When Should A Water Heater Be Replaced?

When does a water heater need to be replaced and should it be replaced at all? Is it when it starts leaking? When it reaches 10 years old? Is it dangerous to have an old water heater? In this video I address all these questions, along with some of the common reasons people replace their water heaters when they could have simply fixed it. Or even worse, they simply replaced it out of fear that it will start to leak and flood the house. Other reasons include not enough hot water, popping noises, smelly water, coming on with a band, and not being efficient. Anyway that's it for the video summary, please let me know your thought about all this in the comments section!
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#furnace #airconditioner #appliancerepair #heating #airconditioning #hvac #wordofadvicetv #waterheater #waterheaterreplacement #plumbing #plumber

[karendonoher-rager]

THANK YOU! I'm a widow & now that I have to depend on the kindness of strangers helping me with problems that my husband could fix, I worry more. You just put my fears regarding my water heater to rest. I will now subscribe to your channel for future help. 😊

[xpump]

This posting was very reassuring my concerns. (I still have some though)
Our Water heater was installed 39 years ago in 1984. Hot Water has been consistently good & available.
The anode rod has long since been sacrificed and I'm not aware of any maintenance in the last decade.
I had discussed replacing it w/ my spouse but she's pretty adamant that if it’s not broke don’t fix it.
I think 80's they made much better Water heaters than the junk available today with its planned obsolescence.
Im afraid to touch it worrying that it will then there-after start misbehaving.
I setup water alarm system and the unit is mounted on a drain pad.
We will replace it someday.
This posting took away the nagging "bottom dropping out" catastrophe fear .

[libbyd]

I was very young in the early 70s when our water heater "blew out" in the basement. I recall opening the door to the basement one morning and a blast of steamy air hit me. It was like a steam room. We has a small house so I guess the hot water was enough to remain fairly hot despite there being a few inches of water on the floor throughout the basement. Fast forward about 20 years and in the first house I ever bought, my wife and I were only there a few months when the exact same thing happened. So I suppose I am doubly blessed to have been chosen twice for that honor. I knew nothing about home maintenance and repair at that time (obviously), but those experiences forced me to learn a lot and I do maintain and repair all the usual stuff in my old age. Not only for my own family, but friends as well. Videos like yours are greatly appreciated.

[fengjingbao]

I am so glad I bumped into your video so that I don't have to spend 14K dollars for my water heater and boiler for house heating. My system was installed about 18 years ago which is actually still working well. I was baffled as to how could a plumbing company charge over 7K for the replacement job as the equipment they would use will not cost more than 6 to 7K. You are so correct in saying that the "efficiency" gained through replacement will not be worth it. Thank you for the sound advise.

[kenjohns]

This video was so refreshing. It is nice to see someone share an honest appraisal rather than resorting to fear tactics that are now so common on the internet. My house is 17 years old and the gas water heater continues to work fine. I replaced the pressure relief valve last year when I found evidence of some moisture coming from it periodically. Based on so many 10-12 year predictions for average service life, I started thinking about a replacement last year. I'm glad I didn't replace it prematurely, and hope it lasts another 17 years. Thanks for this helpful information.

[harmfulOpnions]

As a new HVAC service tech, I really enjoy your videos.

I have seen a few leaking water heaters, especially from flushing the tank after 6 years of not flushing it.
it's better to just let them go with a annual flush at that point.

Also changing the anode rod is a great way to get more life out of the equipment.

[irish]

You are so correct. I moved into my townhome 1983 and the water heater was still there from when it was built I kept it for like 30 years and someone said I’m living on borrowed time so that’s why I replaced it. But it was a great water heater it was built to last

[ronkrodel]

I am a retired plumber. Your videos are fantastic !!!

[kele]

I can't tell you how much I appreciate every single one of your videos, whether they apply to my stuff at the time or not. It's still learning! I've been nervous about my water heater for a while, only because it is 24 years old. It looks "brand new". Even the stickers on it look new. It's a Bradford White, and one sticker says it's equipped with "Hydrojet Total Protection System". It's natural gas fired. I see no signs of rust, or any other physical changes, and it doesn't make any weird noises. Never flushed it, never replaced or cleaned the rod. I take comfort from today's video, relieved that I can tamp down my stress about it, and not pay a fortune to replace a water heater that is working just fine. Thank you for your videos, your expertise, very clear demonstrations, pictures, and those sound files you include sometimes (like the ac fan motor video). And your sense of humor. I hope you and your family are doing wonderfully in Hawaii. Best wishes to all of you. Looking forward to your next video, and appreciating your past videos.

[mrh-old]

I had mine (gas) suddenly "bottom out" about 18 years ago. Luckily, I was home at the time. I don't know how old it was, but it was in the house when I bought the house 24 years earlier. I never saw any signs of a leak. I heard a gushing sound in my basement and immediately turned off the water supply. I watched your video today because I started hearing (for the first time) crackling like noises near the top of my now 18-year-old gas water heater and was concerned it could be signaling it's time to replace it. After hearing your advice, I guess I'll just keep my eyes and ears on it. Thanks

[maryjohnston]

Thanks so much for this excellent video delivered in a very professional way. I will sleep easier tonight and call my plumber in the morning about the small amount of water under my 22 year old Ruud water heater. Ten years ago I was out of town for several weeks in December. When I returned to my cool home it smelled very musty like a summer basement. The water was up to an inch or so deep in spots of the uneven floor. I turned the water to the tank off and In the morning called the plumber. He said the culprit was a defective valve near the top of the tank, which he replaced. So my home wasn't flooded, but there was quite a bit of water down there. Thanks again for your lesson.

[lowlifegarage]

Great video. We just bought a house with a 12 year old electric hot water heater on our well. I was planning on replacing it because i didnt know how long it would last. It works just fine

[macdaddykwm]

The old water heaters lasted a long time because they were glass lined and didn't corrode so much. The manufactures figured out that they could sell more heaters if they left out the lining and let them rust. State Water Heaters is the only company I know of that still has some models that are glass lined.

[stevenshreckengost]

Awesome knowledgeable videos, I have drained my hot water tank, flushed it a little, took a good hour, but yet my tank while heating, gas; still is popping, drives me crazy, it's about 7 yrs old, and in a dry area. Crazy, no heating issues or pressure all is well except popping while heating. This is the 1st draining of this tank.

[sweetrocks]

Very good, honest and objective video! Sadly, almost all plumbing contractors use fear and deception, and say you must relace it in 8 to 12 years. Of course! They want to sell you a new water heater & installation! The 1st gas water heater in my house, a Rheem, lasted 25 years, with NO maintenence whatsoever. Then just a small leak from the tank. Even with high iron & calcium water. Going on 23 years on my 2nd one, an AO Smith. Started power flushing 15 to 20 gals out once a yr, about 5 yrs ago. Only complaint is the very poor spickets, drain valves used in water heaters. If you have a water heater 20+ yrs old, replace it only if you have to! Most made now are junk in comparison to the old.

[carleneatkinson]

I am glad to come across a video that answered my problem. My Rheem hot water tank which I purchased in 2020 is currently leaking at the bottom, I have a plumber coming this Friday to look at it. Also it’s leaking I still need to leave it on because I need to use hot water. So happy you spoke on years of rust corrosion that would cause the bottom to fall apart and cause a flood, Now I can go to sleep. A yes you’re right about studying history I told my daughter that same thing and she didn’t listen to me😀

[larrylass]

Thanks. I have a 30 year old propane water heater. No leaks and working. Considered replacing but will wait until I see a leak.

[rzh]

Thumbs up ! Our municipal water pressure is over 80psi. I installed a Pressure Reducing Valve (PRV) years ago to keep pressure at 50psi which reduces strain on piping, tank and water- using appliances. Our washing machine and dishwasher have lasted well past the usual lifespans. I also installed an expansion tank on the cold water inlet to the HW heater. That absorbs the pressure back flow as water heats with no faucet open ( the PRV creates a closed system so pressure can't dissipate back to water service main). I believe, but cannot prove, that reduced pressure alleviates some of the expansion/contraction of the tank interior. Also, best to place HW heater on a pan which connects to a drain. That way if it does leak you don't send water everywhere.and you have time to react., Also you will know that it is not another source of water leakage. If you have a draft induced blower, be sure condensate drain port is connected to a drain as condensate getting in the blower will kill the motor. I never flush the tank but I do drain 5-10 gallons from tank every few months and particularly after the Town flushes the water mains ( twice a year here ).

[AAB]

Good video. My Maytag gas water heater, 80 gallon, was made by State Industries and installed in my unfinished basement in 2001. Other than replacing the thermocouple twice, it is still working great. I have never drained it, but it has been used with well water that has been filtered thorough a whole house water filter since day one. I was looking at it today and see a little rust flaking on top near the cold water inlet nipple. I am making plans to change it out next month myself with a Rheem 50 gallon unit

[KenArthur-jb]

How refreshing to listen to an honest, knowledgeable expert. Thank you!!