Water Heater Installation in Tacoma, WA
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Ten months of hot water demand in Pierce County
Your water heater works September through June here, ten months a year. Winter nights average 31°F from December through February, and the incoming water it has to heat is coldest right when the season runs longest.
In Washington, 23% of households went at least 24 hours without power in 2024. Most water heaters come back on by themselves once power returns, and a standing pilot model does not need power at all. Whatever tank goes in has to meet the federal minimum for its rated volume, and that minimum changes with the size, so getting the size right is part of getting the efficiency right, not separate from it.
- 31°F
- the average winter night, and colder incoming water means longer heating
- 10 months
- September through June, the months homes here need heat
- 23%
- of Washington 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 $280 a year to run in Washington compared with an electric water heater.
Estimates for a typical Washington home, from EIA household energy data and Washington fuel prices. Your home will differ.
- How do I know it's time to replace my water heater?
- The clearest sign is water pooling around the base of the tank. That means the tank itself is failing and no repair fixes it. Water that runs lukewarm no matter how you adjust the thermostat, or that comes out rusty or with a metallic smell, points the same way. A popping or rumbling sound from the tank usually means sediment has built up on the bottom, and while that alone does not mean the tank is dying, it is often a sign of age catching up with it. A contractor can look at the tank and tell you whether it is worth repairing or whether replacement is the better move.
- Should I switch to a tankless water heater?
- It depends on what you want out of it, not on which type is better. A tankless unit heats water only as you use it, so you are not paying to keep a tank of water hot all day, and you do not run out partway through a shower if someone else is using hot water at the same time. What it will not do is deliver hot water at the tap any faster than a tank does, since the distance from the unit to the fixture is what determines that. If your home already has the gas line size and venting a tankless unit needs, the switch is more straightforward. If it does not, that work adds to the job, and a contractor can tell you what your house has once they look at it.
- What changes when you install a tankless water heater?
- The unit itself is smaller and mounts on a wall instead of taking up floor space, so where it goes in the house changes. It needs its own venting to the outside, sized for that specific unit, and a gas line that can deliver enough fuel to fire it at full output. Because it is not storing and reheating standing water, sediment buildup and tank corrosion are no longer things you have to worry about. A contractor who looks at your home's existing gas line and vent path can tell you what else the switch will involve there.