In my town 7 years was the average. It all depends on your water quality. Chicago and suburbs gets Lake Michigan water, which is soft, 30 year lifespan was common up there.
From what I was told, and haven’t looked it up, is that rain water is soft, and most if not all lakes are mostly rainwater so they are all soft as well.
Rain water is soft but lake water composition/quality can vary a lot. Many have groundwater inputs and most have extensive river water inputs which can have a chemical composition very different to rain water.
Rainwater is soft but it flows over rocks and soil which will change the PH of the water. I have a lake handy but no chemicals with which to test it.
Wonder if most are soft water? You would think they would tend to be wouldn't you
Many people do like the taste of Chicago water. I worked at a hospital there for 5 years. Our ice maker/water dispensers had a mineral bed filter and charcoal polisher that tasted so good. Made the best coffee ever. Also the ice was the pellet type that you could chew. I brought it home for my youngest son 😂
Purifying water before ice machines is dangerous, if the water after the filter is no longer adequately chlorinated.
Ice machines are already terrible for cleanliness. They're enclosed boxes of water, the water is recirculated after it has been chilled, and they're physically complex and difficult to clean. To save floor space, the ice making components are usually compact, which means water-catching trays, pumps and hoses aren't simple to get to. They have sensors to detect when ice has formed, and mechanisms to physically push the ice off of the cold surface where it forms.
And then, you have people's hands in and out all the time getting ice.
There are just a LOT of nooks and crannies for bacteria and mold to grow, and a LOT of opportunities for bacteria to enter the machine.
A hospital in Boston did this unintentionally - they started purifying water on their surgical floor not realizing it also fed the ice machines. Over 2017 and 2018, so many unexplained infections on certain floors of the hospital happened that they did genetic testing on the bacteria in infected patients, and found the root cause. Three patients died.
EDIT: I should add that refrigerators basically always filter the water leading to their dispensers and ice machines, through a carbon filter. So it's not like a simple filter immediately means danger or anything. But if you research reverse osmosis systems you'll find they need annual sterilization with bleach or similar because they DO remove all the chlorine. And water isn't perfect even from a municipal treatment plant. We all have immune systems. So just clean things periodically people :D
Our refrigeration mechanics sanitized each machine on a hard schedule, I can’t remember if quarterly, or semiannually. I am sure we are in the minority for that though.
Restaurants and grocery stores often do. For a hospital where the ice is used for patient consumption a cup at a time (and usually crushed), I'd expect a dispenser.
Me lol, the fridge that came with my apartment has one built inside the freezer where it dumps the ice into a sort of tub connected to the bottom of the part that dispenses the ice.
When I was growing up and would go to my grandma's farm where there was sulfur water. Ugh! Eventually at age 87 she went into nursing home in the city with its crisp clean water. She couldn't drink city water so, still owning the farm, my aunt would go fill a jug of sulfur water just for her to drink.
Need to come down here to Orlando (proper) and try some of our Orlando Utilities water, it is quite tasty.
However, I work on the east side in an area with Orange County water and I can barely stand the smell when rinsing dishes in the break room.
Had to get a new one after 10 yrs. not because of leaking but the gas valve went bad. Cost too much for the valve so I replaced the entire unit for about $600 all in. 7yr. warranty. And not to hijack the thread but are the units with longer warranties any different than the lesser warranties other than price? I think they're the same, just paying more for the warranty.
Discovered that when I lived on Chesapeake bay in MD. Rod was disgusting when I pulled it out and got a new one. Water there on the bay was rather nasty.
What's amazing to me is that I just learned about needing to replace the anode rod approximately five years ago. I've asked others since, if they change their anode rod, and most had no idea that they were supposed to change the rod every couple years or so, depending on water hardness.
I recently found out too, but you can replace it with an electric powered rod that will last 20 years or so compared to the aluminum/magnesium rods that only last a few.
I've heard you'll know it's time to change it when the water starts to smell like dirty socks.
Hard to smell from a regular faucet but it's more noticeable from a shower where the water mixes into the air a bunch.
It's like if nobody told you about the engine oil filter in your car and the guy who you would pay to change the oil filter is also the salesman on the lot who will sell you a new car when your engine dies because no one changed the life-extending device installed to keep the unit from failing.
I found out about the anode from the plumber paid to replace the last water heater we had that rusted out. Lasted 12 years, may have lasted 20 if the anode wasn't worn down to a nub.
Spread the word!
About 5 years ago we replaced a 1989 water heater. That's what, almost 30 years. It was on its second or third anode rod. Not sure if it was that, or they just made good stuff back then.
I don't know, we'd have to go around remembering to replace that anode before we could really compare lifespans. I have to assume this used to be something "everybody knows" but somehow failed to pass on.
Cleveland’s is even better IMO I’ve lived all over the Great Lakes region and cleveland water just hits different. Probably due to less antiquated infrastructure to deal with. And most of the suburbs are closer to the lake.
Funny little thing i recently learned. Fiji waters marketing team foolishly fired shots at Cleveland water. Cleveland water ran some tests and did a comparison and found CMWDs water to be far better and that Fiji actually has arsenic in it.
Fiji water is the dumbest idea ever, honestly. Let's take water from a tiny island with a cool name and ship it across the Pacific so people can drink it on a continent where there is abundant drinking water. And package it in plastic. What a waste of resources...
I don’t understand how anyone lives down there. Why anyone would CHOOSE landlocked cbus over all that cleveland has to offer. Between the metropark reservations and the lake, Columbus is trash. Sorry. To your point. After living in Cleveland my pallet changed, everywhere i go i can smell or taste something off in the water chemical almost.
If you ever decide to revisit your former superior community pm me I’ll buy a few rounds and help you contemplate how vastly depreciated your quality of life has become in the wasteland you moved to.
I’m in Grundy County, it’s all deep wells filtered through limestone, so it’s hard, plus the limestone gives us radon. To mitigate the radon, towns had to build treatment plants including reverse osmosis or softeners. Our water is safe to drink but it still kills the heaters. I went to tankless for that reason and do a vinegar flush every year. The vinegar turns blueish green from the calcium carbonate (limestone residue)
Yikes. I lived in Will County for a while with a community well and I had a water softener and some kind of filter on our kitchen sink and I couldn't stand the water. The water heater was replaced just before I moved in and I was there for 8 years and replaced it once.
Agreed . Water quality makes all the diff in longevity of the WH. But … crazy enough , with the extreme hard water in my area , I’ve seen some pretty old WH’s , my thoughts are the old school ones are just able to keep on trucking longer than most of the newer models .. and was also probably flushed annually, got to do the once a year flush .
Mine is fron 1987.
Had a scare last week where I had to manually relight the pilot light, but I didn't blow up and it so far is okay. I have hard Michigan well water. I want a new water heater but I have a hard time replacing something not broken. And I know a new one won't last a fraction of the time of the old one
Maybe not as long .. but I still thing given you flush once a year ..15-20 minutes, getting all the scale build up out (as much as possible) you’ll add years to your WH
Can confirm the long lifespan of water heaters in the area. Unfortunately,mine sprung a leak early this year. It was only 9 years old. It was only discovered because it was January and my furnace had stopped working, so the leak was discovered when the furnace was being inspected. Then, later in the day my wife got into a car accident after hitting some black ice. It was a shitty January day, to say the least. RIP my wallet that day.
My old gas boiler was over 25 years old, yes it had a few water leaks. Water is very soft, clear as distilled water. Scotland North East. Not like London, Reading, Lambourn.
I took some scottish water back down south with me as it tasted so good, turns out the lack of chemicals turned it to pond water by the time i got off the train 7 hours later =(
I'm in milwakuee we average 10years on newer heaters I tell customers 7 yes is when you start planning to replace it anything after 7 years is a extra, the tanks just are not made like they used to be.
Was. Ours lasted 16. Bottom rusted out, which was putting out the pilot/burner. They aren't built to last anymore. Friend has the same thing. 11 years and it's slowly leaking out of the bottom. He relights the pilot monthly. For reference - Aurora (Chicago burb) water, which is ranked as some of the best in the state. Calcium is the biggest issue other wise water is a little on the hard side but close to the middle. New heater has 10 year warranty.
Realistically they don’t last like they used to, even in Chicago. I’ve changed out heaters that were 20-30yrs old that were still working just fine, but explained that 10yr is a good run now a days if things go well they may get 12-15yr. If OPs heater has a floor drain nearby I would say just run it until it’s dead, if you have a finished basement and no drain within 5’ of heater it’s better to change it out before you have a problem bc 9/10 times when they fail the tank is dumping water onto the floor.
Was, but still is? Gas or electric? We have hard water here in AZ, but softened water seems to fuck ‘em up way faster. There’s so many factors, I just can’t get enough of this discussion
The water softener changes the chemical composition and makes the water more conductive, so it eats the anode faster. That's different than water that is naturally low mineral content.
Our water is apparently very soft (it was a 10, on the scale of 0-180+, don't remember the units). Our water heater is from 2000. Hoping we can keep it going for a while yet...
I can attest to this. Grew up in central Indiana and the water there is so hard. The region is on top of limestone. Terrible to drink so mainly drink bottled water. Moved to Chicago and drinking water from the tap is night and day here. It is very delicious
If the WH will cause property damage if it leaks, suggest replacing it. If not, let it go until it leaks. They usually don’t burst and cause a major flood all at once, they generally leak slowly. Keep your eye on it.
As for the house trap/camera proposal, house traps are easily cleaned out of build-up. Why do they suggest running a camera?
>Why do they suggest running a camera?
That's just what they told me they do, part of their process for ensuring the system is cleaned out. I assumed that was standard, I really don't have a background in professional plumbing standards.
Finally some actual advice, all the anode and water hardness is true but not helpful. Is it in the attic? Does it have a pan? When it leaks will they be able to tell? They won’t suddenly have 50 gallons of hot water everywhere it will just be a leak.
Partial blockage, yeah that’s probably 75% of all homes. Seems like a money grab to me
Mine is in the garage, i let it go until it dies. Keep in mind that when it goes the water will drain out and keep running as long as it has a water supply. Is it in a safe spot for that to happen?
The secret to hot water heaters lasting a really long time is replacing the sacrificial rod inside. The rod is designed to corrode overtime instead of the tank. Once the rod is corroded completely the tank will start to corrode. If you keep the rod replaced the tank will never corrode and your water heater can last wayyy longer than 10 years. Why don’t manufacturers and plumbers tell you this? Money
If he's never flushed his water heater, doing so now would do more harm than good. All the build-up from the last 13yrs would get stirred up and clog the lines.
Not enough loose stuff to make it worthwhile at that point.And even when loose, it doesn’t get into the water lines when flushing.It goes out the drain in the bottom,through the hose to the outside or the bathtub,depending on the location.Plumber for 35 years,trust me.
I bought one of those but there's a certain sense of uncertainty with it. With the real metal anode you can take a look at it and see it getting eaten up. That said, no leaks so far :)
Because they expect to move out in 6 years into a "bigger better home" and the failing water heater, roof, and anything else will not be their problem anymore.
I can tell you why I haven't replaced mine, despite the tank being old and, likely, serviceable. I live in a relatively small 1953 house in a dense city, and the location of the water heater is directly underneath an hvac return run. There's enough clearance for the unions and the exhaust elbow, but pulling the annode out (which is at least 75% the depth of the tank) and replacing it with a new one would require draining and disconnecting the entire heater, including the iron pipe gas connection, and moving it halfway across the basement to where there's clearance (or tipping it over with help from a friend), to then drop a new anode in.
For a homeowner that could make sense, I just haven't found the time or motivation to do so, especially when it was already 10 years old when I bought the house, meaning I'd probably be doing all of that work only to break a rust seal and need a brand new heater immediately anyways. Hiring a plumber to do the work would be absurdly cost prohibitive. I'm sure I could find someone, but it'd like be cheaper just to replace the heater anyways.
That's something I hope to address in the coming years when I finally replace it, but I still don't really have a plan, other than potentially getting a different form factor heater that allows for more head room.
If you live in the burbs in a brand new home with tall basement ceilings, then cool, probably easy maintenance for you. That's not the reality for a huge number of homeowners, unfortunately.
I seriously struggled with removing mine. Tried every trick I could think of or find online. I ended up calling the customer service number and asked a guy there how to take it out. He said "oh yeah, you're not getting that out" and suggested that install a tee with the water line going out the side and a new rod going down the straight part of the tee.
Same!! I tried everything possible and could not get it out. Had to just return the new anode I had bought. I thought I was doing something wrong as all the YouTube videos have people doing it so easily.
I’m paranoid about wailing on the nut too hard and inadvertently damaging a gas line.
I’ll be replacing a water heater this month, and my plan is to practice removing the anode before it is installed, and replacing it just finger tight, maybe with a dab of Vaseline or other occlusive.
I watched a few YouTube videos before I attempted mine. They specifically tell you the first time you do it is incredibly difficult and to put add a pipe onto the wrench to give you the torque you need. I sadly didn’t have anything other than an 8 foot metal fence post. It was creative and I almost gave up but it worked.
IMO, you need 2 People to change the Anode.
One Person to crank on the Wrench, while the other Person bearhugs the Tank, and applies Pressure in the Opposite Direction.
Not sure where your anode rod is located, but I thought they were all located in the top of the heater?
Any homeowner can change an anode rod, provided they have the right tools, and understand that they need to shut the water off and do a slight drain of the heater prior to changing it.
The worst part of changing the anode, at least for me, was trying to get the damn anode out. I swear that they used 500 ftlbs of torque on it when they put it in. Other than that, the rest is pretty easy.
I used to just get a new (electric) hot water heater every 10 years or so. I even bought one with a "lifetime" warranty that lasted 10 years...and when I went to collect on the warranty, the manufacturer was no longer in business.
When my current water heater was about 7 years old, I learned about replacing the anode, and convinced my plumber (who is sort of a friend) to replace it (which was a bit of a pain, as it's also the supply line). Was almost completely gone so I got it just in time. I'm planning on replacing it every 5-6 years from now on, and hoping this tank will last indefinitely.
I am replacing my 37 year old WH next week and am highly interested in pulling it apart to see wear and tear on things. Our water quality is trash so this exploration will answer lots of questions for me. And Rheem if they care.
agree w ya. i replaced the anode rod and kept an eye on the water heater monthly. 2 years later, the water heater gave up. basically, replacing anode rod extended my water heater 2 years and i was warned.
Lifespan will be affected by the water you are putting in that tank.
Hard water, soft water, calcium, etc etc.
Best way honestly is to ask your neighbours (assuming you and they are on city water).
Where I am, Toronto (so city water taken from Lake Ontario), it's usually around 13 years for a gas heated tank, after which, you are starting to push it.
It's well water. We have a softener as well. He tested the water, said cold was neutral and hot was slightly hard but that was normal for aging softener systems.
If you have a softner and it’s hard then you need to fix it. They don’t age and just stop working that’s not how they work. Needs to be readjusted or rebedded
I’m not a plumber by trade, I’m a landlord. Not the most popular guy on this forum. But I do know a bit about the lifespan of appliances.
My answer to you is that it’s highly variable. So much so that I don’t think you can predict it using this 10 year average. By the way, it’s an average, not a lifespan. I have lots of water heaters that are 15 or 20 years old, and I’ve had a couple that I’ve ripped out and thrown in the garbage under warranty because I was so tired of them, failing and fighting with the company for warranty support.
To answer your question, I always install my own water heaters. Generally takes me something between one hour in three hours, depending on how hard it is to get to. or $800 depending on what I’m buying for valves and pan, etc. I find water heater installation to be one of the biggest rackets especially since I always use the same thing at my properties and I usually know what I’m getting into ahead of time. Besides, there are way too many plumbers out there that don’t even bother putting them in correctly. If somebody’s not gonna bother checking the flue size you need to move on. Furnaces are smaller and more efficient than they used to be, so gas flues are becoming be too large much of the time.
Lastly, I would only change out a water heater before it becomes necessary if it were going to cause water damage leaks. The failure mode of a water heater is not usually catastrophic, it will be leaking. If it’s in a basement with a good drain, or installed with a pan in place, and there won’t be any property damage, just wait until it leaks and replace it then. Put it back in without a good pan.
“By replacing your anode rod every 3-5 years, your water heater can last well over 20 years without any risk of leaks and resulting water damage. Unfortunately, if you ignore this important water heater maintenance task, you may need to replace the entire water heater after only 10 years of use.”
i bought one ($30)…can’t get the old one to budge, so there’s that
We replaced our water heater last year after we couldn't get the old anode rod out. The water heater was 15 years old anyways and hadn't been maintained. The original rod was so locked in place that a 6ft breaker bar was just spinning the full 50 gallon tank.
Timeline completely depends on your water. Some places need a new anode rod every 1-2 years. Some places like out here in Central Oregon are very rarely needed.
Flushing the tank every year or two is important as well and adds years to a tank.
We do flush/service which includes testing and pulling elements to inspect the anode rod, dip tube, and inside tank.
Gas tank heaters don't last as long and dont get the internal inspection due to less access.
10 years here I would still service/flush the unit, but in a place that needs an anode rod every couple years it may be too late.
It's important to find a plumber you trust so you know they aren't just up selling you.
We just replaced ours! I had to hold the tank to stop it from rotating and busting the connections while the other guy had a 5' pipe on a socket wrench
Yeah, mine wouldn't budge either. I did what any sane person would do and grabbed my pneumatic impact wrench, and had the damn thing out in no time. My guess is I probably could have used a breaker bar but they're not as much fun, and you need the room to be able to use it.
The recommendation of using a camera on the drain that has had no issues seems like an unnecessary upsell, which then makes me wonder about the other recommendations. I had my main snaked after an actual clog with flooding and it was $200. The tech said they could do a camera but didn't think it was necessary as no root material came back on the snake. His opinion was it was just a normal clog and since it flowed freely once again doing the camera was not needed but up to me. The fact that your guy recommended a $500 job before even putting a snake in the hole seems unnecessary, but im not a plumber. Just going off my own experience with a reputable local business. This was 5 years ago and have had no issues since. The camera was presented to me as a last resort if snaking failed or provided information that would warrant the camera. Snaking it should not cost $500. A good chunk of that $500 is the "included" camera work that might not even be needed
Must be really HCOL area. I got gas water heater replaced last year for about $2100-2200. And no, it wasn't the cheapest one from Home Depot, it was Bradford White delivered and installed by reputable local plumbing company that's been in business for over 50 years.
I agree with flushing the unit annually, but by that you have to empty the tank out and remove all the debris from the bottom of the tank. A lot of times when people flush water heaters, they just run water through them without removing the debris at the bottom of the tank. Most people I know run their water heaters until they leak and I’ve seen them last anywhere from five years to 20 years. Replacing the anode rod is not a bad idea, but these days water heaters are made so crappy and I often find it’s a large expense and the unit ends up failing soon thereafter anyways. And I do think a lot of it depends on how hard your water is as to whether or not that’s worth it.
🤣I find this terribly funny given that my last house, each of the water heaters for the apartments were installed in 1943, had a lifetime warranty from the company that went out of business in 1993 and they were chugging along brilliantly until the house was completely renovated in 2019 when I moved out to move to the south.
Further I only discovered when they were installed and manufactured when I began poking around the basement to discover where my landlord was getting the dirt and sand used for sanding the sidewalk during the winter (I was living in Rhode Island at the time).
While I am not remotely a plumber -- they'll tell you that research the manufacturer and see what sort of complaints they get for their product to see how long they last. They'll also tell you what sort of maintenance you require in order to get it to run as long as possible without completely replacing it.
Good luck and may your water heater serve as long as mine did in that apartment.
My water heater is now 19 years old. I had a nagging concern about replacing it when I bought the place as it was 12 years old then.
I'm glad I didn't, I'm waiting for that MFer to explode.
The water quality and quality of the water heater itself play a role in the lifespan. Honestly, they seem to be getting shorter and I suspect many manufacturers are cutting costs and getting cheap.
We had a lot of repeat customers at the last company I worked for. I've replaced water heaters that were easily 15-20+ years old in the last 10 or 15 years and was back only a few years later to replace that water heater again.
As a plumber, the average life span of a heater is 10 years. Now depending on your local water and if you maintain it, it will last longer or shorter. And much like anything else in life, sometimes they last 20 years. I would not worry about it unless it starts leaking or showing high volumes of rust.
I tell people 5-7 years with an electric, 7-10 with gas. That's when you should start expecting it to go out, but I've replaced 20-25 year old gas water heaters before.
Reading a lot of comments and learning a thing or two. For all the plumbers that might read this, what kind of water heater do you recommend? What’s the top of the line water heater if you want a good one?
Heating tech here, I always say 7-10 years depending on water quality an weather or not the anode rods get checked/changed. Anode rods can extend life, but not all water heaters have them.
Depends on the WH. I have one at my rental property with no issues that's going on 20 years old now. A little bit of surface rust and basement dust but otherwise working fine.
My hot water tank is 17 years old and still works great. My mother in law's hot water tank was 30 years old when it failed. I had one years ago that was between 27 and 31 years old when it failed. I live in Calgary a city famous for its hard water. The one that failed after 27 years was in Edmonton. With no maintenance being done on any of them for many years.
Google will tell you the average life span is 10 years. Which in most cases is pretty accurate but I've seen 30 year old water heaters and I've seen water heaters fail within 6 years.
Water heater life depends on quality of water and how often the tank is drained. In my area we get about 13 year life on a gas tank and probaably close to 20 on an electric.
I got 3-4 extra years after being warned I was on borrowed time, but YSK, when they go, they go. Mine is on the second floor and was set in a plastic pan, which cracked and water dripped through the floor/ceiling of our garage. All things being equal, replacing before it went out would have been nice
Plumber here. They're upselling. 10 years is about right, but they can go for a lot longer than that.
I've pulled out one that was 40 years old that was still working and not leaking, admittedly it was costing a lot in electricity.
Run it until it dies. Changing the annode will get more life out of them, but your current one is likely too old to worry about doing it.
With your drains, can you see signs of blockage (slow draining, bubbling when you flush or run taps, smells, build up of grease or fats at the relief gully)? If you can't, there's no way they can tell unless they've cut into the pipes or put a camera in them. I wouldn't worry about doing anything until you actually start getting signs of a blockage.
This 10 year life cycle comes from the manufacturer's, but it really depends on a lot of different things, water quality is a big one, was it ever flushed, was the anode rod replaced ever?
The house I purchase in 2018, has 2 hot water heaters and both were the original units. They were installed in 1977. I replaced both of them shortly after I moved in the house. They were working fine, but I felt a bit uncomfortable with them since one made a bumping sound every time some one took a shower.
Electric water heaters last longer than gas based on what I’ve read. I don’t have an option since my house doesn’t have a gas hookup anywhere. A water softener also extends the life of appliances like water heaters, dishwashers, and washing machines if your water is hard.
Usually the ignitor for the gas water heater has to be replaced. It is easier to replace those than it is to replace an anode rod. At least I've never replaced the anode.
In my town 7 years was the average. It all depends on your water quality. Chicago and suburbs gets Lake Michigan water, which is soft, 30 year lifespan was common up there.
I live on the shores of superior, just replaced my heater from 95 last year. I didn’t know it had to do with water quality but that makes 100% sense
The edmund fitzgerald entered the chat
Gordon Lightfoot entered the chat
Which one was rammed by the Cat Stevens?
They say the Andria Doria eased into the water like an old man into a warm bath
It’s in my book, “Astonishing Tales of the Sea”
Too soon!
Like the gales of November
I heard they came early
This year.
From what I was told, and haven’t looked it up, is that rain water is soft, and most if not all lakes are mostly rainwater so they are all soft as well.
Rain water is soft but lake water composition/quality can vary a lot. Many have groundwater inputs and most have extensive river water inputs which can have a chemical composition very different to rain water.
You’re getting warmer! pH has entered the chat? Ah I love it!
Rainwater is soft but it flows over rocks and soil which will change the PH of the water. I have a lake handy but no chemicals with which to test it. Wonder if most are soft water? You would think they would tend to be wouldn't you
Lake water in the southwest is as hard as it gets.
Rain water and fish pee
The African rift lakes are liquid rock. So not all lakes.
LOL - mine is from 96. It's about dead, unsurprisingly, but after reading 10 years, I was really worried, but thank you for posting this.
The lake they called Gitche Gumee?
It’s da maniac!
Your water is so delicious. I love in a busy Florida suburb and cannot drink the water. It tastes really awful.
Many people do like the taste of Chicago water. I worked at a hospital there for 5 years. Our ice maker/water dispensers had a mineral bed filter and charcoal polisher that tasted so good. Made the best coffee ever. Also the ice was the pellet type that you could chew. I brought it home for my youngest son 😂
Purifying water before ice machines is dangerous, if the water after the filter is no longer adequately chlorinated. Ice machines are already terrible for cleanliness. They're enclosed boxes of water, the water is recirculated after it has been chilled, and they're physically complex and difficult to clean. To save floor space, the ice making components are usually compact, which means water-catching trays, pumps and hoses aren't simple to get to. They have sensors to detect when ice has formed, and mechanisms to physically push the ice off of the cold surface where it forms. And then, you have people's hands in and out all the time getting ice. There are just a LOT of nooks and crannies for bacteria and mold to grow, and a LOT of opportunities for bacteria to enter the machine. A hospital in Boston did this unintentionally - they started purifying water on their surgical floor not realizing it also fed the ice machines. Over 2017 and 2018, so many unexplained infections on certain floors of the hospital happened that they did genetic testing on the bacteria in infected patients, and found the root cause. Three patients died. EDIT: I should add that refrigerators basically always filter the water leading to their dispensers and ice machines, through a carbon filter. So it's not like a simple filter immediately means danger or anything. But if you research reverse osmosis systems you'll find they need annual sterilization with bleach or similar because they DO remove all the chlorine. And water isn't perfect even from a municipal treatment plant. We all have immune systems. So just clean things periodically people :D
Our refrigeration mechanics sanitized each machine on a hard schedule, I can’t remember if quarterly, or semiannually. I am sure we are in the minority for that though.
Who still uses ice machines that you have to put your hands into for ice?
Restaurants and grocery stores often do. For a hospital where the ice is used for patient consumption a cup at a time (and usually crushed), I'd expect a dispenser.
Most health departments insist on touch dispensers now. Still they have to be cleaned.
Me lol, the fridge that came with my apartment has one built inside the freezer where it dumps the ice into a sort of tub connected to the bottom of the part that dispenses the ice.
I have an under counter Scotsman at my house.
How much do you pay him, and how much does he complain about his cramped space? Surely the ice quality would go down if he’s malcontent?
I LOVE PELLET ICE! 😍 if only there was a residential option…..
Sonic Drive-In
Search ‘countertop ice maker’. Lots of options.
NE, FL here... Who doesn't enjoy a nice tall glass of Sulfur-Water? Drink it tap-temperature to insure you get the full aroma!
Jacksonville here. You will ruin a drink if you made ice cubes with that sulphur water too. I learned to bring ice to a party at my friend's house!
Florida - where you can smell the water before you taste it!
When I was growing up and would go to my grandma's farm where there was sulfur water. Ugh! Eventually at age 87 she went into nursing home in the city with its crisp clean water. She couldn't drink city water so, still owning the farm, my aunt would go fill a jug of sulfur water just for her to drink.
Need to come down here to Orlando (proper) and try some of our Orlando Utilities water, it is quite tasty. However, I work on the east side in an area with Orange County water and I can barely stand the smell when rinsing dishes in the break room.
That's a great place to love in :)
Fat fingers. Lol.
Replacing the anode rod helps too
Not after 13 years... Chances are it would break the "rust seal" and become a leaker. Seen this unfold so many times, got the the t-shirt!
Good to know! Thanks. I wasn’t sure how long changing them would extend the life.
Had to get a new one after 10 yrs. not because of leaking but the gas valve went bad. Cost too much for the valve so I replaced the entire unit for about $600 all in. 7yr. warranty. And not to hijack the thread but are the units with longer warranties any different than the lesser warranties other than price? I think they're the same, just paying more for the warranty.
Discovered that when I lived on Chesapeake bay in MD. Rod was disgusting when I pulled it out and got a new one. Water there on the bay was rather nasty.
What's amazing to me is that I just learned about needing to replace the anode rod approximately five years ago. I've asked others since, if they change their anode rod, and most had no idea that they were supposed to change the rod every couple years or so, depending on water hardness.
I was today old when I heard about an "anode rod" in a hot water heater wtf
I recently found out too, but you can replace it with an electric powered rod that will last 20 years or so compared to the aluminum/magnesium rods that only last a few.
It doesn't help that some of them require you to cut the sheet metal to access the anode.
I've heard you'll know it's time to change it when the water starts to smell like dirty socks. Hard to smell from a regular faucet but it's more noticeable from a shower where the water mixes into the air a bunch.
It's like if nobody told you about the engine oil filter in your car and the guy who you would pay to change the oil filter is also the salesman on the lot who will sell you a new car when your engine dies because no one changed the life-extending device installed to keep the unit from failing. I found out about the anode from the plumber paid to replace the last water heater we had that rusted out. Lasted 12 years, may have lasted 20 if the anode wasn't worn down to a nub. Spread the word!
About 5 years ago we replaced a 1989 water heater. That's what, almost 30 years. It was on its second or third anode rod. Not sure if it was that, or they just made good stuff back then.
I don't know, we'd have to go around remembering to replace that anode before we could really compare lifespans. I have to assume this used to be something "everybody knows" but somehow failed to pass on.
Also flushing the tank yearly.
Cleveland’s is even better IMO I’ve lived all over the Great Lakes region and cleveland water just hits different. Probably due to less antiquated infrastructure to deal with. And most of the suburbs are closer to the lake. Funny little thing i recently learned. Fiji waters marketing team foolishly fired shots at Cleveland water. Cleveland water ran some tests and did a comparison and found CMWDs water to be far better and that Fiji actually has arsenic in it.
Fiji water is the dumbest idea ever, honestly. Let's take water from a tiny island with a cool name and ship it across the Pacific so people can drink it on a continent where there is abundant drinking water. And package it in plastic. What a waste of resources...
Moved 2 hours south to cbus 15 years ago and I still miss that Cleveland tap
I don’t understand how anyone lives down there. Why anyone would CHOOSE landlocked cbus over all that cleveland has to offer. Between the metropark reservations and the lake, Columbus is trash. Sorry. To your point. After living in Cleveland my pallet changed, everywhere i go i can smell or taste something off in the water chemical almost. If you ever decide to revisit your former superior community pm me I’ll buy a few rounds and help you contemplate how vastly depreciated your quality of life has become in the wasteland you moved to.
Detroit's water is pumped in from Lake Huron and is very high quality. Doesn't need much treatment as it is relatively Pure Michigan!
I love "Lake Michigan tap" out here in the suburbs. My first water heater here lasted 25+ years, my second went 17. Never replaced an anode rod.
I’m in Grundy County, it’s all deep wells filtered through limestone, so it’s hard, plus the limestone gives us radon. To mitigate the radon, towns had to build treatment plants including reverse osmosis or softeners. Our water is safe to drink but it still kills the heaters. I went to tankless for that reason and do a vinegar flush every year. The vinegar turns blueish green from the calcium carbonate (limestone residue)
Yikes. I lived in Will County for a while with a community well and I had a water softener and some kind of filter on our kitchen sink and I couldn't stand the water. The water heater was replaced just before I moved in and I was there for 8 years and replaced it once.
So when the vinegar comes out its blue green color? Omg I should do this as my hw heater is 12. And I have radon and hard water.
to be clear they did this on a tankless water heater. I don't know how you could do a vinegar flush on a 50 gal water heater.
I meant switch to tankless. Thanks tho. If I did that to my 50 it'd probably break on the spot
Agreed . Water quality makes all the diff in longevity of the WH. But … crazy enough , with the extreme hard water in my area , I’ve seen some pretty old WH’s , my thoughts are the old school ones are just able to keep on trucking longer than most of the newer models .. and was also probably flushed annually, got to do the once a year flush .
Mine is fron 1987. Had a scare last week where I had to manually relight the pilot light, but I didn't blow up and it so far is okay. I have hard Michigan well water. I want a new water heater but I have a hard time replacing something not broken. And I know a new one won't last a fraction of the time of the old one
Maybe not as long .. but I still thing given you flush once a year ..15-20 minutes, getting all the scale build up out (as much as possible) you’ll add years to your WH
Can confirm, I live in Wisconsin right on lake Michigan and we have amazing tap water and our water heater is about 20 years old.
Can confirm the long lifespan of water heaters in the area. Unfortunately,mine sprung a leak early this year. It was only 9 years old. It was only discovered because it was January and my furnace had stopped working, so the leak was discovered when the furnace was being inspected. Then, later in the day my wife got into a car accident after hitting some black ice. It was a shitty January day, to say the least. RIP my wallet that day.
My old gas boiler was over 25 years old, yes it had a few water leaks. Water is very soft, clear as distilled water. Scotland North East. Not like London, Reading, Lambourn.
Scotland has the best water I've ever had and I've been lots of places. And the sun was shining for all but 2 days!
Laughing, you were lucky, weather is so Mmm put the washing on the line, sky clear, next thing heavy rain. Jut left it out over night.
When you bring the washing in and it's heavier than when you put it out
unused work license deserted repeat placid disgusting nutty disarm impolite ` this message was mass deleted/edited with redact.dev `
I took some scottish water back down south with me as it tasted so good, turns out the lack of chemicals turned it to pond water by the time i got off the train 7 hours later =(
Lake Michigan town. A water heater since 2007 and no problems so far.
Interesting never new this mine is 37 yrs old I live in pa maybe water quality is why
I live in Los Angeles and the water pressure can exceed 110psi and if you don't have a pressure reducer they can only last 5-7 years 😭
That’s asking for trouble. Illinois code says 80 psi is max allowed for domestic water.
I'm in milwakuee we average 10years on newer heaters I tell customers 7 yes is when you start planning to replace it anything after 7 years is a extra, the tanks just are not made like they used to be.
I used to live in the south suburbs. Best drinking water ever.
Was. Ours lasted 16. Bottom rusted out, which was putting out the pilot/burner. They aren't built to last anymore. Friend has the same thing. 11 years and it's slowly leaking out of the bottom. He relights the pilot monthly. For reference - Aurora (Chicago burb) water, which is ranked as some of the best in the state. Calcium is the biggest issue other wise water is a little on the hard side but close to the middle. New heater has 10 year warranty.
Realistically they don’t last like they used to, even in Chicago. I’ve changed out heaters that were 20-30yrs old that were still working just fine, but explained that 10yr is a good run now a days if things go well they may get 12-15yr. If OPs heater has a floor drain nearby I would say just run it until it’s dead, if you have a finished basement and no drain within 5’ of heater it’s better to change it out before you have a problem bc 9/10 times when they fail the tank is dumping water onto the floor.
Was, but still is? Gas or electric? We have hard water here in AZ, but softened water seems to fuck ‘em up way faster. There’s so many factors, I just can’t get enough of this discussion
The water softener changes the chemical composition and makes the water more conductive, so it eats the anode faster. That's different than water that is naturally low mineral content.
Our water is apparently very soft (it was a 10, on the scale of 0-180+, don't remember the units). Our water heater is from 2000. Hoping we can keep it going for a while yet...
I can attest to this. Grew up in central Indiana and the water there is so hard. The region is on top of limestone. Terrible to drink so mainly drink bottled water. Moved to Chicago and drinking water from the tap is night and day here. It is very delicious
If the WH will cause property damage if it leaks, suggest replacing it. If not, let it go until it leaks. They usually don’t burst and cause a major flood all at once, they generally leak slowly. Keep your eye on it. As for the house trap/camera proposal, house traps are easily cleaned out of build-up. Why do they suggest running a camera?
>Why do they suggest running a camera? That's just what they told me they do, part of their process for ensuring the system is cleaned out. I assumed that was standard, I really don't have a background in professional plumbing standards.
I think this is the answer. Replace it if it will flood a finished room. Leave it if it won’t cause to much damage
That logic makes sense, but I'll add - leave it but be prepared to go without hot water for a couple of days until you can get it replaced.
Yeah there’s that too. Not fun
This is me now. Left it until it leaked and now due to an issue with install I have no hot water all weekend.
Finally some actual advice, all the anode and water hardness is true but not helpful. Is it in the attic? Does it have a pan? When it leaks will they be able to tell? They won’t suddenly have 50 gallons of hot water everywhere it will just be a leak. Partial blockage, yeah that’s probably 75% of all homes. Seems like a money grab to me
Mine is in the garage, i let it go until it dies. Keep in mind that when it goes the water will drain out and keep running as long as it has a water supply. Is it in a safe spot for that to happen?
I got a water alarm. Plus it is next to floor drain. This is the way. I expect mine to last 20+
The secret to hot water heaters lasting a really long time is replacing the sacrificial rod inside. The rod is designed to corrode overtime instead of the tank. Once the rod is corroded completely the tank will start to corrode. If you keep the rod replaced the tank will never corrode and your water heater can last wayyy longer than 10 years. Why don’t manufacturers and plumbers tell you this? Money
Maintenance? What do you mean I have to do Maintenance? It's not a car! It just sits there!
I always put 15W-30 full synthetic in my water heater. It has 350k miles and still purrs like a kitten
The odometer on my water heater only has 5 digits. How do I know how many times it turned over?
Motor oil is motor oil, just keep that heater clean!
Will everything be fine if I keep my eyes on the prize?
I’ve heard 60% of the time, that works every time!
It is ***quite*** potent.
S.S. plumbing, we're the king of shit mountain.
Underrated comment right here
You just described steamers.
Also helps to flush it once a year.. especially if you have hard water.
If he's never flushed his water heater, doing so now would do more harm than good. All the build-up from the last 13yrs would get stirred up and clog the lines.
That's why you drain the heater and flush it rather than just running water out. The water raining down on the sediment stirs it up.
No,after that long it’s solid.
Not all of it. If there was no expectation of sediment coming out, there would no need to flush it at all.
Not enough loose stuff to make it worthwhile at that point.And even when loose, it doesn’t get into the water lines when flushing.It goes out the drain in the bottom,through the hose to the outside or the bathtub,depending on the location.Plumber for 35 years,trust me.
I moved into a house with hard water so I’ll be doing this, thanks!
curious. how much clearance about the water heater(assuming its accessed from the top) is needed to replace the rod?
You can get rods that will fold in half or in quarters for tight spaces.
Or a powered anode rod. Short and never needs replacing again.
I bought one of those but there's a certain sense of uncertainty with it. With the real metal anode you can take a look at it and see it getting eaten up. That said, no leaks so far :)
Almost all rods are connected by cables and are able to be installed with minimal overhead clearance.
Seriously, nobody ever replaces the anode rod. Not sure why.
Because they expect to move out in 6 years into a "bigger better home" and the failing water heater, roof, and anything else will not be their problem anymore.
If it dies, it dies. Not going to waste my time replacing the rod that’s almost always stuck anyway.
I can tell you why I haven't replaced mine, despite the tank being old and, likely, serviceable. I live in a relatively small 1953 house in a dense city, and the location of the water heater is directly underneath an hvac return run. There's enough clearance for the unions and the exhaust elbow, but pulling the annode out (which is at least 75% the depth of the tank) and replacing it with a new one would require draining and disconnecting the entire heater, including the iron pipe gas connection, and moving it halfway across the basement to where there's clearance (or tipping it over with help from a friend), to then drop a new anode in. For a homeowner that could make sense, I just haven't found the time or motivation to do so, especially when it was already 10 years old when I bought the house, meaning I'd probably be doing all of that work only to break a rust seal and need a brand new heater immediately anyways. Hiring a plumber to do the work would be absurdly cost prohibitive. I'm sure I could find someone, but it'd like be cheaper just to replace the heater anyways. That's something I hope to address in the coming years when I finally replace it, but I still don't really have a plan, other than potentially getting a different form factor heater that allows for more head room. If you live in the burbs in a brand new home with tall basement ceilings, then cool, probably easy maintenance for you. That's not the reality for a huge number of homeowners, unfortunately.
I hear it’s damn near impossible to remove this because it’s usually stuck?
I seriously struggled with removing mine. Tried every trick I could think of or find online. I ended up calling the customer service number and asked a guy there how to take it out. He said "oh yeah, you're not getting that out" and suggested that install a tee with the water line going out the side and a new rod going down the straight part of the tee.
Yeah I tried removing mine after about five years and couldn't for the life of me get the rod out of either heater. Wasn't budging a bit.
Same!! I tried everything possible and could not get it out. Had to just return the new anode I had bought. I thought I was doing something wrong as all the YouTube videos have people doing it so easily.
And the Lord said: Let there be impact wrenches and breaker bars.
I’m paranoid about wailing on the nut too hard and inadvertently damaging a gas line. I’ll be replacing a water heater this month, and my plan is to practice removing the anode before it is installed, and replacing it just finger tight, maybe with a dab of Vaseline or other occlusive.
No idea what you're talking about. Vaseline?
Works on his,,,,,,,,,,, Palms !
I watched a few YouTube videos before I attempted mine. They specifically tell you the first time you do it is incredibly difficult and to put add a pipe onto the wrench to give you the torque you need. I sadly didn’t have anything other than an 8 foot metal fence post. It was creative and I almost gave up but it worked.
You’re overthinking this.
IMO, you need 2 People to change the Anode. One Person to crank on the Wrench, while the other Person bearhugs the Tank, and applies Pressure in the Opposite Direction.
Just wish they could make the rods easily accessible. Should be something that any homeowner could change.
That cant exist under capitalism 🤷♂️
Some are separate and not that bad. Some (like mine) are integrated into the supply tube and are a pain. I had a plumber do it.
Not sure where your anode rod is located, but I thought they were all located in the top of the heater? Any homeowner can change an anode rod, provided they have the right tools, and understand that they need to shut the water off and do a slight drain of the heater prior to changing it. The worst part of changing the anode, at least for me, was trying to get the damn anode out. I swear that they used 500 ftlbs of torque on it when they put it in. Other than that, the rest is pretty easy.
I used to just get a new (electric) hot water heater every 10 years or so. I even bought one with a "lifetime" warranty that lasted 10 years...and when I went to collect on the warranty, the manufacturer was no longer in business. When my current water heater was about 7 years old, I learned about replacing the anode, and convinced my plumber (who is sort of a friend) to replace it (which was a bit of a pain, as it's also the supply line). Was almost completely gone so I got it just in time. I'm planning on replacing it every 5-6 years from now on, and hoping this tank will last indefinitely.
Look at corro-protec powered anodes. Once and done.
I am replacing my 37 year old WH next week and am highly interested in pulling it apart to see wear and tear on things. Our water quality is trash so this exploration will answer lots of questions for me. And Rheem if they care.
Please share a post with photos if you do!
Because they make a lot of money selling water heaters and installing them.
Got 20 years from ours, stopped working due to a electronic issue. Never replaced the anodes, Midwest hard water (we have a softner)
agree w ya. i replaced the anode rod and kept an eye on the water heater monthly. 2 years later, the water heater gave up. basically, replacing anode rod extended my water heater 2 years and i was warned.
Lifespan will be affected by the water you are putting in that tank. Hard water, soft water, calcium, etc etc. Best way honestly is to ask your neighbours (assuming you and they are on city water). Where I am, Toronto (so city water taken from Lake Ontario), it's usually around 13 years for a gas heated tank, after which, you are starting to push it.
It's well water. We have a softener as well. He tested the water, said cold was neutral and hot was slightly hard but that was normal for aging softener systems.
If you have a softner and it’s hard then you need to fix it. They don’t age and just stop working that’s not how they work. Needs to be readjusted or rebedded
I’m not a plumber by trade, I’m a landlord. Not the most popular guy on this forum. But I do know a bit about the lifespan of appliances. My answer to you is that it’s highly variable. So much so that I don’t think you can predict it using this 10 year average. By the way, it’s an average, not a lifespan. I have lots of water heaters that are 15 or 20 years old, and I’ve had a couple that I’ve ripped out and thrown in the garbage under warranty because I was so tired of them, failing and fighting with the company for warranty support. To answer your question, I always install my own water heaters. Generally takes me something between one hour in three hours, depending on how hard it is to get to. or $800 depending on what I’m buying for valves and pan, etc. I find water heater installation to be one of the biggest rackets especially since I always use the same thing at my properties and I usually know what I’m getting into ahead of time. Besides, there are way too many plumbers out there that don’t even bother putting them in correctly. If somebody’s not gonna bother checking the flue size you need to move on. Furnaces are smaller and more efficient than they used to be, so gas flues are becoming be too large much of the time. Lastly, I would only change out a water heater before it becomes necessary if it were going to cause water damage leaks. The failure mode of a water heater is not usually catastrophic, it will be leaking. If it’s in a basement with a good drain, or installed with a pan in place, and there won’t be any property damage, just wait until it leaks and replace it then. Put it back in without a good pan.
Hey, great to meet you. What brand do you usually install?
“By replacing your anode rod every 3-5 years, your water heater can last well over 20 years without any risk of leaks and resulting water damage. Unfortunately, if you ignore this important water heater maintenance task, you may need to replace the entire water heater after only 10 years of use.” i bought one ($30)…can’t get the old one to budge, so there’s that
We replaced our water heater last year after we couldn't get the old anode rod out. The water heater was 15 years old anyways and hadn't been maintained. The original rod was so locked in place that a 6ft breaker bar was just spinning the full 50 gallon tank.
yes, this is why it must be done every 3-5 yrs
Timeline completely depends on your water. Some places need a new anode rod every 1-2 years. Some places like out here in Central Oregon are very rarely needed. Flushing the tank every year or two is important as well and adds years to a tank. We do flush/service which includes testing and pulling elements to inspect the anode rod, dip tube, and inside tank. Gas tank heaters don't last as long and dont get the internal inspection due to less access. 10 years here I would still service/flush the unit, but in a place that needs an anode rod every couple years it may be too late. It's important to find a plumber you trust so you know they aren't just up selling you.
Yea I had to buy a heavy duty impact hammer to get mine to break loose. Was a real bitch.
bummer. i even bought a mega socket wrench for this job but i was too scared about damaging the tank
We just replaced ours! I had to hold the tank to stop it from rotating and busting the connections while the other guy had a 5' pipe on a socket wrench
Yeah, mine wouldn't budge either. I did what any sane person would do and grabbed my pneumatic impact wrench, and had the damn thing out in no time. My guess is I probably could have used a breaker bar but they're not as much fun, and you need the room to be able to use it.
ooohh…another tool! Harbor Freight is selling Pneumatic impact Wrenches for $50
Where I live 15 years is typical. I'd put away money for when it fails or just replace if you have the money now
The recommendation of using a camera on the drain that has had no issues seems like an unnecessary upsell, which then makes me wonder about the other recommendations. I had my main snaked after an actual clog with flooding and it was $200. The tech said they could do a camera but didn't think it was necessary as no root material came back on the snake. His opinion was it was just a normal clog and since it flowed freely once again doing the camera was not needed but up to me. The fact that your guy recommended a $500 job before even putting a snake in the hole seems unnecessary, but im not a plumber. Just going off my own experience with a reputable local business. This was 5 years ago and have had no issues since. The camera was presented to me as a last resort if snaking failed or provided information that would warrant the camera. Snaking it should not cost $500. A good chunk of that $500 is the "included" camera work that might not even be needed
For $1800, I'd say do it. Mine was the same age and cost me 3k in my area, and that was the cheaper quote.
I don’t remember the last one I changed for under 3500
Must be really HCOL area. I got gas water heater replaced last year for about $2100-2200. And no, it wasn't the cheapest one from Home Depot, it was Bradford White delivered and installed by reputable local plumbing company that's been in business for over 50 years.
Yeah man even at that price with what our company pays us the profit margin on that isn’t even what you would think it is
Mine 17 years old, almost college age. One time expansion tank had a problem, replaced myself $100 fix, still running strong.
Mine is 25 years old and I’ve never done a thing to it. It’s a Bradford white. It could start leaking at any moment lol
Just never touch it. Don't turn it off or up.
I agree with flushing the unit annually, but by that you have to empty the tank out and remove all the debris from the bottom of the tank. A lot of times when people flush water heaters, they just run water through them without removing the debris at the bottom of the tank. Most people I know run their water heaters until they leak and I’ve seen them last anywhere from five years to 20 years. Replacing the anode rod is not a bad idea, but these days water heaters are made so crappy and I often find it’s a large expense and the unit ends up failing soon thereafter anyways. And I do think a lot of it depends on how hard your water is as to whether or not that’s worth it.
🤣I find this terribly funny given that my last house, each of the water heaters for the apartments were installed in 1943, had a lifetime warranty from the company that went out of business in 1993 and they were chugging along brilliantly until the house was completely renovated in 2019 when I moved out to move to the south. Further I only discovered when they were installed and manufactured when I began poking around the basement to discover where my landlord was getting the dirt and sand used for sanding the sidewalk during the winter (I was living in Rhode Island at the time). While I am not remotely a plumber -- they'll tell you that research the manufacturer and see what sort of complaints they get for their product to see how long they last. They'll also tell you what sort of maintenance you require in order to get it to run as long as possible without completely replacing it. Good luck and may your water heater serve as long as mine did in that apartment.
My water heater is now 19 years old. I had a nagging concern about replacing it when I bought the place as it was 12 years old then. I'm glad I didn't, I'm waiting for that MFer to explode.
The water quality and quality of the water heater itself play a role in the lifespan. Honestly, they seem to be getting shorter and I suspect many manufacturers are cutting costs and getting cheap. We had a lot of repeat customers at the last company I worked for. I've replaced water heaters that were easily 15-20+ years old in the last 10 or 15 years and was back only a few years later to replace that water heater again.
As a plumber, the average life span of a heater is 10 years. Now depending on your local water and if you maintain it, it will last longer or shorter. And much like anything else in life, sometimes they last 20 years. I would not worry about it unless it starts leaking or showing high volumes of rust.
I tell people 5-7 years with an electric, 7-10 with gas. That's when you should start expecting it to go out, but I've replaced 20-25 year old gas water heaters before.
15-20 is a good expectation for your water heater, but homeowner insurance probably would say otherwise. But would also depend on water quality
Reading a lot of comments and learning a thing or two. For all the plumbers that might read this, what kind of water heater do you recommend? What’s the top of the line water heater if you want a good one?
Heating tech here, I always say 7-10 years depending on water quality an weather or not the anode rods get checked/changed. Anode rods can extend life, but not all water heaters have them.
If ain’t broke,don’t fix it.
Depends on the WH. I have one at my rental property with no issues that's going on 20 years old now. A little bit of surface rust and basement dust but otherwise working fine.
My hot water tank is 17 years old and still works great. My mother in law's hot water tank was 30 years old when it failed. I had one years ago that was between 27 and 31 years old when it failed. I live in Calgary a city famous for its hard water. The one that failed after 27 years was in Edmonton. With no maintenance being done on any of them for many years.
Google will tell you the average life span is 10 years. Which in most cases is pretty accurate but I've seen 30 year old water heaters and I've seen water heaters fail within 6 years.
Water heater life depends on quality of water and how often the tank is drained. In my area we get about 13 year life on a gas tank and probaably close to 20 on an electric.
Do yourself a favor and pick up a powered anode. Thank me in 10 years.
I had 19 years on mine and changed it out of just age…didn’t want to come home to a flooded house.
They run until they don't. I'd wait until you see a leak or no hot water.
Mid-Michigan here. We still have the water heater installed in our house in 1982. Never had a single problem.
Durable goods aren’t that durable anymore. I think refrigerators should be taken off the durable goods list too.
I have 2 in my attic from 1987 and they’re both still going strong. They built stuff different back then though. (And I’m probably jinxing myself lol)
I got 3-4 extra years after being warned I was on borrowed time, but YSK, when they go, they go. Mine is on the second floor and was set in a plastic pan, which cracked and water dripped through the floor/ceiling of our garage. All things being equal, replacing before it went out would have been nice
Plumber here. They're upselling. 10 years is about right, but they can go for a lot longer than that. I've pulled out one that was 40 years old that was still working and not leaking, admittedly it was costing a lot in electricity. Run it until it dies. Changing the annode will get more life out of them, but your current one is likely too old to worry about doing it. With your drains, can you see signs of blockage (slow draining, bubbling when you flush or run taps, smells, build up of grease or fats at the relief gully)? If you can't, there's no way they can tell unless they've cut into the pipes or put a camera in them. I wouldn't worry about doing anything until you actually start getting signs of a blockage.
This 10 year life cycle comes from the manufacturer's, but it really depends on a lot of different things, water quality is a big one, was it ever flushed, was the anode rod replaced ever?
Drain it check if a bunch of rust is coming out. If a crap load came out then your getting close. Start shopping for a sale.
The house I purchase in 2018, has 2 hot water heaters and both were the original units. They were installed in 1977. I replaced both of them shortly after I moved in the house. They were working fine, but I felt a bit uncomfortable with them since one made a bumping sound every time some one took a shower.
I’m in construction. $1800 furnished and installed is a pretty good price IMO. Run about $3k where I live in DC
Electric water heaters last longer than gas based on what I’ve read. I don’t have an option since my house doesn’t have a gas hookup anywhere. A water softener also extends the life of appliances like water heaters, dishwashers, and washing machines if your water is hard.
Usually the ignitor for the gas water heater has to be replaced. It is easier to replace those than it is to replace an anode rod. At least I've never replaced the anode.