Don't worry about losing your shower in the dark. Unlike furnaces, boilers
and stoves,
standard gas water heaters still come with pilot lights.
--
Peace,
BobJ

("Mike Bittel" wrote in message
...
My rule of thumb is keep it unless it isn't functioning. Remember that
the
design of gas water heaters has changed now and they're more expensive.
Federal Law now requires a sealed combustion chamber as part of the
design.


"Mark Jerde" wrote in message
...
We have lived in this house 8-10 years. The natural gas water heater is
the
same as when we moved in. One major benefit it has is it is pilot-light
enabled -- it doesn't require electricity. I have taken many hot
showers
by
candle light when the power has been off 2+ days here in Maryland USA.

What I DON'T want to have happen is come home one day to a flood of
water
coming out of the utility room from the water heater after a
catastrophic
failure.

Is it a "normal, good" practice to replace a water heater after a
certain
#
of years, whether or not it is still working fine?

Thanks.

-- Mark