When is it time to replace my electric water heater?

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Terry

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When is it time to replace my electric water heater?

Yes, well I get asked that from time to time. It can depend on your circumstance for sure.
Many condo associations like to see them changed out at 10 years to cut down on insurance claimes from leaking water heaters.
Some home place the water heater in a garage with a sloping concrete floor. In those cases, you may get lucky and it only fails a little bit while you are at home. Then I have to ask............Do you feel lucky?

A typical failure rate can be between ten and twenty years. After you heater has gone ten years, you have gotten your money out of it. After that, you may be living on borrowed time.

wok_wh_1.jpg


This water heater was still working. I couldn't believe it.

wok_wh_2.jpg


There was no relief line run, so maybe water was coming from there? I don't really know.

wok_wh_3.jpg


The wire connections were in the pool of water. Yeow!
 

JerryR

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Scary picture!

Kinda tight fit between the wall and the tub sink isn't it? :)

Hard to read the serial number to see how old it is. Are the first 4 numbers 0504 (May 2004)?
 

Hudson

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When is it time to replace my electric water heater?

A typical failure rate can be between ten and twenty years. After you heater has gone ten years, you have gotten your money out of it. After that, you may be living on borrowed time.

wok_wh_1.jpg

In the TOP picture above, where do the brown seeps come from? I had a brown seep or two on my previous water heater but I didn't think that it was leaking.
 

Jadnashua

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You only get rust stains like that from when it is leaking. If it is a very small hole, sometimes it gets enough crust from minerals and the rust to plug itself for awhile, but it is an indication of a leak and a warning of impending failure.
 
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