Help to get new water heater

[kom526]

Thank you for all of the replies. Looks like I should buy a unit and try to get a plumber to install. I think the biggest issue for us will be moving the water heaters in and out of the basement as I am sure they weigh more than a hundred pounds.

I did notice the main brand that lowes carries has a lot of negative reviews on their website.

Check with Thomas Somerville in Hollywood for your tank also. https://www.tsconline.com/

 

[Gilligan]

If that water heater is a 2007 you did good, the unit lasted that long ... usually 5 - 10 yrs max .,.. I saw a couple that were 15 yrs old

I know I'll jinx myself by even posting this..but the electric hot water heater in my guest cottage is at least 40 years old and still working perfectly. I've had much newer generation hot water heaters not last 10 freaking years.

 

[GURPS]

I know I'll jinx myself by even posting this..but the electric hot water heater in my guest cottage is at least 40 years old and still working perfectly.

I pulled a ' Lion Automatic Water Heater ' out of a cottage basement in Brookland .. just over Western Ave Outside DC in the early 1990s ... the patent date was sometime in the 1920s the tank was built like a boiler and still held water ... a be it not under pressure

The unit had been slide a side and a ' modern ' WH set in its place


The don''t build them like the used to

 

[spr1975wshs]

If that water heater is a 2007 you did good, the unit lasted that long ... usually 5 - 10 yrs max .,.. I saw a couple that were 15 yrs old

The house we bought in mid-96 in Illinois was built in early 94. We got 12 more years out of the 6 year warranty Whirlpool 30 gallon heater, which finally rusted out at the bottom.

I bought a 12 year, 50-gallon Whirlpool to replace it. Used a handyman who shopped with me at Lowe's as the installer. Since I had the gas and electricity turned off, also drained the thing, he only charged me $125, threw in installing a new faucet I'd bought for the slop sink.

I'm glad we have a gas tankless in this house. They last 15 - 20 years. BUT, are very expensive. Last time I priced one out, about 5 years ago when I still worked plumbing at Lowe's, heater, parts and labor came to about $2500.

Gather the good info being presented here and shop around.

 

[DoWhat]

Tank less on demand, installed buy Taylor Gas.
We had the propane line already there.
Those thing are awesome, unless you run out of propane.

 

[PeoplesElbow]

A few years ago I replaced the electric one in my house, it had the date 1976 stamped on it. Electric units last way longer. Gas ones burn out the bottom of the tank so need replaced more often.

Does anyone ever replace the anode?

 

[black dog]

Thank you for all of the replies. Looks like I should buy a unit and try to get a plumber to install. I think the biggest issue for us will be moving the water heaters in and out of the basement as I am sure they weigh more than a hundred pounds.

I did notice the main brand that lowes carries has a lot of negative reviews on their website.

I would suggest you buy the one with the longest warranty in your budget...

 

[black dog]

Did you miss the bit where I stated I Did plumbing work in the 90's

do you pull a permit every time you take off a Trap or pull a toilet

What do either of those have to do with being licensed \ insured , along with NG codes depending on what county\ city one is working?

 

[black dog]

I know I'll jinx myself by even posting this..but the electric hot water heater in my guest cottage is at least 40 years old and still working perfectly. I've had much newer generation hot water heaters not last 10 freaking years.

Guess what you're doing this weekend...

 

[PJay]

I have a Tankless water heater..love it.

 

[General Lee]

It cost me close to $2000 in labor to get a $900 Rheem water heater installed by Boothe's. It was a little over half a day of labor from start to finish. I am sure I got hosed with the markup but it was extremely convenient and they were able to have everything done within a day of me calling. I know all jobs aren't the same due to different variables but I hope this at least helps you set expectations if you're interested in paying the luxury tax. I don't think my job was particularly complicated as all the work was contained within the same space, no new holes or pipe laying. All they had to do was yank the old tank out, adjust some of the piping in the closet and drop in the new one.

Same here, probably cost me a bit more. I'm about done with Boothe's. They are good at kissing ass, but their prices are insane.

 

[Blister]

My house, built in 89, the electric water heater lasted until 2010 before starting to leak at drain valve. Only changed the lower element once. Bought a new WH and Gator grip style pipes for the new one. Hooked up the hose to drain and walked away for about a half hour, water stopped draining, cut it loose and started to take it out with a hand truck. Much heavier than I expected. We finally wrestled it out to the patio and reopened the drain. Must have got at least another 20-30 gallons of very white water out. I never new draining/flushing a water heater was even a thing until then. Water supplied by Metcom in my neighborhood at least, must have a lot of lime in it.

 

[Sneakers]

Last time I changed the coils, there was at least 6" of hard water deposits on the bottom. I scraped out most of it, but couldn't get it all thru the access port. That was at least 10 years ago, gotta be quite a few inches down there again.

I'm thinking maybe it's time to replace it...

 

[Clem72]

Last time I changed the coils, there was at least 6" of hard water deposits on the bottom. I scraped out most of it, but couldn't get it all thru the access port. That was at least 10 years ago, gotta be quite a few inches down there again.

I'm thinking maybe it's time to replace it...

Don't the hard water deposits protect the bottom of the tank from rusting?

 

[Sneakers]

Don't the hard water deposits protect the bottom of the tank from rusting?

Maybe! Maybe that's why it's lasted this long!

 

[jrt_ms1995]

I've had much newer generation hot water heaters not last 10 freaking years.

That's because they're designed not to.

 

[spr1975wshs]

That's because they're designed not to.

Plus as I understand there are three companies that make all the brands.

 

[PrchJrkr]

Mommy Dearest just had C&C Plumbing replace her hot water heater this summer. The last one was installed 49 years ago. Hers is a 30 gallon electric and she paid $1500 all said and done. I wish I could count on the new one lasting 1/2 as long. I believe the original had a glass lined tank.

 

[GURPS]

I believe the original had a glass lined tank.

My understanding, Most Water Heaters are ' Glass Lined '

[ I saw that on many a Bradford White Water Heater Boxes during my stint as a Plumber ]



I was told the WH are coated / painted like a washing machine with that enamel or porcelain paint and baked



What does glass lined water heater mean?


In order to protect stainless steel from corrosion, the inner surface of the storage tank is fused with a layer of processed glass. The method of application of enamel/glass-lining is different from polymer coating, but the objective of both is to prevent corrosion.

Clearing the confusion about the coating and material of the tank in water heaters

In order to avoid corrosion, the inner surface of the storage tanks are coated with a layer of some anti-corrosive material which prevents the surface to get corroded even when it is in contact of warm water. This takes care of the factors which reduce the life of a water heater owing to...

www.bijlibachao.com

Different kinds of corrosion protection coatings of storage water heaters in market

Various brands market their products in different ways which is why people get confused between which is what. It happens sometimes that there are two products having the same kind of coating but the names which are used for them by the manufacturers are different, so people think that the two coatings are different from each other, which is not the case in reality.

The major brands of storage water heaters are listed here “Comparison of various brands of Water Heaters/Geysers on BEE star rating in India”. In these brands, the different names of the coatings are as follows:

1. Porcelain Enamel Glass Lined Tank
2. Glasslined Coated Inner Tank
3. Vitreous Enamel Coated Tank
4. Blue Silicon Enamel Coated Tank

Moreover, there are a few companies (like AO Smith) which market their products with patented technology of storage tank coating with a different name, but apart from a few modifications, these all are same.

Apart from the Enamel or Glasslined coating, some manufacturers use Polymer coatings. Polymers are synthetic materials that are applied on top of the metal to protect it from corrosion.

 

[Kinnakeet]

IMO, you did get hosed..I've replaced my electric HW heater twice and it never took me more than 3 hours. Even if it was a gas heater, it shouldn't have cost that much..Disclaimer - no idea what HW heaters cost nowadays, last replacement here was 10 years ago and it was 50 gal at $400

What is a hot water heater is it the same as a water heater...lol