Our water heater is 14 years old - replace it?

Replace the anode and it may last for many years.

The water where you are makes a big difference.

The anode? What does that do and who can repair that - plumber?

Water: we live in SouthEastern Pennsylvania, does that help?

ask neighbors how long theres lasted.

Ours is 8 years old and due for replacement, around here they always fail by 10.

new heater will be far more energy efficent.

you might consider installing a drip pan or other arrangement so future failure cant damage finiushed space.

a buddy built a low block wall, and added drain line to sewer to keep leak water visible but confined to non finished space,

of course his baSEMENT IS BELOW GROUND LEVEL

his tank leaked while he was on 2 week vacation, filled the basement with water that finally spilled out front door. drbris had floated over and clogged basement sewer drain.

did about 70 grand in damage, new furnace, main service and wiring, basement finished totalled, ruined hardwood floors upstairs, new kitchen cabinets, mold from all that moisture had started growing

his home looked awesome when complete, his family lived in hotel for

really code shoul require heater catch basins, and ones for washing mnachines upstaIRS

homeowners insurance required and paid for the heater catch basin....

de quoted text -

DONT MESS WITH ANODE ON SUCH A OLD TANK, IT CAN CAUSE LEAK

As an electrician when I see an electrical problem or hazard at a customer's house I will point it out due to concerns for their safety. It doesn't matter to me if I correct the problem or if they have someone else do it. Two professionals gave you their opinion and you think that they just need the business. You could wait until the water heater fails and then you will be dealing with potential flooding, no hot water and no time to shop around for a good price. I would start getting some quotes now and get it done.

how does the realtor fit into this?

you just bought or trying to sell?

if your selling replace the heater, perspective buyers will beat you up over it

Water heaters have a sacrificial anode which is made of less noble metal, typically magnesium I think, so that it will slowly dissolve via electrolysis, instead of the metal tank. It's the same idea as putting zinc on the underwater metal of a boat. The anode is a long rod that screws into the tank from the top. It has a hex head, which I believe fits a 1 1/8" socket.

You can check the anode every few years and determine how fast it is being used up, then replace it when appropriate. I don't have actual enough experience, nor have I ever seen any test data to be able to tell you if it in fact it does extend the life of the tank significantly. Also, it helps protect against corrosion to some extent, but there are more than one failure mechanisms at work.

With a finished basement and a 14 year old gas heater, if it were me, I'd replace it.

AO smith is a top brand not HD crap, I had a commercial AO unit last

A finished basement should have a pan under the tank that has a hose that goes to a drain and an Auto Leak Sensing Water Mains Shutoff. If it was me, tomorrow I would get the Auto Main shutoff device and research tanks starting at

That's over priced. You can get a 40 gallon for $250.00 Consider a tankless water heater. Why waste energy keeping 40 gallons of water hot?

Water heaters rarely, if ever, fail catastrophically. You will notice a small drip-type leak long before it becomes a spurt or flood, unless you are not home for weeks at a time.

Mine was 30 years old when I replaced it this last summer. It didn't leak, it simply didn't keep the water hot, and I finally got sick of cold showers.

If you are putting in a water heater in the USA and want one that will outlast you, put in a Vaughn Stone Lined. Only available in Electric as far as I know, but the hydrastone lined tanks are not only extremely long-lived, but also quite efficient. You can realistically expect them to last 50 years.

The anode? What does that do and who can repair that - plumber?

Water: we live in SouthEastern Pennsylvania, does that help?

I would have to disagree with that. When my last one went, the first indication anything was wrong was when I was awakened in the middle of the night by a very low buzzing or humming sound. It was being caused by the water flow from a failed tank as it moved through the cold water pipes. The stream was about half the size of a pencil, but clearly enough that with a finished basement, it could easily cause major damage before being noticed. Prior to that, the tank looked perfectly fine and was about 12 years old.

Also, a friend had his go while away on a business trip. When he came back, the basement floor was flooded. Again, there was no warning from a drip or small leak. Clearly you can have serious damage from a water heater without having a warning from a drip first, and that damage can certainly occur within a day. Just the typical unfinished basement, with boxes of crap around, etc would present quite a headache with not all that much water.

re: AO smith is a top brand not HD crap, I had a commercial AO unit last 20+ years

Let's make sure we compare bananas to bananas. Odds are his unit is not a commercial AO, so let's not build his hopes up.

While AO may not be HD crap, I moved into a house with a 3 YO AO which began to leak at the bottom less than 2 years later. I replaced it under warranty. Since you only get the rest of the original warranty on the replacement unit (I wonder what they know that we don't) when the new one began to spray water into the flue 6 years later, I was on my own.

I did not replace it with an AO.

I have to agree with John.

Although you might get another 10 years from the heater, the inconvenience of cold showers, and calling a plumber to come out immediately, and possibly flooding, are consequences that outweigh the cost of a new heater.

Also, I hear it gets very cold in PA.

However, my last heater lasted 18 years, and just quit heating the water. It was gas.

I'm not a professional electrician or plumber, but I did replace my own water heater last time. It isn't too difficult.

As an electrician when I see an electrical problem or hazard at a customer's house I will point it out due to concerns for their safety. It doesn't matter to me if I correct the problem or if they have someone else do it. Two professionals gave you their opinion and you think that they just need the business. You could wait until the water heater fails and then you will be dealing with potential flooding, no hot water and no time to shop around for a good price. I would start getting some quotes now and get it done.

FWIW. Here in eastern Canada; since our first house in 1960 our hot water tanks have lasted an average of nine years; on both well water and municipal water supplies, in an area where the water is reputed to be somewhat acidic. Last one we replaced in December 2006 at a cost under $250 total, doing the work ourselves. Our most recent foam insulated replacement, rated as 40 US gallon with two 3500 watt heaters and top and bottom thermostats, manufactured in the USA, had identical size and location of connections to the one replaced, which was leaking. We did also replace the pressure relief valve which was quite old, cost included. A cost of $800 seems rather high by our measurement; however we did buy and pick up the replacement, bring it home (in our pickup) get it down into our basement, install and then take the old one to the metal recyclers next trip into town. Thinking back this is the first time any of our tank replacements has cost anything significantly over $200; plus own labour. Regarding failure, don't agonise just replace it. Generally takes a couple hours maximum once you got the new one home. You'll be showering from the new one by the time you have cleaned up after installing and had cup of coffe or tea!

One night we were dry, next morning it was a flood, ours was not dripping before it went.

As a first-time homeowner in the USA, I had not realized that water heaters typically have such a short life. My home in Australia had a

Here we have a Ruud gas water heater which looked new enough when we moved in 5 years ago that I thought no more of it.

Now you have me worried. I looked up this unit and found that it had only a 6-year warranty which expired 6 years ago already. I knew nothing about checking the anode until reading these messages, so I'll do that ASAP.

And I see that manufacturers state that life is related to water pressure. What is considered reasonable? The last time I checked ours at an outdoor spigot it showed 80psi.

I assume that a new one is going to have to be installed by a professional? Typical cost?

Perce

I'm in your general area and with my well water, electric water heaters only last 6-7 years. When mine have failed, they just start leaking but none catastrophically to flood basement. I would only replace if it fails but as others suggest, have some way to catch water if need be.