Water Heater Installation Costs — Tips on Planning for the Purchase

As you stand in the unpleasantly cool stream of shower water, you may have asked yourself what a new water heater installation costs. If your Middletown-area home’s water heater is signaling its demise by failing to keep your showers warm, a little planning and homework now will make the process of installation of a new water heater easier and less expensive. 

Is It Time? 

Most hot water heaters last around a decade. If your home’s water heater is a not-so-cute 10-year-old, start setting money aside now for a new one.

Hidden Costs

Without even looking at your home’s current water heater, a qualified technician can tell you about some of the hidden costs of trying to install the new water heater yourself:

• Damage to existing pipes
• On electric hot water heaters, you risk electrocuting yourself with 240 volts
• On gas water heaters, a gas leak from faulty installation could be disastrous
• Exposure to carbon monoxide gas from a poorly ventilated, incorrect installation

Do yourself and your family the courtesy of hiring a professional, qualified technician and avoid potentially catastrophic water heater installation costs.

Prices May Vary

Your plumber is not being coy by refusing to give a price over the telephone. Jobsite conditions affect price. Only a professional plumber who examines your unique situation can give an estimate.

Tanks A Lot

Tank size is one variable in total water heater installation cost: traditional models range from 30 to 70 gallons. Get your plumber to determine sizing so you neither waste money and energy on too large a water heater nor suffer cold showers from insufficient capacity.

Tankless water heaters are becoming increasingly popular. These carry higher up-front costs but are very energy-efficient water heaters. Equipment costs may be twice that of traditional models, and installation may take more than a day, while traditional units can generally be installed in around half a day.  These units offer the added benefit of only making and delivering hot water when you need it.  There are no stand by losses incurred by 40 gallons of water being kept hot waiting to be used.

To learn more about budgeting for water heater installation costs in your Middletown-area home, contact us at C.R. Wolfe Heating.

Our goal is to help educate our customers in Middletown, New York about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). For more information about water heater installation costs and other HVAC topics, download our free Home Comfort Resource guide.

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