water heater fell over in driveway - safe to use? (2023 Update)

[rachelms79]

Last week I had a plumber install a new gas water heater. His helper had the heater standing up on the driveway and was sliding it onto a hand truck, when it fell over. The gray metal shield sticking out under the red thermostat got bent a little, and there's a little dent in the sheet metal about halfway up the tank, and the release valve got dinged. I didn't hear any broken glass sound, and the plumber replaced the release valve. The heater works ok, no noises, no gas smell. I realize the glass might have cracks that will shorten the lifespan of the heater, but my concern is just gas safety. Since I smell no gas, and since the gas-related parts are at the bottom of the tank (which didn't hit the ground - it seems the release valve got the most damage, and was replaced) is the heater safe to use? (I realize in hindsight I probably should have told him not to install it, but that's hindsight now...) Thanks.

[Edwin Pawlowski]

It will probably be OK, especially the gas train if it is functioning OK now. A fall over is fairly gentle in the scheme of things.

The glass lining is not something you'd hear break. It is not glass as in window glass or a tumbler, but a coating on top of steel. Sort of like the enamel coating in a pot or the coating on a steel sink. Worst case scenario is a crack will allow the steel to rust out prematurely, but there is a good chance nothing happened since it was not a direct hit. The outer shell and insulation took a lot of the shock.

Overall, you are probably in good shape. Well, your heater probably is in good shape, I have no way of knowing how good a shape you are in.

[Toller]

Speaking strictly about gas safety; if you don't smell any gas you should be fine. That said; I wouldn't have let him install it; you don't need dents and bends in a new appliance.

[Eigenvector]

I would have asked for a new one. Any number of things could have gone out of whack during that tumble. It's not like they cost an arm and a leg, but even still - premature rusting, temp sensors banged up, pressure release banged up, drain valve banged up, burner knocked around. I think the others are right in that most likely nothing's wrong with it but some scratches and dents - but still.

[EXT]

Of course you have no idea how many times it fell over before it arrived in your driveway. If you rejected it, someone else, who didn't know that it fell would have received it.

[bigjim]

You should have requested a new "undented" heater and it would not have been unreasonable.

n Jun 5, 2:59 pm, "EXT" wrote:

[Jeremy]

Hey, did it go out prematurely? Mine just fell over during transit as well and I’m just wondering if it will not last as long as it should

[Clare Snyder]

Seems water heaters don't last as long as they are supposed to even if they don't fall over -----

[micky]

Definitely can't be used in the driveway.

Must bring it inside.

Probably fine, unless you hear glass rattling around inside. People have told me that some really do use glass, but I'm not convinced.

I have bought my WHs from Sears and they are made by AOSmith, and they are called "glass-lined" but when I cut an old one open, it was a thick layer of vinyl, I guess with glass dust mixed into it. It was never going to break. Ever. OTOH, I couldn't find anything online about this style of construction. Go talk to plumbers or whoever sold you the WH to find out if there is literal glass inside, but even if there is, if you don't hear it rattling, it didn't break.

My current water heater must have had something heavy on it, because the inlet or outlet is no longer vertical. Some people would have returned it, but I connected it and it's been 5 years or so. I really should take a look. I'm starting to realize what could go wrong after all. (Since I bought it myself and took it home, I would have had to do the reverse to return it, including dragging it up from the basement. Maybe I should have.) But that's not your problem.

[Dean Hoffman]

Ed has been around a long time.

[Scott Lurndal]

[Ed Pawlowski]

Guess I have. He never answered back so I guess it worked.

[micky]

Surpised to say that I never got this post by Ed. Agent lets me reload the last 400 (or whatever) posts and it's still not there. It's been more than 10 years since the days when posts were missing.

Using tweaknews.nl fwiw.

[Ed Pawlowski]

Did you see the original 2007 date?

[micky]

No, I didn't! How did Dean drag in a 17-year old post, with the same thread name? Or at least the same topic as yesterday's post. No wonder I was fooled.

This does mean that Usenet is still working very well.

[Cindy Hamilton]

The thread was revived by someone on homeownershub.