Water Heater Installation in Show Low, AZ
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Show Low winters push a water heater harder
December through February, nights here average 21°F. Groundwater coming into the tank is cold, and the tank works harder to bring it up to temperature. That is on top of eight months a year, October through May, where the house needs heat and the water heater is one more system running long hours.
Power does go out here. Winter storms and damaging wind events show up most years in this county, and statewide, 7% of households lost power for a full day or more in 2024. A gas water heater with a standing pilot keeps working through an outage. One with electronic ignition will not light until power is back.
Any new storage water heater has to meet a federal minimum efficiency, and that minimum is set by the tank's size, not a single number across the board. A licensed installer can size the new one to the house and match it to a minimum that fits.
- 21°F
- the average winter night, and colder incoming water means longer heating
- 8 months
- October through May, the months homes here need heat
- 7%
- of Arizona 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
- How do I know it's time to replace my water heater?
- The clearest sign is age. A storage tank water heater in its second decade of use is due for replacement, even if it's still working, because the tank itself is closer to failing. Watch for water pooling around the base, rust at the fittings, or water that takes longer to heat or runs out faster than it used to. Winters here average 21°F overnight, and a water heater that's already struggling has less reserve to draw on when the incoming water is that cold. If a tank is leaking from the tank itself rather than a fitting, that's not a repair, that's a replacement.
- Should I switch to a tankless water heater?
- It depends on what you want out of it, not on whether your current tank is failing. A tankless unit heats water only as you use it, so you don't run out during a long shower or back to back loads, and it takes up much less space than a tank. It costs more to install than a like for like tank replacement, and a contractor needs to check your home's gas line and venting before installation to confirm the unit you want will work with what's there. If your current tank is doing the job fine, there's no need to switch. If you're replacing it anyway, it's worth asking a contractor to walk you through both options for your household.
- What changes when you install a tankless water heater?
- The biggest change is that a tankless unit needs more gas flow than most storage tanks, so the gas line often has to be resized to feed it properly. Venting is different too. Tankless units vent through a dedicated pipe suited to their higher heat output, and that pipe has to be run to the outside, which sometimes means new venting where the old tank didn't need it. Because there's no tank to hold a reserve, the unit modulates its burner to match how much hot water you're drawing at that moment. A contractor will check your gas line, venting, and water flow before installation to confirm what needs to change in your specific house.