Water Heater Installation in Harrison, AR
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What a Boone County winter asks of a water heater
Your water heater works through seven months of heating season here, October through April, with winter nights averaging 28°F. Cold ground and cold intake water mean the tank runs longer to hold a set temperature, and it does that for most of the year, not just a few weeks.
Power doesn't always stay on to run it. Nearly a quarter of Arkansas households lost power for 24 hours or more in 2024, and Boone County has seen 4 winter storms and 37 damaging wind events over the past ten years. A gas water heater with a standing pilot will keep making hot water through an outage that knocks out an electric one. Whatever size or type goes in, federal rules set a minimum efficiency for it, figured against that unit's own tank volume and how the household draws hot water, so the right minimum depends on the heater you choose.
- 28°F
- the average winter night, and colder incoming water means longer heating
- 7 months
- October through April, 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?
- The clearest signs are age, rust-colored water, and water pooling around the base of the tank. Most storage water heaters have a working life span, and once a tank is old enough, it's more likely to fail without warning. Rust in the hot water, especially when the cold runs clear, usually means the tank is corroding from inside. A puddle underneath means the tank has already started to leak, and that will not seal itself. If you're also noticing it takes longer to heat a full tank or you're running out of hot water sooner than you used to, that's another sign the tank is wearing out rather than something you can adjust your way around.
- Should I switch to a tankless water heater?
- It depends on what you want out of your hot water, not on whether one type is simply better. A tankless unit heats water as you use it instead of keeping a tank full and hot all day, so you don't run out during back-to-back showers. It also takes up less space than a tank. Switching means changing how the unit connects to your gas line, venting, and sometimes your electrical panel, so it's a bigger job than a like-for-like tank swap. A licensed contractor can look at your home's setup and tell you what that conversion actually involves.
- What changes when you install a tankless water heater?
- The unit itself is smaller and mounts on a wall instead of standing on the floor, so where it sits in your house will likely change. Tankless units often need a larger gas line to deliver enough fuel for instant heating, and the venting is different from what a tank uses. Some models also need a dedicated electrical circuit. None of this is a straight swap, so the contractor doing the work will need to check your gas line size, venting path, and electrical setup before installing it.