Florida water and heaters
Most Florida cities pump groundwater from the Floridan Aquifer or the Biscayne Aquifer in South Florida. Both are limestone, so the water is generally hard and can carry sulfur, which utilities treat out but which still causes rotten-egg smells in some water heaters. Incoming water stays warm all year, in the 70s or higher, so Florida heaters rarely struggle to keep up. When hot water runs short here, the usual causes are a failed element, a broken dip tube or a tank full of sediment.
Many Florida homes are all-electric, which makes electric tanks the most common heater in large parts of the state. That also makes Florida one of the best places in the country for heat pump water heaters, which cut water heating electricity by roughly two thirds and run well in warm garages.
Humidity, salt air and storms
Humid garages and coastal salt air corrode fittings, gas connectors and the bases of tank jackets faster than in drier states. Interior closet installs, common in condos and older homes, need drain pans so a leak does not reach flooring. After a hurricane, any water heater that sat in floodwater should be inspected before use, and gas units with flooded controls are generally replaced.
Licensing, permits and costs
Florida licenses plumbing contractors through the Department of Business and Professional Regulation, where any license can be checked online. Counties and cities require permits for water heater replacement. Typical repairs run $150 to $600, and a standard electric tank replacement usually costs $1,200 to $2,800. See water heater replacement for details.
Pick your city below for its own water supply, the failures plumbers see there, and local permit notes.