Community Chat

[hopi]

@Mom2Dogs 32 years in my home and on my 3 water heater. The life of these is about 10 years. If it can be fixed do it  and then the next issue is leaking, water, gas  or something else. That being said a cool shower or bath is not pleasant wiith this cold weather coming in.  If you have the means probably needs to be replaced. Turning that notch up one should not ruin the heater. 

[We rescue cats]

You are smart consumer-smarter than I! Replace it before another meltdown! LOL! We were not that smart, we knew it was coming because it was 20+ years old. Got up one morning and the basement level (where my office was located) was flooded. We now have it on the calendar to replace it, I think next year is the target!

[SilleeMee]

Some heaters are rated to last less than 10 years, most like 6 to 8 years. The lifespan rating varies and usually the longer it is the higher the price tag. If I had a heater that was close to or past the end of the lifespan rating, I would replace it just to avoid breaking down or flooding. I realize that it it's an investment but having to call a plumber for repairs on an old one can cost a lot, too. Plus if there is a flood...well you know.

[Mary Bailey]

Our water heaters usually last around 5 years.  We're on year 3 with this one.  We have a 40 gallon.  

There is a knob or lever to switch it from very hot to hot or medium setting. You can do it.

When this one need to replace I want to get a tankless one. DH just roles his eyes.  LOL.    My BIL has a tankless water heater and likes it.  They have a family of four.  

[SilleeMee]

---

@Mary Bailey wrote:

Our water heaters usually last around 5 years.  We're on year 3 with this one.  We have a 40 gallon.  

There is a knob or lever to switch it from very hot to hot or medium setting. You can do it.

When this one need to replace I want to get a tankless one. DH just roles his eyes.  LOL.    My BIL has a tankless water heater and likes it.  They have a family of four.  

---

@Mary Bailey 

I looked into getting a tankless one but I would need an electrical box upgrade and a water-softener system installed. Hard water is a big no for tankless heaters and they require a huge upfront cost for intallation. Energy savings takes years to recoup and with the cost of electricity that could be a while.

[gardenman]

A properly installed water heater can be replaced in about an hour as long as the replacement is a similar size. I know because I've done it. It's not a horrible job. Flip the circuit breaker to the water heater. Shut off the water supply to the heater (typically a valve right above it.) Drain the water heater, and while draining, disconnect the wiring. Loosen the connections to the house water and haul out the old tank. Drop in the new one. Reconnect the water connections.  Reinstall the wiring. Open the valves and reset the circuit breaker after you know the tank is now full. (An empty tank will burn out the electrodes in a flash.) 

It's not a bad job. If the installer hard-plumbs it using rigid connectors instead of flexible connectors, it takes longer, but not a lot. I've probably done six or seven of them between my old house and my grandparents' houses. The flexible connectors simplify installation and removal a ton. They're like $20 each retail, but are well worth the money. 

There are units now with a lifetime warranty that are nonmetallic and the tank should last forever. You might still need an occasional electrode or thermostat replaced, but very little chance of a flood with one of those. They are pricier, at $1500+ retail, and you need to be comfortable with a lot of hot water sitting in a plastic/resin/fiberglass container and any possible leaching of chemicals into the water. (Although most people don't drink hot tap water, so there's that.)  

[SilleeMee]

@gardenman 

When I got my last heater it took several hours to install. Same size tank but the new one has totally different exhaust and a 'pressure cooker' energy saver on top which was an additional complication for the install. It was not an easy job for the installer.

[Mary Bailey]

@SilleeMee 

---

@SilleeMee wrote:

---

@Mary Bailey wrote:

Our water heaters usually last around 5 years.  We're on year 3 with this one.  We have a 40 gallon.  

There is a knob or lever to switch it from very hot to hot or medium setting. You can do it.

When this one need to replace I want to get a tankless one. DH just roles his eyes.  LOL.    My BIL has a tankless water heater and likes it.  They have a family of four.  

---

@Mary Bailey 

I looked into getting a tankless one but I would need an electrical box upgrade and a water-softener system installed. Hard water is a big no for tankless heaters and they require a huge upfront cost for intallation. Energy savings takes years to recoup and with the cost of electricity that could be a while.

---

Thanks for the info.  I'll have to keep that in mind.  BIL didn't mention that he needed any upgrades.  We do have hard water. That's why our water heaters only last 5 years vs the manufacturer's life expectancy.  

[foxywoods]

A side tank was needed after a having few years of tankless water heat.  because the heated water is on demand,  the water would take forever to heat up for a nice warm shower. and then a water conditioning system had to be added due to minerals from the well water.  works ok now.

[haddon9]

---

@SilleeMee wrote:

@gardenman 

When I got my last heater it took several hours to install. Same size tank but the new one has totally different exhaust and a 'pressure cooker' energy saver on top which was an additional complication for the install. It was not an easy job for the installer.

---

@SilleeMee Same here!  As I mentioned up in this thread we had replaced the water heater at no cost because the unit was still under warranty but it took the plumber hours....good part of an afternoon to do the job.  Plus it's a big unit and he had to bring the old one up out of the basement and the new downstairs. The labor is what cost us.