Water Heaters

[Scott J.]

I took a plumbing class recently to be a more informed landlord. The teacher said that water heaters should be replaced at the end of their warranty (often 10 years) and not to wait until there is a problem to replace them.

Is this actually done by you pros out there in the field or is this just conservative teacher talk? How do you know when to replace your water heater?

One of my water heaters is a year past its warranty but I would hate to replace it if I could get a couple more years out of it.

Lastly, do you replace water heaters yourself or hire someone?

[Marc Freislinger]

Working apartment maintenance for a while at a 15 year old property, I have installed more than my fair share of water heaters. The heating system for that property ran off the hot-water, making them run almost full time during the winter. At one point we had at least 4 a week going out. At the apartments, we replaced thermocouples, temperature valves, burners, pretty much anything we could to keep them running until they burst. They would only get replaced when the tanks cracked. For the most part, the worst damage was some wet carpet that needed cleaned and dried. We had one apartment that flooded the apartment below pretty bad, but only because the pan the water heater was in cracked.

The point of all this, is that in a rental, I would let it go until it breaks. You'll be looking at maybe a $150 clean up bill for the water, but if you get 5 extra years on your water heater, it's worth it. You can do a couple things though to prevent major damage. I would turn the water and gas off to the unit any time the property is vacant. If it leaks, you want someone around to tell you. I would also install the unit on a tray plumbed to move the water out safely. Spend the money on a decent tray or they get brittle and wear out.