Natural Gas Tank Heaters

Natural Gas Water Heater Installations in Allen, TX

Being without hot water is not fun and very inconvenient — especially in the winter months! When your gas water heater becomes more trouble than it’s worth, it’s time to consider a replacement. There’re a couple of important things you need to consider when trying to decide on a water heater replacement so that your investment meets the needs of your household.

Luckily, Earl’s Plumbing is here to make the process hassle-free. Our experts can recommend the best water heater for your home, and you can rest assured that we’ll install your new unit with safety in mind. If you’re ready for a natural gas water heater installation, call on the team at Earl’s!

When Do I Replace My Water Heater?

The average life of a standard “6 Year” tank water heater is 9 to 12 years. That could be less for a builder-grade heater, but if it makes it’s a great sign if your unit makes it past 9 years. However, just because the system isn’t leaking doesn’t mean it’s functioning properly and efficiently. We strongly suggest being very proactive when it comes to replacing tank water heaters — especially if they’re in that 9 to 12-year range and in your attic above a living area.

Knowing Your Water Heater

In the area we service, we’re considered a “natural gas market”. More specifically, about 98% of our water heating production is done by natural gas water heaters. That includes Frisco, McKinney, Plano, Allen, Little Elm, and Prosper. We have very few electric water heaters and even fewer propane water heaters.

So, if you’re one of the rare few that’s NOT natural gas, this is something you are going to want to communicate early in the process. Another interesting fact is that in this market, about 98% of the residential water heaters are 50-gallon heaters. So much so that a 40-gallon water heater is more expensive than a 50-gallon heater!

There are several related items that you are also going to need to know. All of these questions help us determine some code-related items and also affect the total price of the installation. Knowing this information will help us provide you with an estimate or estimated range for your replacement. These include the following:

Home Specifics

• The city your home is in – Some cities require certain code-required items.
• The year the home was built – This helps us determine the type of pipe, construction, and if your home has a PRV (link).
• The square footage of the home – This is important but not required unless your wait time for hot water is excessive OR your home is undersized for demand.

Heater Specifics

• The number of heaters in the home – If there are two side by side, it’s always best to keep them on the same life cycle.
• The location of your heater(s) – Attic, garage, upstairs walk-in attic, attic above the garage — all plays a part in the price.
• The age of your current heater(s) – Not required, but if they are really old, they could be more difficult to drain and remove.

Several of those answers will likely lead to other questions that may have pricing or option implications on your installation, and sometimes it’s just good to know.

Just like with any other product that you purchase, there are variations in features, quality, and price. The bigger deciding factor here is probably overall “value” and if you value these different qualities:

• Overall quality
• Engineering
• Quality control standards
• Quality materials – better gas valve, less plastic and/or more insulation
• Lifespan
• Likelihood of complete failure

The most expensive product doesn’t always mean it’s better. Especially when you weigh the overall value. Water heaters are much the same. Here’s a well-known fact: all water heaters tanks are made of steel, and they store water. What does water do to steel? That’s where brand quality and engineering come into play. Better brands have better engineering, processes, and quality controls, and those things usually cost a little more. But the benefit to you is you get a better, longer-lasting product with less concern about catastrophic ruptures or leaking.

If it was only about price, we could easily start buying generic water heaters, save ourselves hundreds of dollars, and make more profit — but you deserve more than that!

Consequences of Low-Quality Systems

Did you know that the most common repair for a gas water heater is the gas control valve? Not only is it the most common repair, but it’s also the most expensive repair outside of full replacement. Probably 90% of gas water heater repairs are due to faulty gas valves. And of that, probably 98% of those calls are from one brand of water heater’s gas control valve.

Using round numbers, the cost of that part after tax is between $200-$250 depending upon the brand and model of the water heater (they are NOT interchangeable). Then, the labor outside of your original installer’s warranty period is probably another $300-$400 (depends on if they’re a sales commission company and what part of the month you caught them in). So, the best-case scenario is $300 (under warranty) and $650+ depending upon who you call. All of that stress and expense for a water heater selection that you made two, four, six, or eight years prior.

You could just ask your pros at Earl’s Plumbing, “What brand of water heater do you recommend installing?”

Our Water Heater Installation Process

Earl’s Plumbing has chosen to align ourselves with Rheem and Bradford & White for traditional tank heater options. This allows us to provide our customers with good, better, and best options when it comes to standard tank heaters. Our Rheem selection is offered in an 8-year and 12-year version while Bradford & White is a standard entry-level 6-year heater, BUT it has an upgraded mechanical gas control valve (NOT the problem-plagued version).

At Earl’s Plumbing, we have no problem providing you with a price range over the phone. We just ask that if the caller is comparing prices, make sure you take into account the different qualities of systems and parts.
Our basic water heater installation includes us replacing virtually everything — NOT just the heater. Many competitors are going to offer you an inferior heater AND they’re likely only going to replace the heater and nothing else unless it’s specifically required by code — and even then, maybe not.

If you choose Earl’s Plumbing to install your tank heater(s), our installation will always include:

• ALL sales taxes and materials
• Replacement of the shutoff valve with a new quarter-turn ball valve
• Replacement of all water supply lines with new flexible stainless steel supply lines
• Replacement of the gas flex line
• Replacement OR addition of the gas sediment trap
• NO extra haul away OR disposal fee
• Specific Code-Required Items

If needed, we’ll also install or replace some components that must be operational to be code compliant. We’ll adjust the cost accordingly if these services are required — and we’ll be transparent with you about it.

• Replacement OR addition of a “properly installed” thermal expansion tank (if required)
• Addition of water heater drain pan properly drained

Water Heater Options for Tank Heaters

There’re only a few options available for tank water heaters, but the ones we offer are pretty critical and impressive.

Flood Stop Leak Detector

The Flood Stop device is an automatic shut-off valve that’s auto-actuated by the slightest sign of moisture that comes in contact with the sensor. “Slightest” means one droplet of moisture (or sweat) will shut the water flow off and sound an audible alarm. The valve shuts off the water flow, and if there is an active leak present, this would limit the leak to a manageable rate that the pan can keep up with and drain to the outside of your home. This is strongly recommended for ALL attic water heater installations.

Reduced Hot Water Wait Times (Recirculation Crossover System)

Are you waiting for what seems like an eternity to get hot — or even warm water — to your kitchen or bathroom faucet? What if we could get you instant warm water to that distressing faucet, and then hot water in 10 to 15 seconds? Think about the amount of water waste that is eliminated and the personal time that you get back over the course of a week, month, or year.

Then, what if I told you that it will also reduce the wait for most of your other fixtures as well? And it’s super affordable! Let us give you a price for our “Recirculation Crossover System.” It’s something that we have perfected with our Navien tankless water heater installations, and we can get the same results with tank water heaters.

Earl’s Plumbing Warranty

Because we feel so strongly about the brands that we have aligned our company with and the options we have decided to provide our customers, we also back every one of our installs with a market-best warranty. Our warranties are:

Rheem 12 year 50 Gallon Natural Gas Water Heater

• TANK – 12-year full replacement warranty from the manufacturer for tank leaks
• PARTS – 8-year full replacement warranty from the manufacturer for ALL parts
• LABOR – 6-year limited labor warranty from Earl’s Plumbing

Rheem 8 year 50 Gallon Natural Gas Water Heater

• TANK – 8-year full replacement warranty from the manufacturer for tank leaks
• PARTS – 8-year full replacement warranty from the manufacturer for ALL parts
• LABOR – 4-year limited labor warranty from Earl’s Plumbing

Braford & White 6 year 50 Gallon Natural Gas Water Heater

• TANK – 6-year full replacement warranty from the manufacturer for tank leaks
• PARTS – 6-year full replacement warranty from the manufacturer for ALL parts
• LABOR – 2-year limited labor warranty from Earl’s Plumbing

Bradford & White 6 year 50 Gallon Electric Water Heater

• TANK – 6-year full replacement warranty from the manufacturer for tank leaks
• PARTS – 6-year full replacement warranty from the manufacturer for ALL parts
• LABOR – 2-year limited labor warranty from Earl’s Plumbing

Call On Earl’s

Hot water is essential for cooking, cleaning, bathing, or even just washing your hands. Earl’s Plumbing understands this importance and treats every hot water heater replacement or repair issue as an emergency — even if there isn’t an active leak present. Because of that, we keep a tank water heater “ready to install” on every truck as well as all of the other parts and materials required for a proper install.

If you require a new water heater, let Earl’s Plumbing take care of it. We’re the good guys your neighbors told you about! Give us a call!