The water heater is probably the most underrated appliance in your home. Think about it – without your water heater, you don’t have any of the following:
Given the importance of the water heater, do you really know much about it? We’re here with a few things to keep in mind when it comes to maintaining, servicing, and replacing your water heater.
The average lifespan of residential water heaters is between ten and twelve years.
Natural gas and electric water heaters will usually last about a decade before you need to look into replacing the appliance. If you aren’t sure about the age of your water heater, the date the unit was manufactured will be reflected in the serial number which is located on the identification tag on the water heater tank.
Maturing water heaters are nothing to mess around with. A water heater that is ten years or older is at greater risk of getting a leak and causing water damage to your home. If your water heater is in your attic or above the first floor, the potential for catastrophic damage increases. Be sure you have your water heater maintenance yearly to keep any leaks from damaging your home.
The most common malfunction of residential water heaters that will entail replacement is a leaking tank.
It is a good idea to have your plumbing expert install the water heater in a drain pan with piping that allows the pan to drain outside your home and decrease the probability of water damage. Every water heater should have a functional and reachable cut-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 disconnect should be placed nearby.
If a water heater is “undersized,” especially a gas water heater, the system will fail in a shorter period of time.
When a gas water heater is consistently emptied of hot water due to heavy hot water usage, the gas burner fires more frequently which can create heavy condensation on the tank exterior. The condensation can cause more speedy deterioration of the steel tank. Additionally, the exceptional heat from the gas burner on the bottom of the water heater tank can also take its toll on the glass lining on the interior of the tank, which reduces the lifespan 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 expands creating even more pressure. When contemplating replacing a water heater, it’s generally better to go with a larger 50 gallon tank, rather than a 30 or 40 gallon tank, providing the location will accept the larger size. The bigger tank will also give you more hot water capacity.
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