The water heater is probably the most underappreciated appliance in your home. Really – without the water heater, you don’t have any of the following:
- Steamy showers
- Warm baths
- Disinfected dishes
- Sanitized towels and sheets
- Hot water, period.
Given the significance of the water heater, do you truly know a good amount about it? We’re here with a couple things to think about when it comes to servicing, maintaining, and replacing your water heater.
The usual lifespan of residential water heaters is 10-12 years.
Natural gas and electric water heaters will usually last about a decade before you need to consider replacing the appliance. If you are not sure what age your water heater is, the date the system was manufactured will be reflected in the serial number which can be found on the ID sticker on the water heater tank.
Older water heaters are nothing to take lightly. A water heater that is a decade or older is at greater risk of producing a leak and resulting in water damage to your home. If your water heater is positioned in your attic or above the first floor, the possibility of catastrophic damage rises. Be sure you have your water heater maintenance every year to keep any leaks from causing damage to your home.
The most usual malfunction of residential water heaters that will entail replacement is a leaking tank.
It is best to have your plumber install the water heater in a drain pan with piping that lets the pan to drain outside your home and decrease the possibility of water damage. Every water heater should have a functional and accessible shut-off valve on the inlet water supply to the tank, and a ball-type valve on the gas supply. For electric water heaters, an electrical shut off should be positioned close by.
If a water heater is “undersized,” particularly a gas water heater, the system will breakdown in a shorter amount of time.
When a gas water heater is routinely depleted of hot water due to substantial hot water usage, the gas burner fires repeatedly which can create heavy condensation on the exterior of the tank. The condensation can cause more rapid decomposition of the steel tank. Furthermore, the exceptional heat from the gas burner on the underside of the water heater tank can also cause damage to the glass lining on the interior of the tank, which reduces the life cycle of the water heater.
Water Heater sizing is an important replacement consideration.
The water supply cause all water heaters to be under pressure, and as water is heated, it grows creating even more pressure. When contemplating replacing a water heater, it’s typically better to go with a sizable 50 gallon tank, rather than a 30 or 40 gallon tank, providing the location will accommodate the larger size. The larger tank will also supply you more hot water capacity.