Water Heater Installation in Naperville, IL
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What DuPage County winters ask of a water heater
Winter nights here average 19°F from December through February, and the heat runs October through May, eight months a year. Whatever brings your water up to temperature is working through most of the year, not just a few weeks of deep cold.
Power doesn't always stay on through a storm. The county has logged 15 winter storms and 180 damaging wind events over the past ten years, and statewide, 16% of households went at least 24 hours without power in 2024. A gas water heater with a standing pilot will relight on its own once power is back. Whatever type you install, it has to meet the federal minimum efficiency set for its tank size, since the standard is written separately for each size rather than as one number for every unit.
- 19°F
- the average winter night, and colder incoming water means longer heating
- 8 months
- October through May, the months homes here need heat
- 16%
- of Illinois 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 $360 a year to run in Illinois compared with an electric water heater.
Estimates for a typical Illinois home, from EIA household energy data and Illinois 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 tanks last around a decade, and if yours is up there, a repair might buy a little time but not much. Rusty water from the hot tap, a tank that's damp or rusted at the seams, or water pooling underneath means the tank itself is failing, not just a part inside it. If it's still making hot water but taking longer to recover than it used to, that's often the anode rod or heating element wearing out, worth having a contractor look at before it quits altogether.
- Should I switch to a tankless water heater?
- It depends on what you want out of it, not just on your current tank failing. Tankless units heat water on demand instead of storing it, so you don't run out during a long shower, and they take up much less space than a tank. They cost more to install than a like-for-like tank replacement, and venting and gas line requirements are different, so a contractor needs to check your setup before quoting one. Winters here bring stretches of power loss during storms, and most tankless units need electricity to run, even the gas-fired ones, so they won't make hot water in an outage any more than a standard tank would.
- What changes when you install a tankless water heater?
- The unit itself is smaller and usually goes on a wall instead of standing on the floor, so where it sits in your house may change. It needs its own venting sized for the unit, and gas-fired models often need a larger gas line than a standard tank uses, since they heat water fast rather than keeping a tank warm all day. Electric tankless units draw a lot of power at once and may need an electrical upgrade to handle it. None of this is a reason to avoid one, but it's why a contractor has to look at your gas line, venting and electrical panel before giving you a firm plan, not just swap the box on the wall.