When Is It A Good Time To Replace Your Water Heater?
A water heater isn't something we think about often.
It's just one of the minions that work constantly in the background and keep your home in sync with all of the day to day activities.
Whether your cooking or cleaning, you expect the water to be warm when you turn the faucet to the desired temperature.
The same is expected when you flip on a light switch in a room.
Unfortunately the water heater isn't usually given any thought until it's too late.
Water that isn't heated anymore, or worse, a basement full of water.
The basement scenario seems pretty tame compared to water heaters that are kept in the attic.
Our neighbor learned first hand as she described water coming through her ceiling and a small waterfall cascading down her steps.
She had just purchased the townhome next door and had the home along with all the appliances inspected by a professional a few days before.
Here are a few of the parts that might break and need repair during the life time of your water heater:
The life expectancy of a conventional water heater is about 10 years and most of them come with a 6 year guarantee.
We examined our own recently and realized it was at least 14 years old.
We came to the consensus that 'our water heater was living on borrowed time' and now was a good time to replace it.
Over time water heaters will accumulate sediments in the bottom of the tank that can't get flushed out any longer.
Your unit will use much more energy, while heating much less water, and the corrosion will eventually break down the appliance altogether.
Tank-less versus Conventional- After talking with our neighbors and friends about which option was best, we first decided to go with a tank-less unit.
The upfront cost was going to be more, but the energy savings in the long run were going to pay for the device within in a year or two.
It seemed like the decision was relatively easy to make.
The plumber told us different story.
In order for the tank-less water heater to work properly it needs a 3/4" gas line coming into the device.
Our gas line was a mere 1/2" and we would need to upgrade.
The cost of the installation just dramatically jumped up and we would be left with a mess to clean up in terms of replacing sheet rock and paint.
Replacing the old gas water heater with a conventional one was not only the least intrusive to our home, but it was also much easier on the wallet.
The upside - Thanks to technological advances newer models of conventional gas water heaters are not only more energy efficient, but are constructed in such a way that they inhibit corrosion and retain the heat that is generated.
You should weigh your options and find out which type of unit works best for you.
Cost effectiveness versus your upfront expense of installation will become determining factors for your decision.
It certainly doesn't hurt to get a few different quotes for the job from local plumbers.
Regular maintenance pays off in the end - Here's a little tip that will help add to your water heaters life and its performance.
Flush your water heater annually! This involves shutting off the device and hooking up a regular garden house to it.
By flushing your water heater you will be removing most of the mineral deposits that can corrode internal parts.
Don't let the 'Out of Sight, Out of Mind' habit find you in a pinch.
A broken down water heater will usually happen when you least expect it.
By being proactive you can budget for this cost and with yearly maintenance you can guarantee the best performance and prolonged life expectancy.
It's just one of the minions that work constantly in the background and keep your home in sync with all of the day to day activities.
Whether your cooking or cleaning, you expect the water to be warm when you turn the faucet to the desired temperature.
The same is expected when you flip on a light switch in a room.
Unfortunately the water heater isn't usually given any thought until it's too late.
Water that isn't heated anymore, or worse, a basement full of water.
The basement scenario seems pretty tame compared to water heaters that are kept in the attic.
Our neighbor learned first hand as she described water coming through her ceiling and a small waterfall cascading down her steps.
She had just purchased the townhome next door and had the home along with all the appliances inspected by a professional a few days before.
Here are a few of the parts that might break and need repair during the life time of your water heater:
- The pilot light goes out
- The electric circuit breaker is tripped
- A broken thermostat
- A defective heating element
- A stuck valve
The life expectancy of a conventional water heater is about 10 years and most of them come with a 6 year guarantee.
We examined our own recently and realized it was at least 14 years old.
We came to the consensus that 'our water heater was living on borrowed time' and now was a good time to replace it.
Over time water heaters will accumulate sediments in the bottom of the tank that can't get flushed out any longer.
Your unit will use much more energy, while heating much less water, and the corrosion will eventually break down the appliance altogether.
Tank-less versus Conventional- After talking with our neighbors and friends about which option was best, we first decided to go with a tank-less unit.
The upfront cost was going to be more, but the energy savings in the long run were going to pay for the device within in a year or two.
It seemed like the decision was relatively easy to make.
The plumber told us different story.
In order for the tank-less water heater to work properly it needs a 3/4" gas line coming into the device.
Our gas line was a mere 1/2" and we would need to upgrade.
The cost of the installation just dramatically jumped up and we would be left with a mess to clean up in terms of replacing sheet rock and paint.
Replacing the old gas water heater with a conventional one was not only the least intrusive to our home, but it was also much easier on the wallet.
The upside - Thanks to technological advances newer models of conventional gas water heaters are not only more energy efficient, but are constructed in such a way that they inhibit corrosion and retain the heat that is generated.
You should weigh your options and find out which type of unit works best for you.
Cost effectiveness versus your upfront expense of installation will become determining factors for your decision.
It certainly doesn't hurt to get a few different quotes for the job from local plumbers.
Regular maintenance pays off in the end - Here's a little tip that will help add to your water heaters life and its performance.
Flush your water heater annually! This involves shutting off the device and hooking up a regular garden house to it.
By flushing your water heater you will be removing most of the mineral deposits that can corrode internal parts.
Don't let the 'Out of Sight, Out of Mind' habit find you in a pinch.
A broken down water heater will usually happen when you least expect it.
By being proactive you can budget for this cost and with yearly maintenance you can guarantee the best performance and prolonged life expectancy.