On Jan 8, 12:18Â*pm, " wrote:
On Jan 8, 3:40�am, (Stacia) wrote:





� Hey all. �I have a question: what is the average lifespan of a water
heater? �We have one (40-gallon, gas) which is original to the house, so
about 14-15 years old. �We noticed lots of corrosion on the top water
lines and the occasional small amount of water on the floor, and planned
to have the thing inspected. �Unfortunately, since Sunday night there's
been a larger amount of water leaking from the very bottom of the heater,
so instead of an inspection it'll probably be a replacement.
� I guess that leads me to other questions: how do you drain a water
heater? �I've heard you should drain it once a year for maintenance, but
have no idea what that means or if it's effective. �Also, how can I keep
that corrosion from building up on the new one?
� And yes, this is our first home :P �

Stacia

--
Visit my blog athttp://www.shebloggedbynight.com

time for a new one, if you run short on water sometimes invest in a
better unit, most 40 gallon tanks are under 40,000 BTUs.

upgrade to a 50 gallon 75,000 BTU tank and enjoy near endless hot
water. better tanks cost a bit more but are better built with things
like brass drain valves. larger tanks get less thermal shock since
they are larger, keep temp kinda low for longer life and energy
savings.

on a brite note the new tank will be much better insulated saving you
energy

congrats to the new home owner!- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

We have run our two homes since 1960 with a 30 US gallon electric hot
water heater/tanks. This included doing some business catering from
the home. Our average lifespan has been 8 to 9 years; this in an area
where most suppliers now will not honour the manufacturers six year
warranties! This is due to the type of local water which tends to be
acid due to soil type and acid rain (Thanks to central North American
air pollution?) affecting both well water and municipal water
supplies.
Average cost of replacements, doing the work ourselves, over some 45
years has been around $150 to $200.
Each heater has two 3000 watt elements each with its thermostat
arranged flip-flop (that is the upper element heats first and when
that part of tank is hot it flips over to the bottom element until
whole tank is hot). On one or two occasions with visitors it has been
possible to move one wire to enable both upper and lower elements
(each with its thermostat) to heat water simultaneously (faster
recovery).