Water Heater Installation in Columbia, MO
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What Boone County winters ask of a water heater
Winter nights here average 24°F from December through February, and homes need heat from October through April, seven months a year. A water heater doesn't get much of a break in a stretch like that.
Power is part of the picture too. Statewide, 19% of households went at least 24 hours without power in 2024, and the county has recorded 8 winter storms and 54 damaging wind events over the last ten years. A gas water heater with a standing pilot keeps making hot water through an outage. One with electronic ignition does not, and neither does an electric tank. Whatever you install, it also has to meet the federal minimum efficiency for its size, a figure set separately for each tank volume rather than as one number for all water heaters.
- 24°F
- the average winter night, and colder incoming water means longer heating
- 7 months
- October through April, the months homes here need heat
- 19%
- of Missouri 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 $270 a year to run in Missouri compared with an electric water heater.
Estimates for a typical Missouri home, from EIA household energy data and Missouri fuel prices. Your home will differ.
- How do I know it's time to replace my water heater?
- The clearest sign is water that isn't hot anymore, or runs out fast. Rust colored water, a tank that's rusting on the outside, or water pooling underneath means the tank itself is failing, and that doesn't get fixed, it gets replaced. A popping or rumbling sound from the tank is sediment buildup, and once that starts the tank is working harder and wearing faster. If yours is old and now needs a repair, replacing it is usually the better call rather than paying to fix a tank that's near the end anyway.
- Should I switch to a tankless water heater?
- It depends on what you want out of it, not on whether your current tank is old. A tankless unit heats water as you use it, so you don't run out partway through a shower, and it doesn't sit there keeping a tank of water hot all day. It also takes different gas or electric supply than a tank does, so the switch is a bigger job than a straight swap. A contractor can look at your gas line, venting, and electrical setup and tell you what changing over actually involves in your house.
- What changes when you install a tankless water heater?
- The unit mounts on a wall instead of taking up floor space, and it needs its own venting, sized for that unit. Gas fired tankless units typically need a larger gas line than a tank did, because they draw more fuel in the moment to heat water on demand. Electric tankless units draw a lot of power at once, which can mean upgrading the circuit or panel capacity. Because of this, installation involves more than disconnecting the old tank and hooking up the new unit, and a contractor will need to check your home's gas or electric supply before giving you a straight answer.