Nine Year Old 50 Gallon Water Heater

[hudson]

I believe that it still works like new...but sometimes I suspect reduced performance. Since the kids are all gone, it's hard to really test it.

It's a model E3Z50RD055V Envirotemp Supreme Lifetime Warranty Self Cleaning purchased Feb. 2000..from Lowes. I still have the receipt and a copy of all of the warranty stuff.

I'm the original owner...I installed it myself.

How long will this thing last...Should I swap out the thermostat and elements...or just test everything? ...or just wait till I have real problems?


Thanks!

[jadnashua]

No need to replace parts that are working. Symptoms of an electric WH not working would be quickly running out of hot water or really long time to recover.

You might want to check and replace the anode rod (assuming this has a metal tank...if it's not, then there won't be an anode rod to replace). Those are more correctly called sacrificial anodes, and they literally get eaten up in preference to the steel in the tank, but when they're gone, the tank starts to rust. Most people don't change them, and then the tank starts to degrade. They're used in numerous situations including boats to keep the hull from disintegrating.

[Thatguy]

"Recovery rates are generally measured by how many gallons of water can be raised 90-degrees in one hour. If a water heater, for example, stores 50 gallons of water, a recovery rate suitable for radiant heating would be the ability to heat 1 1/2 times its storage amount within one hour. In other words, it could heat 75 gallons each hour. The best water heaters on the market can heat almost three times their capacity."

You'd have to know the temp. of the incoming water. Turn off the heater, fill it completely with cold incoming water which temp. you have measured, turn it on and time it till it reaches the setpoint, and compare with manuf. spec's.

If you find any degradation, and knowing that it's 9 YO, you could predict the failure date (when it cannot keep up with demand).

[hj]

The only thing about its description that you have to be concerned about is the "lifetime" portion, and for that you would need your sales receipt. If it is working, leave it alone. If it stops heating properly, test it and replace whatever is broken, and only that. IF it leaks take the tank back and get the new one using your receipt and the lifetime warranty.

[hudson]

I've read a good many of the posts in the Water Heater section. My unit was made by Craftmaster, a brand that doesn't have a good reputation. The unit is on a concrete floor...a slow leak probably wouldn't cause big problems...so I just need to fix what's broken and make extra copies of my documentation. When it leaks, I just go to Lowes and they'll replace it with a comparable model.

It's very nice getting recommendations from those with experience!

I remember reading one of Terry's posts about a condo unit that required replacements every 10 years.... not a bad idea...then I could get one of the highly recommended units....

And there's also a pretty good argument that says: If it ain't broke, don't fix it.????

[hj]

Craftmaster is a sublabel of the American Water Heater co.