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Replacing a Working Water Heater RockyCJC 11-07-2006
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Posted by on November 7, 2006, 5:05 pm


The subject of this posting is basically a question of risk aversion.
I am sure that gamblers and people with low risk aversion are more
willing to say that I should wait to replace my water heater while
others who worry like I do, would be quick to say replace.

Basically, about 6 months ago I purchased a 23 yr. old home with a 13
yr. old electric hot water heater (no natural gas in my area). I was
told by the home inspector to budget for a replacement. For some odd
reason, while returning home after a Sunday trip this past weekend, I
started to think about the hot water heater and how much life it had
left.

I don't smell any odd smells or hear any odd noises and the hot water
appears to be heated and recovered quickly. No complaints at all.
However, my hot water heater is installed in a 2nd story utility closet
with a 1.5 inch high drip pan and nothing but sub-floor to spill onto
once overflowing the drip pan. I have read and been told that water
heaters sometimes just stop working, sometimes develop a small leak,
and sometimes decide to burst and drop all their load at once.
Although I have homeowner's insurance to cover any water damage caused,
it is a hassle I don't necessarily want to deal with AND there is
always the deductible anyway. I have purchased an automatic water
shut-off to stop additional flooding if a leak should ever occur but
that doesn't account for the 50 gallons of water already in the tank.

In my research, I have found a decent $278 Whirlpool with a 9 yr.
warranty and pretty good energy efficiency. Lowe's charges $194 for
installation.

Does anybody have any opinion regarding whether or not I should go
ahead with the replacement or should I wait to see a leak or lapse in
operation of the heater?


Posted by HankC on November 7, 2006, 5:16 pm



Your local utility may offer a HWH at a discount in return for being
able to shut it off during peak local usage time. It's genearrly a good
deal.

Mine cost $150 about 8 years ago...


HankC


RockyCJC@gmail.com wrote:
> The subject of this posting is basically a question of risk aversion.
> I am sure that gamblers and people with low risk aversion are more
> willing to say that I should wait to replace my water heater while
> others who worry like I do, would be quick to say replace.
>
> Basically, about 6 months ago I purchased a 23 yr. old home with a 13
> yr. old electric hot water heater (no natural gas in my area). I was
> told by the home inspector to budget for a replacement. For some odd
> reason, while returning home after a Sunday trip this past weekend, I
> started to think about the hot water heater and how much life it had
> left.
>
> I don't smell any odd smells or hear any odd noises and the hot water
> appears to be heated and recovered quickly. No complaints at all.
> However, my hot water heater is installed in a 2nd story utility closet
> with a 1.5 inch high drip pan and nothing but sub-floor to spill onto
> once overflowing the drip pan. I have read and been told that water
> heaters sometimes just stop working, sometimes develop a small leak,
> and sometimes decide to burst and drop all their load at once.
> Although I have homeowner's insurance to cover any water damage caused,
> it is a hassle I don't necessarily want to deal with AND there is
> always the deductible anyway. I have purchased an automatic water
> shut-off to stop additional flooding if a leak should ever occur but
> that doesn't account for the 50 gallons of water already in the tank.
>
> In my research, I have found a decent $278 Whirlpool with a 9 yr.
> warranty and pretty good energy efficiency. Lowe's charges $194 for
> installation.
>
> Does anybody have any opinion regarding whether or not I should go
> ahead with the replacement or should I wait to see a leak or lapse in
> operation of the heater?


Posted by Malcolm Hoar on November 7, 2006, 5:28 pm


RockyCJC@gmail.com wrote:
>The subject of this posting is basically a question of risk aversion.
>I am sure that gamblers and people with low risk aversion are more
>willing to say that I should wait to replace my water heater while
>others who worry like I do, would be quick to say replace.
>
>Basically, about 6 months ago I purchased a 23 yr. old home with a 13
>yr. old electric hot water heater (no natural gas in my area). I was
>told by the home inspector to budget for a replacement. For some odd
>reason, while returning home after a Sunday trip this past weekend, I
>started to think about the hot water heater and how much life it had
>left.
>
>I don't smell any odd smells or hear any odd noises and the hot water
>appears to be heated and recovered quickly. No complaints at all.
>However, my hot water heater is installed in a 2nd story utility closet
>with a 1.5 inch high drip pan and nothing but sub-floor to spill onto
>once overflowing the drip pan. I have read and been told that water
>heaters sometimes just stop working, sometimes develop a small leak,
>and sometimes decide to burst and drop all their load at once.
>Although I have homeowner's insurance to cover any water damage caused,
>it is a hassle I don't necessarily want to deal with AND there is
>always the deductible anyway. I have purchased an automatic water
>shut-off to stop additional flooding if a leak should ever occur but
>that doesn't account for the 50 gallons of water already in the tank.
>
>In my research, I have found a decent $278 Whirlpool with a 9 yr.
>warranty and pretty good energy efficiency. Lowe's charges $194 for
>installation.
>
>Does anybody have any opinion regarding whether or not I should go
>ahead with the replacement or should I wait to see a leak or lapse in
>operation of the heater?

13 years is a reasonable life expectation for an electric heater.
I'd plan on replacement fairly soon; very soon if there are any
signs of leaks or corrosion. But I'd also shop around for a good
deal -- even wait for a promotion. I would also:

1. Check to see if you need a permit -- it's required in some
cities around here.

2. Check to see if the advertised installation service from
Lowes is actually available. Again, around here, they often
can't deliver on the installation service -- the local
plumbers are not willing to do the job for the price Lowes
is willing to pay them.

--
|~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~|
| Malcolm Hoar "The more I practice, the luckier I get". |
| malch@malch.com Gary Player. |
| http://www.malch.com/ Shpx gur PQN. |
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Posted by Charles Schuler on November 7, 2006, 5:44 pm



Risk aversion is similar to paranoia. Sit tight and wait for it to fail,
while thinking about far more important things.



Posted by Malcolm Hoar on November 7, 2006, 6:38 pm


>
>Risk aversion is similar to paranoia. Sit tight and wait for it to fail,
>while thinking about far more important things.

Like planning those drywall repairs he'll need in a year
or few...

--
|~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~|
| Malcolm Hoar "The more I practice, the luckier I get". |
| malch@malch.com Gary Player. |
| http://www.malch.com/ Shpx gur PQN. |
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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