My water heater is leaking around the base, and I can see that it's rusted around the edge. It's 15 years old.
I'm looking around at prices, but does anyone know about how much I can expect the plumber/installation to cost?
It's a 50 gallon natural gas heater.
And my house is for sale, so now I have a puddle on the basement floor if we have a showing before it gets replaced.
On the other hand, I get to add "New water heater" to the listing. :)
The cost varies widely according to the cost of labor in your area, code and permit requirements, and whatever additional work may be needed.
A bright light at the end of the tunnel. If you're using a real estate agent, s/he may offer some guidance.
Somewhere between $150 and $400 for labor.
Any reason you can't do the job? Here are the steps:
The above is, at most, a two hour, twenty curse-word job.
There may be restrictions on DIY work on a house that's listed for sale.
Never heard that. It's still the owners house. A home inspector for prospective buyers might have issues if the job's done incorrectly but assuming the home's not under contract I believe the current owner may proceed as he sees fit. If he make changes(size, gas to electric) the listing might need to be changed though.
"HeyBub" wrote in news:2YidnZc7cKdJ7inUnZ2dnUVZ snipped-for-privacy@earthlink.com:
220 is whimpy. 440 -- 4 hour fourty curse-word job is really something to brag about :-) 440 version:
Shit! Damn valve is frozen or doesn't shut off completely
It won't completely drain dammit! There's so much crud in the bottom of the tank it clogged the drain.
Drop left nut trying to move half full tank.
Shit. Damn shelf I put up there is too low for new heater.
Use up all those small pieces of pipe by using couplings
If pass < 5 then Goto step 4
Salvage some brightness by rolling to curb instead of lugging. Oops! Yard slopes down a bit to curb. Water heater gets away and rolls into street just as car is coming by. Car hits it and gets jacked up as water heater wedges underneath. Hard to tell water heater parts from underbody parts at this point.
That dropped nut now has broken teeth companions. Car owner, "Bubba the Frig", expressed his unhappiness.
Won't drain because you forgot to open a hot water faucet on the highest floor!
Except the new water heater will most likely have both water inlet, water outlet and gas connection in slightly different positions requiring adjustments to all the pipes.
Right! In addition to the two-hour, twenty curse-words, add two (maybe three) trips to the hardware store for flexible connectors, pipe-dope, Teflon tape, and a pipe-wrench that will open 1/16" more than the biggest one you've got.
It's not a complete loss, though. In ten years, when you have to replace the water heater again, you'll already have the pipe-dope, tape, and wrench.
Oh, something else! Very important.
On the new water heater, replace the crappy plastic drain valve with a brass one before you install.
Hint: With a black marker, write "Installed: March 2009" on the heater. Leave room for writing the dates it was periodically drained.
Unless he finds a place that sells the same brand or one made by the same maker. AOSmith for example is sold under the Sears name.
I don't know if it was really worth it but I went to five places and found the Sears one looked just like mine. The second time, I just went to sears, didn't thave to run around.
mm wrote in news: snipped-for-privacy@4ax.com:
There is no hot water upstairs. That's why it's being replaced silly, remember?
Mitch@_._ wrote in news: snipped-for-privacy@4ax.com:
Just make sure it's installed to code by whoever, including yourself. For instance, some states require Flammable Vapor Ignition Resistant (FVIR) units with sealed burners.
In some places or cases where non FIVR is allowed, the water heater must be like 12-18" off the floor. They actually sell a galvanized metal table for this purpose. One could easily be make out of 2xX's if allowed.
"HeyBub" wrote in news:3eWdnfS7wYW73CjUnZ2dnUVZ snipped-for-privacy@earthlink.com:
Oh yes yes!! Been there on that one.
The Cu male adapter that screws into the top of the water heater and sweats to the inlet/outlet pipe...hex part actually below the top of the heater surface. Needed the handle offset of open end wrench to get at it. Hmmm, try 1", too small. Try next size I have, 1 1/4", Shit! too big. Need 1 1/8".
Isn't the raised water heater requirement confined to installations in a garage (or similar) where flammable liquids are likely?
Round here, they _all_ have to be elevated. I've never looked into the reasoning; I just build the platforms.
Drip pans and drains and also required. Those wouldn't do much good if they were sitting on the floor.
HOLY CRAP! $1300!
The heater alone was $1100. MY GOD.
I think you would expect to pay something like $1k+for a new water heater. I put one in myself, and it was very easy, and I even got a permit to do it.
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