Water Heater Installation in Tyler, TX
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Mild winters, but the power doesn't always hold
Winter nights here average 38°F from December through February, and homes in the area only need heat from November through March. That's a short season, and it means a water heater in Smith County isn't working against real cold most of the year.
The bigger risk is losing power. Texas saw 33% of households go at least 24 hours without it in 2024, and this county has logged 9 winter storms and 148 damaging wind events over the past ten years. A gas water heater with a standing pilot keeps running through an outage. Most other water heaters come back on by themselves once power returns, no relighting or resetting needed.
Whatever size tank you install, it has to meet the federal efficiency minimum set for that size. Larger and smaller tanks are held to different numbers, so the right move is to size the unit for your household first, then check it against the standard for that size.
- 38°F
- the average winter night, and colder incoming water means longer heating
- 5 months
- November through March, the months homes here need heat
- 33%
- of Texas 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 Texas compared with an electric water heater.
Estimates for a typical Texas home, from EIA household energy data and Texas fuel prices. Your home will differ.
- How do I know it's time to replace my water heater?
- The clearest sign is age. Once a tank water heater is old enough that it's failing in more than one way, a repair usually just delays the same decision a few months. Water pooling at the base usually means the tank itself is failing, not a part inside it, and that's not something a contractor can fix. Rusty hot water, a tank that's noisy when it heats, or hot water that runs out faster than it used to are all worth having a contractor look at before you're stuck without one.
- Should I switch to a tankless water heater?
- It depends on what you want out of it, not on what's wrong with your current tank. A tankless unit heats water as you use it instead of storing it, so you don't run out partway through back to back showers, and it doesn't sit there keeping a tank of water hot all day. It costs more up front than a like for like tank replacement, and a contractor will need to check that your gas line or electrical service can support it before you decide. If your current tank is failing and you're replacing it anyway, that's the natural time to weigh the switch.
- What changes when you install a tankless water heater?
- The biggest change is that you stop storing hot water and start heating it on demand, so the unit only runs when a tap is open. It also takes up a lot less space since there's no tank, and many are mounted on a wall instead of standing on the floor. The install itself is different too. Gas tankless units need enough gas flow to fire properly, and often need a larger gas line or a different vent than a tank heater used, which is why a contractor needs to check your setup before quoting the swap.