On Fri, 11 Sep 2009 09:38:09 -0700 (PDT), Heathcliff
wrote:

On Sep 10, 10:27*am, Heathcliff
wrote:
My natural gas GE water heater is leaking. I bought it and installed
it myself about 9 years ago. It is still within warranty (12 year
warranty) and I called the GE service hotline and the big box store
where I bought it - everyone was very accommodating and I can bring in
the old one and exchange it for a new one, receiving a credit of about
$300. *My question is whether it is worth it to do so, since it means
I will wind up with another GE water heater. *(They are actually made
by Rheem.) *Considering the effort involved in hauling the old one
over there and installing the new one, I would consider forgoing the
credit if there is a noticeably better option in terms of brand. *So,
was this one a fluke, or do they all do that? *-- H

Thanks all for the responses. Looks like replacing the water heater
will be tomorrow (Saturday)’s project. I am pretty sure it is leaking
from the tank; the connections are on top and there is no water
there.

Similar to Stormin’s situation, the refund amounts to about half the
price of a new unit, which is certainly better than nothing.
Apparently prices have risen quite a bit since 2000. I checked a
couple other local big boxes and there don’t seem to be any bargains
out there.

I was inclined to doubt the quality of the unit since my perception is
that our local water is pretty benign (Lake Michigan water) and water
heaters usually last a long time. But maybe not. Or maybe it was
lack of maintenance – the website on water heater rescue was very
interesting. I will certainly check the anode(s) on the old unit when
removing it, out of curiosity. If there is significant corrosion on
it I will resolve to check it as a preventive measure in the future.
When I first got my current heater I did drain it occasionally, but
stopped after a couple times since there did not seem to be any
sediment to speak of coming out. I’ll see if there is any when I
drain it for removal.

Cheers and thanks again for the responses. -- H


My GE water heaters have been failing every 4 to 5 years. GE has
provided a replacement several times without charge, but it can be
pain to install. But I am far ahead in terms of cost.