rick hollett wrote:
Is it true that electric hot water heaters run at far less efficiency as
they age(like me, I guess). If so, is that in the design or just inevitable
e.g. corrosion, buildup on the elements, etc.? Are there more efficient
heaters available? These days it appears that 5 yrs is the life expectancy
of most of them

cheers


Rick Hollett



No, it is not true. An electric water heater is
always 100 percent efficient. The heat has to go
somewhere and it goes in the water. If you are
referring to insulation, then yes it could
deteriorate some and allow more heat into the room
instead of staying in the water. But over the
heater's life time you would never notice the
difference.

And no, a heater lifetime is not 5 years unless
you live in a place that has severely corrosive
water. Not sure if you mean the water heater or
the electrical element. Elements in our hard
water area commonly last 10 years or more, but
some do fail as early as 4 or 5 years.