Water Heater Installation in Leonardtown, MD
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What a Leonardtown winter asks of a water heater
Winter nights here average 29°F from December through February. Water coming into the tank is cold at that time of year, and a new water heater has to bring it up to temperature from there.
Power is worth planning around too. St. Mary's County has logged 14 winter storms and 146 damaging wind events over the last ten years, and 11% of Maryland households went at least 24 hours without power in 2024. A gas water heater with a standing pilot keeps making hot water through an outage. One that relies on electric ignition will not light again until the power comes back.
- 29°F
- the average winter night, and colder incoming water means longer heating
- 7 months
- October through April, the months homes here need heat
- 11%
- of Maryland 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 $370 a year to run in Maryland compared with an electric water heater.
Estimates for a typical Maryland home, from EIA household energy data and Maryland fuel prices. Your home will differ.
- How do I know it's time to replace my water heater?
- Age is the first thing to check. A tank water heater that's old enough to be near the end of its rated life is more likely to fail from the inside out than to keep giving reliable service. Rusty water from the hot tap, a tank that's making rumbling or popping sounds, or water pooling underneath are all signs the tank is failing rather than something you can repair. If a contractor has already patched it once for a leak, plan on replacing it, because a second leak from a different spot is only a matter of time.
- Should I switch to a tankless water heater?
- It depends on what you want out of it, not on your current tank failing. A tankless unit heats water on demand instead of storing it, so you don't run out of hot water partway through a long shower or back to back loads of laundry. It also takes up much less space than a tank. The tradeoff is that installing one often means changes to the gas line, venting, or electrical circuit feeding it, so a contractor needs to look at your setup before anyone can say what's involved for your house.
- What changes when you install a tankless water heater?
- The biggest change is what feeds it. A tankless unit needs enough gas flow or electrical capacity to heat water instantly, which is often more than what a tank water heater used, so the gas line or circuit may need to be upsized. Venting is different too, since tankless units vent differently than most tank models. None of this means a tankless heater won't work in your home, it just means the installation involves more than swapping one unit for another, and a contractor will need to see the existing setup to know what has to change. Replacing a water heater also needs a permit from the local building office and an inspection once the work is done.