Water Heater Installation in Waco, TX
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What a new water heater needs to handle here
Waco doesn't ask much of a water heater in the cold. Winter nights average 38°F from December through February, and homes here only need heat running five months of the year. That's a mild load compared to much of the country, and it means the tank you install isn't fighting frigid incoming water most of the year.
Power is the bigger question. A third of Texas households went at least 24 hours without power in 2024, and McLennan County has logged four winter storms and 56 damaging wind events over the past ten years. A gas water heater with a standing pilot keeps making hot water through an outage. One that relies on electronic ignition won't, until the power is back. Worth knowing before you pick a replacement.
On efficiency, federal minimums for storage water heaters aren't one number. They're set by a formula tied to the tank's rated volume, applied separately depending on how a household draws hot water, so two tanks of the same type and size can carry different minimums. A licensed installer will know which one applies to the unit going into your home.
- 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?
- Water pooling at the base of the tank means it's done, since that's the tank itself failing and not a part you can replace. Rusty hot water, a tank that's over 10 years old, or a unit that can't keep up with your household anymore are the other signs. A popping or rumbling noise during heating usually means sediment has built up on the bottom of the tank, and while that alone doesn't mean replacement, it's worth having a contractor look at alongside the tank's age. If your water heater is old and starting to act up, get it looked at before it fails and floods the space around it.
- Should I switch to a tankless water heater?
- That depends on what you want from your hot water and what your home can support, not on one right answer for everyone. A tankless unit heats water as it flows through rather than storing it, so you don't run out during back to back showers, but it also means the flow rate has a limit at any given moment. Gas tankless units often need a larger gas line and different venting than a tank did, and electric ones need enough electrical capacity, so the switch usually involves more than swapping one unit for another. A contractor can look at your gas line, venting, and electrical panel and tell you what switching would actually take in your house.
- What changes when you install a tankless water heater?
- The unit itself changes from a tank that stores and reheats water to one that heats it on demand as it passes through. That usually means new venting, since tankless units vent differently than tank models, and often a larger gas line if you're on gas, since the burner has to heat water fast rather than slowly over time. Electric tankless units instead need enough capacity at the panel to handle the load. A contractor can size the unit and check your gas line, venting, or panel against what your home already has before the swap.