Water Heater Installation in Billings, MT
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What a Billings winter asks of a water heater
Your water heater works nine months a year here, September through May, with winter nights averaging 16°F. Cold groundwater coming into the tank means it starts colder and the burner or element runs longer to bring it up to temperature.
Montana sees power interruptions more than most places, with 18% of households going at least 24 hours without power in 2024, and Yellowstone County has logged 17 winter storms and 154 damaging wind events over the past ten years. A gas water heater with a standing pilot keeps making hot water through an outage. One with electronic ignition will not light until power is back. Whatever size tank goes in, it has to meet the federal minimum efficiency set for that size, since the rule scales with the tank's rated volume rather than applying one number to every unit.
- 16°F
- the average winter night, and colder incoming water means longer heating
- 9 months
- September through May, the months homes here need heat
- 18%
- of Montana 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 $400 a year to run in Montana compared with an electric water heater.
Estimates for a typical Montana home, from EIA household energy data and Montana fuel prices. Your home will differ.
- How do I know it's time to replace my water heater?
- Look at the age of the tank first, and if it's old enough that you're not sure, that alone is a reason to have it looked at. Rust colored water from the hot tap, rust on the tank itself, or water pooling underneath mean the tank is failing, and a tank cannot be repaired, only replaced. If it still makes hot water but takes longer to recover, or you hear popping and rumbling from it, sediment has built up on the bottom and it's working harder than it should. A contractor can tell you whether what you're seeing means the tank is near the end or just needs service.
- Should I switch to a tankless water heater?
- It depends on what you want from it, not on whether one is simply better than the other. A tankless unit heats water as it flows through instead of storing it, so you get a steady supply and never run out partway through a shower. It takes up less space than a tank and tends to last longer. Against that, it costs more to install than a like for like tank, and if your home's gas line or electrical service isn't sized for one, that has to be addressed too. A contractor who's seen your gas line, your panel, and how your household uses hot water can tell you whether it fits your house.
- What changes when you install a tankless water heater?
- The biggest change is that you stop storing hot water and start heating it the moment it's needed. That means no standby heat loss from a tank sitting full of hot water all day, and no wait for a tank to recover after it's been drained. Because a tankless unit draws more gas or power in that moment than a tank ever does, it often needs a larger gas line or its own electrical circuit, and its venting is different from what a standard tank uses. A contractor will check what your home already has before saying what needs to change to support one.