Advice in Los Angeles

[SK1]

I have a 20 yr old Bradford White that's starting to kick the bucket. There are many WH heater options online, but I'm having trouble finding a good pro who can walk me through the options (solar, getting a smaller unit to run at a higher temp with a mix down tank, etc.) Anyone have any suggestions for folks in Los Angeles I can talk to?

Thanks! And forgive me if this is the wrong place to post.

 

[Jadnashua]

A modern equivalent one may be the easiest. The new ones are required to be more efficient. You can extend the perceived capacity of the tank by adding what is called a tempering valve that mixes in enough cold water to drop it to the desired (or required) temperature, then, you can raise the tank's temperature if, say, you have some weekend visitors and need more hot water.

The investment to go solar is high and may or may not have a positive payback. Are you using gas, or electric (probably electric, if it lasted that long)?

There are some heat pump versions, but they are likely to have a lower recovery rate than what you have, but would save on power. Again, the payback may or may not happen, as they're more expensive to purchase, and, then, instead of electrical heating elements, you have what amounts to an a/c system that is likely to require much more maintenance than a simple resistance heater.

 

[Sponsor]

 

[SK1]

Thanks Jim, that's helpful info to cut through all the noise. It's actually gas that lasted this long. Makes sense a simple system is the way to go.

A friend said it's just the pressure relief valve that's leaking, so maybe I can have it repaired. (The plumber who came by didn't mention it and just wanted to replace the unit for $3k... sigh).

I will look into the tempering valve, thanks for the tip.

 

[Reach4]

A friend said it's just the pressure relief valve that's leaking, so maybe I can have it repaired. (The plumber who came by didn't mention it and just wanted to replace the unit for $3k... sigh).

Neither did you mention it until now. You should get a pressure gauge, and there is a good chance your thermal expansion tank has failed. It could be a failed pressure relief valve. But if water comes out only when you are not using water, it is probably the expansion tank. If you dribble water and the leaking does not stop, then you can expect it is a failed valve. (They are cheap and fairly easy to replace..) Otherwise it is probably not.

 

[SK1]

Yeah, the friend just came by last night so it was a new piece of info to me.

I don't have a thermal expansion tank, so yeah it's the valve.

 

[Reach4]

Yeah, the friend just came by last night so it was a new piece of info to me.

I don't have a thermal expansion tank, so yeah it's the valve.

Get the pressure gauge. You can get one that screws onto a garden hose thread for under $20 locally. If your pressure rises to over 80 after you use a bunch of hot water and then use no water for a half hour, you need a thermal expansion tank and maybe a new pressure regulating valve.

It could be the temperature and pressure valve on the water heater, but more often it is something else, and the T+P valve is just doing its job.

And you did not say if the T+P valve dribbles if you dribble water from a faucet.

 

[Dj2]

I usually don't fix 20 year old water heaters. Be happy you got 3 times the life out of your WH. If you have a natural gas (NG) WH, stay with NG.

Do check your pressure reducing valve (usually located on the main line just where it enters the house).

For a new water heater: Get more estimates, sometimes you can catch one on sale (Sears, OSH, ACE and others offer sales from time to time) and get an installer do the work. If your WH is 40 gallons, they are about $500 in the stores. The big box stores quote "regular" installation for around $325 - no way near what your "plumber" quoted you. Just make sure you are dealing with a licensed individual, and that he spells everything that he will do on the bid.

Watch youtube WH videos or read about it, to get familiarized with the different parts around the WH, so no "plumber" can take advantage of you. Do your homework.