Water Heater Installation in Jonesboro, AR
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What a Craighead County winter asks of a water heater
Homes here need heat from October through April, seven months a year, and winter nights average 32°F from December through February. That same stretch is when a water heater works hardest, pulling in colder groundwater and holding a bigger temperature rise to get it hot at the tap.
Storms are part of the picture too. Craighead County has logged 11 winter storms and 91 damaging wind events over the past ten years, and across Arkansas about a quarter of households went at least 24 hours without power in 2024. A gas water heater with a standing pilot keeps making hot water through an outage like that. An electric one, or a gas model with electric ignition, comes back on by itself once power returns. Whichever type you choose, it has to meet the federal minimum efficiency set for its size, since that minimum is different for every tank volume.
- 32°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 sign is water that won't get hot or runs out fast when it used to last. Rust colored water, a tank that's rusting on the outside, or water pooling underneath means the tank itself is failing and won't be repaired, only replaced. A popping or rumbling sound during heating points to sediment buildup at the bottom of the tank, which gets worse over time and can shorten the tank's life. Most storage tanks last a decade or so, and if yours is getting up there in age, a failure is more likely to come without warning.
- Should I switch to a tankless water heater?
- It depends on what you want out of your hot water and what your home can support. A tankless unit heats water as it flows through rather than storing a tankful, so you don't run out of hot water partway through a shower. Switching from a tank means changes to the gas line, venting, or electrical supply depending on the unit and the fuel type, so it's not always a simple swap. A licensed contractor can look at your current setup and tell you what changing over would involve in your house.
- What changes when you install a tankless water heater?
- The biggest change is how the unit is fed. Tankless heaters need a larger gas line or a dedicated electrical circuit than most tank units use, because they have to heat water fast in the moment rather than gradually over hours. Venting is different too, since tankless units often vent through a wall rather than up through the roof. The unit itself takes up much less space, which matters if the old tank was in a closet or a tight utility spot.