Water Heater Installation in Colorado Springs, CO
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Nine months of heat, and storms that cut the power
El Paso County homes need heat from September through May, nine months a year, with winter nights averaging 17°F from December through February. A new water heater has to hold up through a long cold season, not just a few weeks of it.
The county's weather record over the last ten years shows 223 winter storms and 324 damaging wind events, and in 2024, 13% of Colorado households lost power for at least 24 hours. A gas water heater with a standing pilot keeps running through an outage. One with electronic ignition will not light again until the power is back. Either way, an installation should plan for what happens here when the power goes out.
Any new storage water heater also has to clear the federal efficiency minimum, and that minimum is not one number. It is set by a formula tied to the tank's rated volume, applied across four draw patterns, so two tanks of different sizes can face different minimums even if they are the same type.
- 17°F
- the average winter night, and colder incoming water means longer heating
- 9 months
- September through May, the months homes here need heat
- 13%
- of Colorado 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 Colorado compared with an electric water heater.
Estimates for a typical Colorado home, from EIA household energy data and Colorado fuel prices. Your home will differ.
- How do I know it's time to replace my water heater?
- If your water heater is old and starting to act up, that combination is the clearest sign. Watch for water that takes longer to heat, water that runs out faster than it used to, or rust-colored water coming from the hot tap. Rumbling or popping sounds mean sediment has built up in the tank, which makes it work harder and wears it out sooner. Any water pooling around the base means the tank itself is failing, and that will not get better on its own. A contractor can tell you whether a repair still makes sense or whether the tank has reached the point where replacement is the better move.
- Should I switch to a tankless water heater?
- It depends on what you want from your hot water and how your home is set up, so there is no single right answer. A tankless unit heats water only when you turn on a hot tap, so it does not store hot water and does not run out during a long shower. It can supply hot water for as long as you need it, since it is not limited by a tank's capacity. Switching from a tank to tankless usually means changes to the gas line, venting, or electrical supply, since tankless units draw more gas or power at the moment they fire up. A contractor who looks at your existing setup can tell you what changes your home would need and whether tankless fits how your household uses hot water.
- What changes when you install a tankless water heater?
- The water heater itself gets smaller, since tankless units mount on a wall and take up a fraction of the space a tank does. Behind that simple swap, a few other things usually change too. Gas-fired tankless units need a larger gas line than most tank water heaters, because they burn more fuel at the moment hot water is called for. Venting is different as well, often requiring a dedicated vent run to the outside rather than sharing a flue with other appliances. Electric tankless units draw enough power that they may need a larger electrical circuit than the tank they replace. A contractor can look at your gas line, vent path, and electrical panel to say exactly what your home would need.