When to replace water heater?

I'm looking for some advice on when to replace a water heater. Obviously when it ruptures and water goes all over your basement is a good time, but prior to that, what is a good rule of thumb. The reason I'm asking is that our local gas company is offering a $200 rebate to customers for their purchase and installation of a new water heater. Our 50-gal water heater appears to be functioning just fine but it's 10 years old. From what I can tell it has a 5 year warranty from Rheem. I'm wondering if it would be wise, or overly cautious, to replace it at this point. Any advice? Thanks.

Reply to
tivo-guy
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Avg life on gas heaters is 10 years. YMMV

Jim

Reply to
Speedy Jim

This $200 rebate, to qualify, do they say who you have to get the next one through? I feel an inflated installation charge/unit price coming. I imagine they will restrict you to buying a gas unit over electric so what other rules are in there?

If you can go to Sears/Lowes/HD and get a new one installed for $400 or less, and still get the rebate, then that might not be a bad deal.

Mines 26 years old and on its 3rd set of elements(electric). I drain it every two years and check the elements. Have you been draining it to remove any sediment build-up?

Reply to
Mike

Reply to
davefr

You could check the anode and replace it if necessary. The anode is there to protect the glass. Once it dissolves the water starts on the glass.

Reply to
Art

Reply to
Peter Bagrationoff

Protect the glass?

Reply to
Frank

Hot water heaters are not that hard to replace yourself. I did mine about 6 years ago - try to get one that is the same height as the existing one. cold water in, hot water out, connect the vent, light it up, that's it...

I think I bought mine at HD for about $325, it was the best 40g one they had. (I only have two people in my house.)

FWIW, my old one gave symptoms of going when it failed to keep up with hot water demands...that when I got rid of it.

When it starts to go, replace it, but that gas co. deal looks like a sucker bet.

Bluesman

Reply to
hotblues20

What do you mean - sucker bet?

Reply to
tivo-guy

Local conditions make the biggest difference and different brands and models also make a difference. The best way is to be in a new development where all the homes were built at about the same time using the same hot water heaters. As you start seeing your neighbors replacing theirs, it is time to do the same.

Reply to
Joseph Meehan

I am in GA. Roswell to be exact. So you're going to get the $200 AGL offer and the $50 gift card from HD for buying a heater there? Out of curiosity, how much will your installation cost? Did you go through HD? Thanks!

Reply to
tivo-guy

Replace if:

1) When the tenant calls and tell you there is no hot water.

2) Water is just warm even you crank the thermostat way up.

3) Major rust in or around the tank.

I never had a ruptured tank, mine just goes out or doesn't get hot. 10 year old tank may last for just one more day or for another 10 or more years. For me I consider a 10 year old tank fully deprecated much like a 10 year old car and if someone give me $200 and my net installed cost not over $400 for a 50 gal tank I would go for it. A new tank should also save you on the energy bill.

Reply to
Frank

The first thing you need to do is check the anode and the dip tube. The best thing I have ever seen on water heaters is here:

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When you read through the information here you might very well take steps to make the one you have last as long as you own your house.

Reply to
Roger Shoaf

Yes. Glass is soluble in water. Slightly.

Something else few people know: the only known solvent for carbon is liquid iron.

Reply to
JerryMouse

"Peter Bagrationoff" wrote

Just make sure a

A "licensed plumber" installed a new heater for my neighbor, a very anal type. The neighbor, not the plumber. The nice plumber only charged Dan $600. Dan, of course, got the heater on sale at Home Depot, so saved a lot there. And since it was done by a "licensed plumber", it is warrantied, as Dan explained. Well, the water heater is warrantied, and Dan would ONLY have to pay the labor to have it changed.

I, on the other hand, change my own. In the family, we have three residences, and four rental properties. When it starts goofing up, I shoot it and drag it to the curb. I buy another at HD. Of course, I save the $600 plumber's labor, and I figure that puts me two water heaters ahead each time I change one myself, thus giving me a "two water heater warranty." I like that better because I don't have to keep all those papers, and I won't go out of business in the next ten years (hopefully) and leave myself hanging on to a worthless warranty.

If I do go out of business (die) in the meantime, I ain't going to give a hoot about the water heater anyway. Warranties are like toilet paper. Good for wiping, and not much else.

Steve

Reply to
SteveB

$600 to install a water heater in robbery IMO! It's like a 2 hour job if you take 2 coffee breaks.

Those utility company rebates almost always require that an overpriced 'professional' must do the installation which more than eliminates any saving.

I replaced mine for $150 and bought the model with the basic warranty 2-4 years IIRC. With an anode rod they produce almost no sediment.

Reply to
Martik

Water heaters suffer from only a few problems, only two of which require replacement. If the water heater leaks in the tank, you basically need to replace it. And if the water heater is inefficient enough that a newer heater can recover it's cost in a few years of energy savings, it's time to replace. With the rebate you might be able to meet criteria 2, but do the math.

Just about everything else on a water heater can be repaired/replaced rather inexpensively. That's why the rule of thumb is to replace it when it leaks, and not before.

Jeff

Reply to
Jeff Cochran

Locally a major part of the fee is disposal. A gas heater, with changes to the flue and gas piping needed to accomodate a newer heater might run $600 to install even at a reasonable rate.

Jeff

Reply to
Jeff Cochran

I probably would not bother it until it fails to heat. You have a catch pan with drain pipe for the heater, right? I have seen a water heater to last 40 years, but that's not too common.

Reply to
Phisherman

Reply to
Peter Bagrationoff

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