wrote in message
oups.com...
I didn't hear any broken glass sound, and the plumber
replaced the release valve. The heater works ok, no noises, no gas
smell. I realize the glass might have cracks that will shorten the
lifespan of the heater, but my concern is just gas safety. Since I
smell no gas, and since the gas-related parts are at the bottom of the
tank (which didn't hit the ground - it seems the release valve got the
most damage, and was replaced) is the heater safe to use? (I realize
in hindsight I probably should have told him not to install it, but
that's hindsight now...) Thanks.


It will probably be OK, especially the gas train if it is functioning OK
now. A fall over is fairly gentle in the scheme of things.

The glass lining is not something you'd hear break. It is not glass as in
window glass or a tumbler, but a coating on top of steel. Sort of like the
enamel coating in a pot or the coating on a steel sink. Worst case scenario
is a crack will allow the steel to rust out prematurely, but there is a good
chance nothing happened since it was not a direct hit. The outer shell and
insulation took a lot of the shock.

Overall, you are probably in good shape. Well, your heater probably is in
good shape, I have no way of knowing how good a shape you are in.