job fine for years is another sign. Once a tank starts failing, it tends to fail more, not less, so it's worth having a contractor look at it rather than waiting for it to leak.
- Should I switch to a tankless water heater?
- It depends on what you want from your hot water and what your home can support. A tankless unit heats water on demand instead of storing it, so you don't run out partway through a long shower or back to back loads of laundry. It also takes up much less space than a tank. But tankless units often need different gas line sizing or electrical capacity than a tank did, so a contractor has to check what your home has before this makes sense. It's a bigger change than swapping one tank for another, so get that checked before deciding.
- What changes when you install a tankless water heater?
- The biggest change is that you stop storing hot water and start heating it as you use it. That means no more running out of hot water, but it also means the unit needs enough gas flow or electrical capacity to heat water fast, which your existing lines may or may not have. Venting is different too. Tankless units often vent through a wall instead of up through the roof, so where it can go in your home may not be where the old tank sat. A contractor will need to check your gas line, electrical panel, and venting options before installing one.