How old is your water heater?

**Terry** · 02-04-2009, 04:37 PM

I got a call yesterday, two gas water heaters, twenty years old.
Water leaking into the home past the garage wall in a Street of Dreams home.

Today, a home I plumbed twenty years ago, 65 gallon electric, leaking onto the carpet.

So.........How old is your water heater?

Some condo associations require replacement at 10 years for just that reason.
A water heater replacement is a lot cheaper than water damage.

**Scuba_Dave** · 02-04-2009, 05:28 PM

Maybe 3 years old
I'm not sure the age of the one it replaced
But it failed, bottom let loose
Luckily my wife was home & shut off the water to the tank

Unluckily she never went back downstairs after shutting off the water
Water was back feeding thru the tank & still leaking

**CarlH** · 02-04-2009, 05:36 PM

Mine is almost 15 years old and has been trouble free so far. Given its age I am already looking into getting it replaced. I've been taking my time on this though. Meanwhile my mother-in-law is set up in the basement where the water heater is located and that picture that master plumber mark posted a while back keeps coming back to me. I wonder if my current heater will start to leak while she is still staying with us... Or if it will leak and make the MIL stay that much more enjoyable.

**Redwood** · 02-04-2009, 05:48 PM

Originally Posted by CarlH

Mine is almost 15 years old and has been trouble free so far. Given its age I am already looking into getting it replaced. I've been taking my time on this though. Meanwhile my mother-in-law is set up in the basement where the water heater is located and that picture that master plumber mark posted a while back keeps coming back to me. I wonder if my current heater will start to leak while she is still staying with us... Or if it will leak and make the MIL stay that much more enjoyable.

That picture is a lot more pleasant than this one of my ex-MIL...

**Dunbar Plumbing** · 02-04-2009, 06:19 PM

Less than 2 years old.

A customer and I both didn't realize his heater was under warranty, and I instantly turned it in and got a brand new one fee of charge! He had already bought a water heater from HD so I wasn't going to spill the news.

Getting a $450 water heater for free made me feel speshal.

Got installed instantly as well before I came up with a plan to install it, collect off the cost of the heater. Serves a better purpose being in the home.

**maddog** · 02-05-2009, 07:20 AM

Original 50-gal gas water heater (cheap) that came with the house lasted 11 years before leaking. Replaced it with GE/Rheem.

**Macman** · 02-05-2009, 08:10 AM

Ours was in the house when we purchased. That was 23+ years ago and the only thing I've done is try to drain sediment. I never see anything come out. I hope I don't jinx it with this post. My mom and dad built a new home a few years ago. The water heater lasted 3 years.

**Gary Swart** · 02-05-2009, 08:12 AM

I installed a Reliance (made by Rheem) in 1996. This is a power vent model. I have had to replace the ignition control module twice, $100ish each time, and the dip tube once. Easy DIY repairs with some oin-line help from Rheem on the first ignition control. Other than those time, this heater has performed beautifully. Now, it does seem to me that the water in my area is less corrosive than in many other parts of the country. Galvanized pipe doesn't seem to corrode on the inside and water heaters seem to last a long time. Admittedly these are very unscientific observations, so let's not start a verbal war over them.

**Redwood** · 02-05-2009, 09:27 AM

Mine is a '98 with new anode in 2004 and I'll be putting in another soon.
Flush it twice a year.
It's part of a science project that will culminate in my homeowners insurance buying me a new carpet.

**sjsmithjr** · 02-05-2009, 12:28 PM

Our 47 gallon GE electric is at least 4 years old, but it's only been in service for the last 3. The stoners that owned our house before we bought it had been trying to convert the detached garage into an apartment (or a party room, or something), but never figured out how to get water out of it. I don't really worry about it leaking too much; it's located in the crawlspace just inside the access door. I flush it once a year on April Fool's Day.

**Ladiesman271** · 02-05-2009, 01:49 PM

Originally Posted by RUGGED

Less than 2 years old.

A customer and I both didn't realize his heater was under warranty, and I instantly turned it in and got a brand new one fee of charge! He had already bought a water heater from HD so I wasn't going to spill the news.

Getting a $450 water heater for free made me feel speshal.

Got installed instantly as well before I came up with a plan to install it, collect off the cost of the heater. Serves a better purpose being in the home.

Interesting story!

hj · 02-06-2009, 06:12 PM

quote; Getting a $450 water heater for free made me feel speshal.

Got installed instantly as well before I came up with a plan to install it, collect off the cost of the heater. Serves a better purpose being in the home.

Why would you feel special? I ALWAYS get a free one when it is under warranty. If you charged him for your new heater, how did you get him to return his? Sounds like you "cheated" the customer, because HE was the one entitled to the new heater, not you.

**Dunbar Plumbing** · 02-06-2009, 06:32 PM

Originally Posted by hj

quote; Getting a $450 water heater for free made me feel speshal.

Got installed instantly as well before I came up with a plan to install it, collect off the cost of the heater. Serves a better purpose being in the home.

Why would you feel special? I ALWAYS get a free one when it is under warranty. If you charged him for your new heater, how did you get him to return his? Sounds like you "cheated" the customer, because HE was the one entitled to the new heater, not you.

Interpretation for hj:

Customer calls, needs water heater replaced, calls saturday morning, already went to HD to buy his GE water heater, upset that his 6 year old heater is leaking and wants to get rid of his A.O. Smith tank because he feels it's junk.

I get there, new water heater is sitting next to old, I know the high water pressure in the area and BINGO!!! 100 pounds of pressure is partly to blame.

He opts for me to install a PRV/EXP tank along with his new heater. I do it, job done money in hand.

Get home, heater sits for 5 days because garbage day was 2 days ago. I look at the inspection sticker while I'm wrenching the scrap off the tank, and notice that the inspection says one thing, the heater's serial number is coding as "newer".

Sooooooooooooooooo, monday I call the plumbing supply house and run the numbers,

It's under warranty.

Water heater *GE* is already installed in customer's home, he's happy, I'm happy, so I'm heading to the supply house and I get my new water heater for bringing back a leaker.

Never told him about the tank, but I made sure him and his wife had VIP tickets to a fireworks celebration my plumbing company sponsors every year.

Something about that hot water feels so damn good, and I don't know why...