In alt.home.repair, on Wed, 05 Aug 2015 23:51:55 -0500,
wrote:

On Wed, 05 Aug 2015 22:12:44 -0400, micky
wrote:

No, they last 10 or 20 years or more and there's no reason to replace
them early.


It depends on he water PH. I once lived in a house with well water that
was very acidic. It actually ate copper pipes, and water heater elements
had to be replaced every 3 or 4 years.

I worked for a guy who lived in a town that had very high calcium in the
water. In 3 years, his water heater was half filled with lime particles.
The lower element was buried in it. I tried to flush out all the lime,
but it was not possible. That 3 year old water heater had to be
replaced. Everyone in that town has that problem.

So, this question has no answer.....

You're right. I guess I meant in absence of history or neighbors sayin
that WH wear out soon, he shouldn't assume it will happen soon.

And since they sell elements many places and it doesn't take more than
an hour to put one in, there's no rush.