Thinking about replacing your water heater? If the old heater is leaking, replace it. That's a straightforward decision. But if it's not leaking, what criteria will help you decide whether or not to keep it?
Tanks do deteriorate with age. You will need to inspect the water heater to determine if it is a good candidate to keep and maintain. A tank's age is usually encoded in its serial number. If it begins A-83 or 0183, the tank was built in January 1983. B-83 and 0283 mean February 1983, and so on. If it begins 8301, the tank was built in the first week of 1983; 8352 would mean the last week of that year. Knowing the tank's age is a start. A tank that is 10 - 12 years old is generally a good candidate for replacement.
Inspect all tank fittings to get more information. Do you see any signs of rusting or leakage? Look into the combustion chamber and the flue of fuel-burning units. (A flashlight and an inspection mirror are a big help.) While slight rust or water marking from condensation are not a problem, heavy rust and water streaks are danger signals. A pile of rusty scale on top of the burner suggests that tainted air has damaged the flue.
If your inspection of fittings, combustion chamber, or anode suggests that the tank has undergone substantial damage, replacement is a reasonable choice.
Perhaps you found little or no evidence of tank deterioration. Then, assuming the tank has insulation and is correctly sized, the most cost-effective thing to do is probably to keep it going. But, you may be thinking, what about energy use? The main difference between most old and new heaters in terms of energy performance is the insulation level. Atmospheric combustion and immersion heating elements haven't changed a lot. So insulating blankets, and pipe insulation can help keep heat where it should be and help old heaters perform more like new heaters.
Call us today with any questions you may have about your water heater.
