My water heater is leaking from the bottom today. There's a drop falling every second or two so its failure is probably imminent. I have called a plumber to come check it out this afternoon. I'd like to know what to expect or any diagnosis you might have.
Bradford White Model MI403S6LN12 Capacity 40.0 gal Input 40,000 btu/hr. Natural Gas
Shoulda just told him to bend over ... because that's pretty much what plumbers do . I got lucky , got my new unit for under 300 bucks for a 40 gal electric . Plumbed it in w/solid PVC all the way because it was the least expensive option . When the time comes to replace it'll get flex lines . I did put a ball valve on the inlet ... far enough upline that it also cuts off the shower cold - they're just thru the wall from each other .
A replacement Rheem (appropriately named) unit will cost $897 installed tomorrow.
I called a few other places and the cost was about the same but it would take at least a week. I've dealt with these people before and would rather give them my business since they have always arrived the same day to diagnose the problem.
When mine leaked, it was less than six years. I called, and got the warranty. The Home Depot gave me the price I paid towards the new unit, so I was still out a couple hundred bucks. I mumbled a bit, and went ahead.
I think you are wise to give your money to the people who formerly treated you well.
I was going to say that the plumber will charge you $1000 installed, but you could simply drive to Home Despot and pick up a new one and install it yourself for $300.
So I was $100 off.
They're not that heavy you know.
And easy as pie to put in.
Real men know how to install replacement gas water heaters.
If you can attach a barbeque tank to a barbeque grill you can replace a gas water heater.
I replaced exactly one water heater about 4 or 5 years ago - still working just fine.
You would not need a torch to disconnect the gas line from your water heater.
You shut off the gas valve in the line going to the water heater, then you take a wrench and unscrew the coupler at the tank gas inlet.
Naturally, you'd drain the tank and close the water valves going to (and coming from) the heater (if you have such valves) or you'd shut off the main water supply. Then you unscrew the couplers and move the old tank out of the way.
When I replaced my tank, I added a ball valve to both the incoming and out-going side of the copper water lines going to the tank, to make replacement easier the next time.
The gas input of the old tank matched exactly (in terms of height from the floor) of the new tank, so I didn't need to rework the gas line. Just move the new tank into position, screw the coupler back, turn on the gas, spread a little dish-soap on the connection to see if it bubbles, and the job is done.
Mabee the little cheap one. I bought a 9 yr? warranty 40 gallon and it was within a few dollars of $600 including tax. Bought it from Home Despot because it's only about a mile away and I had to carry it home on the rack behind my PT cruiser, so I didn't want to haul it across town from the wholealer (price within dollars but better brand available)
There is some skill to working with black iron pipe for natural gas. If you get the same brand and size of W.H. it might be possible to reuse all the old black iron.
That's what insurance companies like to hear after a house burns down.
They just walk away ... with their check book as full as when they arrived ... while the code official writes a citation for installing the unit without a permit.
And that everything matches up perfectly old to new, which it *usually* does, but without seeing this one, who knows. And that what's there now was done correctly and doesn't have some obvious problem that needs to be corrected. And that there isn't some othe r problem, like maybe an old water shutoff valve that should be replaced that 's soldered in, or maybe no water shutoff valve at all.
And I also don't think it's too smart to be pushing someone who doesn't feel they have the right skills to be fooling around with gas piping either.
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