Author Topic: Replacing the water heater  (Read 4957 times)

Taylorj

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Replacing the water heater
« on: October 28, 2013, 07:09:41 AM »
Hi. We have just bought a new place and are doing some repairs. We've talked to the previous owners and they told us honestly that the water heater needs to be replaced as it's not of great quality and they've had a lot of problems with it. It's one of those things that I think you need to think about carefully and not make any rash decisions, as it should serve you for a very very long time. I've had a look on the Internet to see if I could find a company in the Houston area that deals with water heaters and I've found things like this http://www.aramendiahouston.com but I would rather someone suggested a company they have used in the past and know is reliable. So, is there anyone in the Houston area that could help me out? Any suggestions or advice is welcome! Thank you!

Greg

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Re: Replacing the water heater
« Reply #1 on: October 28, 2013, 09:23:17 AM »
Gas or electric?  You may want to try to do the swap yourself.  If you can safely operate a pipe wrench, you can change a water heater.  You can get a DIY guide or ask for help from a handy friend if you need to.

Miss Growing Green

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Re: Replacing the water heater
« Reply #2 on: October 28, 2013, 09:35:52 AM »
Yes, gas or electric?  I agree with Greg, it may be feasible to switch out yourself.  I did our electric water heater in about 30 minutes... gas ones are a little more tricky.

And remember, water heaters don't always last all that long.  Before we were in the market for one I thought they were like furnaces- with a 20-30 year life span, but they are more like 6-15 years.  We ended up going with a cheaper model because we don't plan to be in this house very long and couldn't justify one of the longer lived ones.

SwordGuy

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Re: Replacing the water heater
« Reply #3 on: October 28, 2013, 09:37:34 AM »
If it's gas, get the kind that heats the water as you use it.  MUCH better than the water tank kind.

Taylorj

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Re: Replacing the water heater
« Reply #4 on: October 28, 2013, 09:53:21 AM »
Yeah it's a gas one. I wouldn't want to do it myself as I imagine it's quite dangerous if you're not sure what you're doing? But thanks for the tips, I'll bear those in mind! I also thought that heaters last a long time, guess I was wrong!

Greg

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Re: Replacing the water heater
« Reply #5 on: October 28, 2013, 10:02:00 AM »
Gas is in some ways safer, no electrocution hazard.   Totally doable yourself but it depends on your comfort level, and how far you're willing to stretch it.

If you are hiring out the work, consider having them see what can be done with the current heater to repair it.

Tank water heaters seem to be good for about 10 years. There are some better quality ones out there but you pay for it.  I would definitely suggest looking into a gas on-demand one if you're replacing.  Endless hot water has benefits.

PantsOnFire

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Re: Replacing the water heater
« Reply #6 on: October 28, 2013, 11:19:42 AM »
When I priced out tankless water heaters a few years ago, I found out it would take a really long time for the fuel consumption savings of the tankless heater to offset the purchase/installation cost (versus just swapping in another conventional water heater.)  It was something like 14 years. 

TheDude

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Re: Replacing the water heater
« Reply #7 on: October 28, 2013, 01:59:58 PM »
We've been led to believe that water heaters with tanks wear out. And its true they do but no reason you cant get 25-30 years if you take care of them. This is a good source for info.

http://www.waterheaterrescue.com/pages/WHRpages/English/Longevity/water-heater-anodes.html


Looking at my gas charge it looks like I used about $10 worth of gas (Bill is $24 but there's a $14 dollar service charge). Meaning even if I could save 50% with on the demand it would take a long time to earn my money back. I think a water heater blanket would be a better investment. Also I think if you are on NG the price for the foreseeable future should be pretty steady as the supply is booming in the US.

Kevan

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Re: Replacing the water heater
« Reply #8 on: October 28, 2013, 08:12:53 PM »
Every plumber and every plumber impersonator does water heaters, so looking at advertisements tells you exactly nothing about which plumber to call.  You need references from your network of friends.  If nobody here at MMM knows a good plumber in Houston, maybe Angie's List or Yelp can help.

Tankless water heaters are expensive to buy and expensive to install, since several things have to be changed to make them "up to Code."  I, like others, have done some math and found the financial payoff to be uncertain.

I've installed a few hundred water heaters.  Some are much easier than others, due to the unit's location.  If yours is easy, almost anyone could do the job successfully and safely.  Some companies, sad to say, will charge double if they can get away with it.

Taylorj

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Re: Replacing the water heater
« Reply #9 on: October 29, 2013, 10:19:18 AM »
Thanks guys, for all the help and advice! Yeah, I realize that advertisements are not the best way to go around this but my friends didn't really help me much when I asked around. I've had a look on Angie's list and I think it's probably the safest way to go, so hopefully I'll find something on there. Thank you again!