Water Heater Installation in Mountain Home, ID
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Ten months of heating load ask a lot of a water heater
Homes here need heat from September through June, ten months of the year, and that stretch keeps a water heater working against cold incoming water most of the time. Winter nights average 21°F, so the water reaching the tank is cold for a long part of the year, and the tank has to make up that difference every time someone runs the hot tap.
A new water heater also has to meet the federal minimum efficiency for its size and type. That minimum is not one number. It is set by a formula tied to the tank's rated volume, applied separately across four draw patterns, so two tanks of the same type but different sizes can face different minimums. Whoever installs yours needs to size it to your household and match it to the right standard, not just swap in whatever was there before.
- 21°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?
- Age is the first thing to check. Most tank water heaters have a working life span, and once a unit is old enough that it needs a repair, that repair is often just a delay before the next problem. Look for rust colored water from the hot side, a tank that's damp or weeping around the base, or a unit that can't keep up with the same showers and laundry it used to handle. If the tank itself is leaking, that's the tank failing, not a part inside it, and it needs to be replaced rather than fixed.
- Should I switch to a tankless water heater?
- It depends on what you want from it, not on your old tank failing. A tankless unit heats water on demand instead of storing it, so you don't run out partway through back to back showers, and there's no tank sitting full of water that can leak. Switching means changes to the gas line, venting, and sometimes the electrical hookup, so it's a bigger job than a straight tank swap. A contractor can look at your home and tell you what that conversion involves for your setup.
- What changes when you install a tankless water heater?
- The unit itself is smaller and mounts on a wall instead of taking up floor space, but getting there usually means new venting since tankless units vent differently than a tank. Gas fired tankless heaters often need a larger gas line to supply enough fuel for the burner to heat water on the spot. Electric models may need a dedicated circuit sized for the unit. Most homes in Elmore County heat with gas, so for most people here this means a gas line check and new venting, and a contractor will confirm what your specific house needs. A permit and inspection apply to this work the same as any water heater installation.