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+--- Thread: Any advice on electric water heaters? (/showthread.php?tid=119240)
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Any advice on electric water heaters? - stephen - 06-25-2011
A plumbing company is offering my high-rise condo a group discount. About $750 to replace a 50 gallon short water heater. Current units are AO Smith, they use Rheem. Six year warranty on the new one.
Re: Any advice on electric water heaters? - Grateful11 - 06-25-2011
Yeah, Stay the H@ll away from Whirlpool at Lowe's!
Why are they offering to replace them? Are they broke? Sounds high to me.
Re: Any advice on electric water heaters? - testcase - 06-25-2011
How old are the current units?
Re: Any advice on electric water heaters? - mstudio - 06-25-2011
I don't think that is a great price per se, but not terrible since I assume that is installed with the old one removed. Rheem has been around for ages and always was a good brand.
Re: Any advice on electric water heaters? - August West - 06-25-2011
Check out the hybrid electrics. Eligible for tax credit and rebates.
Re: Any advice on electric water heaters? - decocritter - 06-25-2011
Fair Price for 50 gallon in Atlanta.
Re: Any advice on electric water heaters? - davester - 06-25-2011
Why do you want to replace the water heater? They will last pretty much forever if you have the sacrificial anode rod changed about every 6 years. This is why all water heaters come with either 6 or 12 year warranties. They are all basically the same but the 6 year ones have one anode rod and the 12 year ones have two. The water heater will start corroding as soon as the anode rod is used up and if you don't change it will spring a leak. Most people don't understand this simple fact and buy entire new water heaters instead of doing a relatively simple and cheap anode rod changeout. Don't waste your money...just call the plumber and tell him to install two anode rods and flush the sediment out of the tank instead.
Re: Any advice on electric water heaters? - Ombligo - 06-26-2011
Seems a bit high.. but Rheem is a good brand (AO Smith was even better until they moved to Mexico and cheapened the material).
I would also ask for a price for replacing the units with a inline instant heater. The savings can add up and the units may pay for themselves.
Re: Any advice on electric water heaters? - Mike V - 06-26-2011
Also operate the overpressure release valve every now and then, say every 6 months.
They can get stuck and this is a common reason for them to fail as well.
Re: Any advice on electric water heaters? - deckeda - 06-26-2011
All of these are great answers but the plumber is looking to fix what's not broken. So it sorta falls under the extended warranty/insurance category of "preventative maintenance" as opposed to real (and cheaper) preventative maintenance, which as davester said isn't necessarily difficult or expensive.
The problem comes when the homeowner tells the plumber to do that (replace old anode rods, flush tank etc.) and they look at it and balk due to the unit's age or their mood that day and say, "It'll still cost you $300 (or whatever) to have it all done, and a brand-new tank is only X amount more ..."
Consider these two paths:
1) Edumacate yourself on the recommended tank maintenance and perform it, knowing that things could break or get ugly and you'll kick yourself for trying to "fix what ain't broken.". Worse case, I know a plumber in your area who will replace the whole thing for $700.
2) Do nothing and set aside the $700 now, or add $700 to something that earns interest and wait for The Day to come.