"Donna Ohl, Grady Volunteer Coordinator" wrote in
message
Do you have quick advice on hot-water heaters?

1. If it's leaking cold water from the bottom but still working, is it not
repairable (I assume it's a throwaway item).


Yes, toss it.


2. It's at least as new/old as when I moved into this house around 2000
and
it has an energy efficiency sticker so it's not that old. But, would you
replace it with a bigger (only two people in the small house as the kids
are gone) one or even go tankless?

If it works for you, size is OK. If yo ever runs short, go for bigger. For
gas, is is probably plenty good as it has faster recovery than electric.



3. Is it a home repair or, due to gas, is it only by a qualified pro?

Depends on your skill level. If you have to ask, get a pro.



4. Do most of you go to Home Depot or the like and just pick one and have
them install it or is there a "better" way?

I'd rather use a local plumber, but, some of the big stores do a next day
install.


5. I never did anything preventative but googling talks about a
sacrificial
anode and draining; should I have done that (I'm guessing yes).

I think that is more of an eectric thing than gas.



6. If we go tankless, are there "gotchas" we need to watch out for?

Yes, you need lots of power, venting etc. You may hot have allthe time
needed to plan an install. Many people are also unhappy with them too as
they are not as resposive as they'd like.


Chances of a catastrophic failure are slim, but I'd not wait very long. You
can close the feed valve to the heater and limit any leaks to the 40 gallons
inside of it.
--
Ed
http://pages.cthome.net/edhome/