Water Heaters

Installation Is Usually a Licensed Job

This is the part to plan for before you order. Replacing a water heater involves water supply connections, a temperature and pressure relief valve, an expansion tank in many cases, and either a gas line and combustion venting or a 240-volt circuit. Most Florida and Georgia jurisdictions require a licensed plumber, and gas or electrical work often needs a permit and an inspection. If a new unit is a different height or diameter than the old one, the existing connections may not line up. Confirm what our delivery covers, and line up your plumber for the same window so the old tank leaves and the new one goes in on the same day.

1. Tank or tankless

A storage tank heater keeps 30 to 80 gallons hot and ready, so it delivers a big burst of hot water immediately and costs much less to buy and install. The downsides are standby heat loss, a finite amount of hot water before you have to wait, and a large footprint. A tankless heater heats water only as it flows, so hot water does not run out and it takes up wall space rather than floor space. It costs considerably more up front, usually needs a bigger gas line or a heavy electrical upgrade, and has a maximum flow rate: run two showers and a dishwasher at once and the temperature drops. For most households replacing a failed tank, another tank is the practical answer. Tankless makes sense when you are already opening up the utility space or you routinely run out of hot water.

2. Gas or electric, and the hookup you actually have

Start with what is already there, because switching fuel is a significant job. A gas water heater needs a gas supply line and a flue or vent to the outside, and it heats water faster and usually costs less to run. An electric water heater needs a dedicated 240-volt circuit with the right breaker size, costs less to buy and install, and can go in places a gas unit cannot because there is nothing to vent. If your home has no gas service, electric is the answer, and a heat-pump electric model is the most efficient version of it. Check the panel capacity before assuming a bigger electric unit will drop straight in.

3. Size it by household and simultaneous demand

Two numbers matter. The first is household size: as a rough guide, one or two people are usually fine with a 30 to 40 gallon tank, three or four with 40 to 50 gallons, and five or more with 50 to 80 gallons. The second is simultaneous demand, which is what actually causes cold showers. Count the fixtures that realistically run at the same time on a weekday morning. Two bathrooms in use at once, or a shower plus a load of laundry, pushes you to the top of the range regardless of headcount. For a tankless unit, the equivalent question is gallons per minute at your incoming water temperature.

4. Recovery rate and first-hour rating

These two specs tell you more than tank size alone. The recovery rate is how many gallons the heater can reheat in an hour, and gas models are typically much faster than electric. The first-hour rating combines the stored hot water with the recovery rate to say how much hot water you can draw in the first hour of heavy use, and it is the single most useful number for comparing models. A 40 gallon gas heater with a high recovery rate can out-perform a 50 gallon electric one for a busy morning.

5. Efficiency and running cost

A water heater is usually the second-largest energy user in a home after heating and cooling, so the running cost matters more than the sticker price over a ten-year life. Compare the yellow EnergyGuide estimate between models, and look at the insulation thickness on a tank, since that is what limits standby loss. Heat-pump electric water heaters use a fraction of the electricity of a standard resistance unit, though they need clearance and air volume around them and they cool the space they sit in. Check current rebates before you buy, because efficient water heaters are frequently covered.

6. Lifespan and when to replace

A conventional storage tank typically lasts 8 to 12 years, and a tankless unit often 15 to 20 with descaling. Rust-colored hot water, a rumbling noise from sediment, or any moisture around the base of the tank are signs it is near the end. Draining a few gallons off the tank once a year and replacing the sacrificial anode rod when it is spent both add years, and both matter more in hard-water areas. If yours is past ten years old, plan the replacement rather than waiting for it to fail on a Sunday.

Tank or tankless water heater?

Buy a tank if you are replacing a failed unit in the same garage corner or utility closet. It costs far less to buy and to install, it lands on the existing water, gas or electrical connections, and it delivers a big slug of hot water the moment you open the tap, which is what a weekday morning actually needs. Warm incoming groundwater across most of Florida and south Georgia also means a tank here starts from a higher water temperature than the same unit would in a cold climate.

Buy tankless if you routinely run out of hot water, you need the floor space back, or the utility area is already being opened up for other work. Be honest about what it takes to get there: tankless units cost considerably more up front and often need a larger gas line, additional combustion venting or a heavy electrical upgrade, and none of that can be sorted out on delivery day. They also have a flow-rate ceiling, so two showers and a dishwasher at once will pull the temperature down. Have the sizing worked through with you before you order, and check the rebate center because efficient models are frequently covered.

Gas or electric water heater?

Start from the fuel the house already has, because the switch costs more than the appliance. A gas water heater reheats a tank much faster and usually costs less to run month to month, but it needs a supply line and a flue or vent to the outside. An electric unit costs less to buy and install, runs on a dedicated 240-volt circuit, and can sit somewhere venting would be impossible. Either way the connection is a licensed job, so read our delivery and installation details and line up your plumber for the same window.

If there is no gas service at the house, do not add it just for hot water. Buy electric, and look at a heat-pump model, which uses a fraction of the power of a standard resistance unit. The catch is that a heat pump needs clearance and air volume around it, and it cools and dries the space it stands in, which is a small bonus in a Florida garage and a nuisance in a tight interior closet. Check the capacity of your electrical panel before assuming a larger electric unit will drop straight in.

Opening the doors and pulling out the drawers tells you more than any spec sheet, and every water heater here can be seen in person. We have eleven showrooms across South Florida and metro Atlanta.

• Florida. Miami, Dadeland and South Dade in the Miami area, Sawgrass Mills in Sunrise, Outlet Center in Lauderhill, Deerfield Beach, Dania Pointe in Dania Beach, and West Palm Beach.
• Georgia. North Atlanta, South Atlanta in Stockbridge, and Kennesaw.

Each store page has the address, phone number and current showroom hours. You can also find the store nearest you or order online and collect in store.