On Feb 10, 10:53*am, "Donna Ohl, Grady Volunteer Coordinator"
wrote:
Can I get some quick trusty advice on a dripping gas 40 gallon hot-water
heater?

I noticed my hot-water heater leaking and my husband is out of town.
He says wait until he comes back (1 week) but I am afraid something bad
will happen. He also says maybe we should replace with an instant on
tankless heater but I want to get it done today!

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).

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?

Forgot to mention, that is no guarantee that it hasn't outlived its
design life.

Most water heaters have a 6 year warranty; that means that anything
over 10 years or so without regular maintenance is borrowed time. My
water heater was installed circa 1990 or so, judging from the data
sticker on it, and it still has one of those yellow "energyguide"
stickers on it. (yes, I'm still using it, although its T&P valve
failed and stuck slightly open while I was out of town and caused a
horrid mess in my basement. I caught it just as it was starting to
soak the carpet on the other side of the basement...)

I probably should have replaced it by now, but the anode looked OK so
I stuck a new anode, T&P valve, and ball valve drain assembly on it
and kept using it, because I'm a cheap b*****d. I figure if it does
fail I can save all the stuff I've replaced and at least get my
money's worth out of them in the future. The PO's of the house never
did any maintenance on the thing (as evidenced by a drain valve that
failed the first time I tried to flush it, and an anode that required
a 3/4" breaker bar and cheater pipe to bust loose) but it's still
kicking. just goes to show you that there is wide variation in the
life of a WH probably primarily due to local water conditions.

nate