Water Heater Installation in Saratoga Springs, NY
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What Saratoga Springs winters ask of a water heater
Winter nights here average 15°F from December through February, and the water entering your tank is just as cold. A water heater has to raise that water further to reach the same set temperature, and homes here need heat nine months of the year, September through May.
Power doesn't always stay on through it. The county has seen 48 winter storms and 399 damaging wind events over the past ten years, and last year 11% of New York households lost power for at least 24 hours. A gas water heater with a standing pilot keeps making hot water through an outage. One with electric ignition won't light until power is back, though most start back up on their own once it is.
New storage water heaters also have to meet a federal efficiency minimum, and that minimum isn't one number. It's set by a formula based on the tank's size, applied separately across four patterns of hot water use, so two tanks of different sizes can face different minimums even if they're the same type.
- 15°F
- the average winter night, and colder incoming water means longer heating
- 9 months
- September through May, the months homes here need heat
- 11%
- of New York 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 $620 a year to run in New York compared with an electric water heater.
Estimates for a typical New York home, from EIA household energy data and New York fuel prices. Your home will differ.
- How do I know it's time to replace my water heater?
- Check the data plate near the top of the tank for the age first. Rust colored water, a tank that sweats or drips from the bottom, or a pilot that won't stay lit are all signs the tank itself is failing rather than just a part inside it. An old tank that starts acting up is usually worth replacing before it leaks, since a failed tank can flood the space around it.
- Should I switch to a tankless water heater?
- It depends on what you want from your hot water and what your home can support. A tankless unit heats water only when you turn on a tap, so you don't pay to keep a tank of water hot all day, and you don't run out partway through a shower. But tankless units need a gas line sized for their higher demand or an electrical circuit sized for the heating elements, and venting requirements are different from a tank's. A contractor can look at your gas line, electrical panel, and vent path and tell you what switching would actually involve in your house.
- What changes when you install a tankless water heater?
- The biggest change is that hot water becomes available as long as you're running a tap, instead of running out when a tank empties. Installation itself usually changes more than the water heater does. Tankless units mount on a wall instead of sitting on the floor, so you get that floor space back. They often need a larger gas line or a dedicated electrical circuit than the old tank used, and the venting is different too. Because of that, swapping in a tankless unit is more involved than replacing one tank with another, and a contractor will need to check your gas line, electrical setup, and venting before pricing the job.