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  • Water heater woes...

    I swear...I treat myself to FINALLY sending my bumpers out for chrome work and smoothing, and the water heater is going.
    Anyone have suggestions on whet I need to look for?
    Needs to run on Natural gas.
    I thought about going tankless, but don't have that sort of money budgeted for a water heater.

    What exactly is the differenct in a 9 year and a 12 year waterheater?? Quality of materials, or what?

    In case you are wondering...water coming out the top of my unit, slow leak, and it's been slowly expalling foam out of the top of the thing.
    I have a build up of calicum on the hot water line, like a pin hole leak, but the ports on the top, around the exhaust on the top, and some sort of hex fitting, foam is oozing out.
    Current unit is around 8 years, so I am figuring it's reached it's critical life span, and now needs to be removed and then I can split it apart for the copper and scrap the rest.

    Andrew
    1972 Ford Gran Torino Sport and other FoCoMo problem children

    2020...year of getting screwed by a Narcissist and learning hard lessons into trusting the wrong people on a business venture.
    2021...year of singing "99 problems but an asshole ain't one"

    Moved cross country twice on a role of the dice...I left Nebraska and came back to Nebraska.

  • #2
    Re: Water heater woes...

    dip tube gone bad....home depot or lowes ...do it your self
    Never kick a fresh Turd on a hot day.....Harry S Truman

    Comment


    • #3
      Re: Water heater woes...

      go tankless.. the feds are offering tax breaks, and your gas comp. will rebate you part of the cost..
      I'd look into it..

      Comment


      • #4
        Re: Water heater woes...

        Originally posted by Eliteman76
        IWhat exactly is the differenct in a 9 year and a 12 year waterheater?? Quality of materials, or what?

        nothing.. your just paying for insurance that if it fails they replace (sometimes prorated)

        Comment


        • #5
          Re: Water heater woes...

          Here is what I installed last fall.

          I wanted to go tankless but couldn't get the exhaust
          pipe to work. Needs to be stainless and couldn't get it
          to go out the bandboard.

          I met with the Reliance folks at our last market and this
          was the latest model they suggested ....if I couldn't go tankless.

          It has a completely sealed system so the little brown box on the
          side is an air source for the gas and needs an outlet.

          Used Sharkbite fittings and installed it in 45 minutes.

          It's a Model 12-50-GPCT EF Rated/50 gallon and qualifies for tax break.

          Not cheap but just a plain water heater isn't either.

          Thom

          "The object is to keep your balls on the table and knock everybody else's off..."

          Comment


          • #6
            Re: Water heater woes...

            Gotta love them sharkbite fitting next coolest things since cordless drills
            Never kick a fresh Turd on a hot day.....Harry S Truman

            Comment


            • #7
              Re: Water heater woes...

              had to change my BIL a few years ago
              hardest part was going up and down his basement stairs

              Comment


              • #8
                Re: Water heater woes...

                Andrew, I swapped my own water heater with a Home Depot unit, it wasn't that expensive ($350ish?) about 2 years ago. Mine's electric so no gas involved, but I do know how to sweat copper pipes and would volunteer that part to help you out if you want,

                It should be a pretty easy DIY job. Caution, the old unit will weigh 8x as much as the new one!
                -Scott
                www.realtuners.com - catch the RealTuners Radio Podcast on Youtube, Facebook, iTunes, and anywhere else podcasts are distributed!

                Comment


                • #9
                  Re: Water heater woes...

                  What size water heater do you have?

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    Re: Water heater woes...

                    there is a real, quality difference between the 9 and 12 year hot water heaters. If you're on a well, don't get the tankless system. I am on a well, and we have high magnesium - found out while I was shopping the tankless (that credit is pretty nice) that the well water would really cut short the life of the unit... in fact the one I was looking at (cannot recall which brand) said that they won't warranty installations on well-water systems. You also want to consider if it's a water issue that caused your water heater to go, that would help you decide if you want to spend the extra money - if the water is going to destroy the heater in 8 years, why buy a 12 when you can get a 9 replaced?

                    Another benefit of a tank system - when the power blows out, it's nice having 50 gallons of fresh water stored so you can flush the toilet.
                    Doing it all wrong since 1966

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      Re: Water heater woes...

                      Do your homework, I usually print out the add from the Sears website, then take it to Home Depot and make them Match the price, plus I think they still give you a 10% discount. ;)

                      Comment


                      • #12
                        Re: Water heater woes...

                        Originally posted by dieselgeek
                        Andrew, I swapped my own water heater with a Home Depot unit, it wasn't that expensive ($350ish?) about 2 years ago. Mine's electric so no gas involved, but I do know how to sweat copper pipes and would volunteer that part to help you out if you want,

                        It should be a pretty easy DIY job. Caution, the old unit will weigh 8x as much as the new one!
                        -Scott
                        I agree with DG on the DIY, but I'll add a little to the sweating part. ;) So instead of hard lining the water heater to the existing plumbing, just solder a couple of 3/4" male nipples onto the pipe coming out of the wall, then get a couple of 3/4" threaded nipples to screw into the water heater and then finally get a couple 3/4" copper flex lines to connect the water heater to the plumbing coming out of the wall.

                        This is the copper flex line I'm talking about, it just screws on. I did this to all my water heaters in my Apts., it makes for 15 minute water heater changes. ;)

                        Comment


                        • #13
                          Re: Water heater woes...

                          Originally posted by TubbedCamaro
                          Originally posted by dieselgeek
                          Andrew, I swapped my own water heater with a Home Depot unit, it wasn't that expensive ($350ish?) about 2 years ago. Mine's electric so no gas involved, but I do know how to sweat copper pipes and would volunteer that part to help you out if you want,

                          It should be a pretty easy DIY job. Caution, the old unit will weigh 8x as much as the new one!
                          -Scott
                          I agree with DG on the DIY, but I'll add a little to the sweating part. ;) So instead of hard lining the water heater to the existing plumbing, just solder a couple of 3/4" male nipples onto the pipe coming out of the wall, then get a couple of 3/4" threaded nipples to screw into the water heater and then finally get a couple 3/4" copper flex lines to connect the water heater to the plumbing coming out of the wall.

                          This is the copper flex line I'm talking about, it just screws on. I did this to all my water heaters in my Apts., it makes for 15 minute water heater changes. ;)
                          as a guy who manages an apartment complex, this is one area where I will take TC dead seriously. That is a badass idea and Ive seen those flex pipes at home depot...!


                          keep 'em coming Alex. Andrew, if you want help, I got a pickup truck and time this weekend (dyno tuning plans in PA have been pushed back another week or two)
                          www.realtuners.com - catch the RealTuners Radio Podcast on Youtube, Facebook, iTunes, and anywhere else podcasts are distributed!

                          Comment


                          • #14
                            Re: Water heater woes...

                            Originally posted by Buickguy
                            there is a real, quality difference between the 9 and 12 year hot water heaters. If you're on a well, don't get the tankless system. I am on a well, and we have high magnesium - found out while I was shopping the tankless (that credit is pretty nice) that the well water would really cut short the life of the unit... in fact the one I was looking at (cannot recall which brand) said that they won't warranty installations on well-water systems. You also want to consider if it's a water issue that caused your water heater to go, that would help you decide if you want to spend the extra money - if the water is going to destroy the heater in 8 years, why buy a 12 when you can get a 9 replaced?

                            Another benefit of a tank system - when the power blows out, it's nice having 50 gallons of fresh water stored so you can flush the toilet.
                            you have hot water going to the toilet?

                            Comment


                            • #15
                              Re: Water heater woes...

                              Sharkbite also makes those flex lines.......which would
                              make replacing a breeze also
                              Thom

                              "The object is to keep your balls on the table and knock everybody else's off..."

                              Comment

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