time for a water heater

[CincyDavid]

Originally Posted By: zzyzzx
My gas water heater was installed in 1996.
More importantly, why did you let it leak for a year?


it is a little damp spot the size of a saucer, growing in the past couple of months. Frankly, it just never got to the top of the to-do list until now.

The new one will be a 6 year AO Smith.

 

[CincyDavid]

The dumb thing is wrapped in one of those insulating blankets...what are people's thoughts about those?

By the way I think the leak is coming from the pop off valve, not the tank itself, but it's so old I didn't figure it was worth messing with.

 

[Burt]

I take it from the comments, that there is no way to determine whether your water heater is reaching the end of its life?

I can see where sediment build up inside is not a good thing, but does it lead to corrosion or otherwise shorten the life?

One plumber told me to either drain/flush the sediment every year or don't do it at all because the valve will give you problems.

 

[CincyDavid]

I drained the tank in my first house a couple of times, way back in the late 80s, early 90s, didn't really see any sediment to speak of, and haven't touched one since.

 

[Wolf359]

Originally Posted By: Burt
I take it from the comments, that there is no way to determine whether your water heater is reaching the end of its life?

I can see where sediment build up inside is not a good thing, but does it lead to corrosion or otherwise shorten the life?

One plumber told me to either drain/flush the sediment every year or don't do it at all because the valve will give you problems.


You can try changing out the anode rod. Once that wears away, the tank will start rusting. Depends on what condition it's in. On the 6 year water heater, they're almost gone by about 5 years, at 4 years, there's a little bit left. Not sure what size they start at, but you can get some that are .9 inches in diameter instead of the .6 or .75 that they normally come with and it should last longer. Here's a 4 pack for $40 plus shipping. If you have a short water heater, you just cut it with a sawsall.

https://www.comfortgurus.com/water-heater-parts/7434-rhe-sp11526c-4-pk.html

 

[SHOZ]

My water heater use to have just one of the vinyl and fiberglass blankets. 4 years ago I took it off, wrapped the tank top to bottom with that reflective bubble wrap, then put the vinyl one back on. My guess is the reflective bubble wrap was 10 times as effective. Last year I wrapped all that up with another big piece of vinyl wrapped fiberglass but it was 3" deep. Water heater hardly looses any stand by heat it seems now.

 

[CincyDavid]

All this talk about anodes makes me think of the Batesville caskets we sell...with cathodic protection:

A cathodic protection system for a burial casket comprises a sacrificial anode rod, nylon sleeves encircling the rod and metal straps positively positioned relative the sleeves and welded to the casket bottom. One of the sleeves encircles the resistor of the system. The lead of the resistor connected between the casket and strap is carried in a slot in the one sleeve. The strap includes a welding dimple and a dog-eared corner which traps the lead between the casket bottom and the strap during welding of the strap to the bottom.

Keeps your loved one's final receptacle from corroding for some period of time.

 

[Burt]

Originally Posted By: CincyDavid
All this talk about anodes makes me think of the Batesville caskets we sell...with cathodic protection:

A cathodic protection system for a burial casket comprises a sacrificial anode rod, nylon sleeves encircling the rod and metal straps positively positioned relative the sleeves and welded to the casket bottom. One of the sleeves encircles the resistor of the system. The lead of the resistor connected between the casket and strap is carried in a slot in the one sleeve. The strap includes a welding dimple and a dog-eared corner which traps the lead between the casket bottom and the strap during welding of the strap to the bottom.

Keeps your loved one's final receptacle from corroding for some period of time.


Boy I continue to learn so much on BITOG! How to make your water heater last longer than your casket! Thank you so much!

 

[doitmyself]

I replaced our standard vent natural gas water heater this past winter. I spend a bit of time at the Terrylove forum because it gets a fair amount of professional input with only modest comments against DIY efforts. I spent time investigating water heater brands and the consensus there was that today's "standard" heaters are a commodity with almost no quality control differences among the major brands (Rheem, Bradford White, A.O. Smith, Lochinvar, etc.). They recommended the least expensive 6 year model and stated the additional cost of the higher warranty models was to pay for the warranty, not better parts. Just sharing what I learned there.

 

[andyd]

Thank you Doitmyself. I average about a decade on the 40 gallon propane unit from Lowes. Plumbing is fun.You need a few cheap tools. 2 45' angles are better than a single 90' I gave up on the piece meal system I had in the original house. I copied the work of the plumber who did my addition's bath and a half. I used copper fittings and silver solder. I put ball valves in instead of gate valves. I can shut off every device. Additionally I have shut offs to every bathroom, laundry and kitchen in the basement with a partial dirt floor. If I need to replace one of them, I'll go with a globe valve.