Water Heater Installation in Kellogg, ID
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Ten months of hot water demand, and winters that test the tank
Kellogg homes call for heat from September through June. That is ten months where the water heater is working alongside the furnace, not just backing it up in a spare month or two. Winter nights averaging 22°F mean the incoming water is colder for longer, so the tank works harder for more of the year to keep up.
Power outages happen here. Across Idaho, 11% of households lost power for at least 24 hours in 2024, and Shoshone County has logged 189 winter storms and 13 damaging wind events over the past ten years. A gas water heater with a standing pilot keeps working through an outage. One with electronic ignition does not, and most electric tanks simply wait for power to come back. Worth knowing which kind you have before the next storm rolls through.
Any new tank has to meet the federal minimum efficiency for its size and type, which is set separately for each capacity rather than as one number across the board. A contractor sizing your replacement will know which minimum applies to the tank going into your home.
- 22°F
- the average winter night, and colder incoming water means longer heating
- 10 months
- September through June, the months homes here need heat
- 11%
- of Idaho 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 $350 a year to run in Idaho compared with an electric water heater.
Estimates for a typical Idaho home, from EIA household energy data and Idaho fuel prices. Your home will differ.
- How do I know it's time to replace my water heater?
- The clearest sign is water that won't stay hot, or hot water that runs out fast. Rust colored water, a tank that's rusting on the outside, or water pooling underneath it are signs the tank itself is failing, and a leaking tank needs to be replaced, not repaired. If your water heater is old and starting to act up, replacing it before it fails outright means you get to choose the timing instead of dealing with a flooded closet in the middle of winter.
- Should I switch to a tankless water heater?
- It depends on what you want out of it. A tankless unit heats water on demand instead of storing it, so you don't run out of hot water partway through a shower, and it keeps heating as long as you need it to. It won't work with your existing tank setup as is. A contractor can look at your home's gas line, venting and water use and tell you whether the switch makes sense for your house.
- What changes when you install a tankless water heater?
- The biggest change is space. A tankless unit mounts on the wall and takes up a fraction of the room a tank does, which frees up a closet or utility space. Gas fired tankless units often need a larger gas line and different venting than a tank water heater used, since they draw more gas to heat water instantly rather than gradually. Any of this work needs a permit and an inspection when it's done, same as replacing a tank.