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[software]

You can change that filter yourself.

I think mine is accessed through my glove box.

But if you like the smell, and if it smells NEW, I would like it too, don't bother.

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@queendiva wrote:

@software: Always upsell at the car dealership!

My car is still under warranty. Had a covered service done recently. Tried to upsell a change in the carbon cabin filter to rid my car of that "unpleasant" smell. The only thing I smell when entering my car is leather and there's nothing unpleasant about that! Of course, that was a service that was not covered under the warranty.

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[novamc1]

It can be highly beneficial to replace a 10-year+ water heater before it lets you know it's time.  At that age, it's time.

.  I learned the hard way.  Was standing in front of the washing machine one day, just happened to turn around and see a  very silent flood of water flowing out from the bottom of the water heater and heading straight toward my feet.

Our utility room concrete floor is built with a drain and a slight slope to direct any water toward it, so the room probably wouldn't have  totally flooded, but my feet would have gotten wet in just another second or two.    But that wasn't the luckiest part.....

I was present and available  to quickly  shut off the water supply valve to the heater.  If I had been out doing errands or out of town, the water would have flowed into and out of that tank constantly, ad infinitum.  It might even have taken a day or so to go into that room and notice the water.

It's always a little more expensive to get a plumber and a new heater on an emergency basis, too.  Better to allow time for shopping around for the best price.

[151949]

Every time the company comes to our house to spray for insects they give us a hard sell on something - usually flying termite control. The company who built the house told us that the green painted on all the boards would prevent termites as long as it remains green - after the green fades we would need to have preventative maintainence. The house is only 6 years old and the boards in the attic are still bright green so we always refuse, my DH tells them about the green boards and they say yes, they are aware of that. So we are up in the attic standing there looking at bright green boards and he is giving us this hard sell. Very irritating.

[kiamom23]

That sounds way, way too high for a water heater.  Ours is up in the attic above our 2nd floor.  (Can't believe that the builders put it there!)  Anyway, after seeing our neighbor across the street have his fail and water running down his driveway and having to replace walls, ceilings and flooring, I had ours replaced because it was at the end of its life and then some.  Didn't want to go through all of that!  Guess it depends where yours is and potential damage.  I wouldn't push it past its recommended life unless it wouldn't cause any damage.

[Lipstickdiva]

I don't know the deal with your water heater but that price sounds ridiculous.  Our's is in our basement and I'm lucky my DH can change it and has.  We don't replace it just because it's getting to the end of its life.  We replace it when it needs to be replaced.  However, since it's in the basement right next to a drain, and our basement isn't finished, if the breaks and water goes everywhere, it's not a big deal.

The last time our hot water tank went, DH went to a locally owned plumbing supply place, bought a brand new 40 gallon gas tank for just under $400.00 and replaced it.

The price of a thermostat also sounds ridiculously high.  That's not anything I would change until it didn't work anymore.