Makes sense. Just to put things in perspective and create
more anxiety, consider the lowly clothes washer hose. I
have never seen an exploding or spraying water tank, but I
have seen a spraying clothes washer hose. If you/wife are
in the habit of never turning the valves off when you are
not washing, you might start and certainly you need to turn
them off any time you are away for an extended period. If
you don't, they will probably be corroded and you might not
be able to turn the all the way off. Damage from a failed
hose is way more likely than damage from a failed water
heater.

Mark Jerde wrote:

Thanks, everyone. For now I'll keep inspecting the heater.

-- Mark