My gas hot water heater is 25yrs. old and works fine but looks its age
with a little rust around the bottom, should I replace it soon or wait
until it actually fails. How dangerous is it?

"Trail Blazer" wrote in message
oups.com...
My gas hot water heater is 25yrs. old and works fine but looks its age
with a little rust around the bottom, should I replace it soon or wait
until it actually fails. How dangerous is it?


Unless the flood it will cause when it fails is a problem, it's probably not
dangerous.

But if you've got 25 years out of it, it doesn't owe you anything. I'd do a
pre-emptive replacement. The main reason is so you can do it on your terms
and time table and shop around for a good one and a good installer-- not
rely on some plumber you frantically call on a Sunday when it fails...

"Trail Blazer" wrote

My gas hot water heater is 25yrs. old and works fine but looks its age
with a little rust around the bottom, should I replace it soon or wait
until it actually fails. How dangerous is it?

I have no idea if it's dangerous, but in my experience when
water heaters go, they don't just stop making hot water, they
spew water all over the place. That may not be true with newer
models.

If it was up to me, I'd replace the thing before I had a big water
cleanup on my hands. Other people might have a different
opinion/experience.

nancy

Trail Blazer wrote:
My gas hot water heater is 25yrs. old and works fine but looks its age
with a little rust around the bottom, should I replace it soon or wait
until it actually fails. How dangerous is it?

Not likely to be dangerous but it can flood the room it is in. At 25
years, I would suggest replacing it, unless you live in an area with very
very good water. Ask around and see how long your neighbor's tanks are
lasting. I suspect you will want to replace it soon. It is much better
that way than have it go out just as the guest staying over Christmas
arrive.

--
Joseph Meehan

Dia 's Muire duit

On Mar 26, 5:45 pm, "Trail Blazer" wrote:
My gas hot water heater is 25yrs. old and works fine but looks its age
with a little rust around the bottom, should I replace it soon or wait
until it actually fails. How dangerous is it?

It's definitely earned its keep -- time to get a replacement. BUT --
what sort of furnace do you have? Is it old, too? Are they vented out
the same chimney? This may make a difference -- I've learned the
painful way that the new water heaters require more combustible air
(which they pull from the room they're in unless they are direct vent)
-- and, if like me, your furnace is old, too -- they will compete with
each other. And if the water heater is vented out/up its own chimney
-- and that chimney is on an outside wall -- it could spell trouble in
the form of poor draft and condensation.

"Trail Blazer" wrote in message
oups.com...
My gas hot water heater is 25yrs. old and works fine but looks its age
with a little rust around the bottom, should I replace it soon or wait
until it actually fails. How dangerous is it?

Just think about going away for the day while the water is pouring onto your
floor starting 5 min after you leave. Look at the warranty that you get
with a new gas water heater today---7-10 years (and you have to be on the
threshold of a failure with one 25 yrs old). I've had two heaters fail,
fortunately I was home both times. The first time I went outside because I
thought someone turned on my outside faucet the because running water noise
was so loud.
MLD

On 26 Mar 2007 14:45:37 -0700, "Trail Blazer"
wrote:

My gas hot water heater is 25yrs. old and works fine but looks its age
with a little rust around the bottom, should I replace it soon or wait
until it actually fails. How dangerous is it?

I was told that when they leaked it usually started slow, but in my
case I thought it was the AC condensate which had already leaked on
the floor, and I thought it was taking days to dry, so I didn't
recognize it as a WH problem.

When you get a new one, put a pan under it and connect the pan to a
drain so you don't have to worry about this the next time, and in
addition you can keep the wh until it breaks.

I don't see that causing a frantic rush. You can decide in advance
who you want to deal with and pretty much what you want to buy, and
anyone can go a couple days or more without hot water. One can wash
somewhere else or take a spongebath with water heated on the stove.
How are we ever going to fight Al Queda if we can't go a few days
without hot water?

On Mar 26, 6:24�pm, mm wrote:
On 26 Mar 2007 14:45:37 -0700, "Trail Blazer"
wrote:

My gas hot water heater is 25yrs. old and works fine but looks its age
with a little rust around the bottom, should I replace it soon or wait
until it actually fails. How dangerous is it?

I was told that when they leaked it usually started slow, but in my
case I thought it was the AC condensate which had already leaked on
the floor, and I thought it was taking days to dry, so I didn't
recognize it as a WH problem.

When you get a new one, put a pan under it and connect the pan to a
drain so you don't have to worry about this the next time, and in
addition you can keep the wh until it breaks.

I don't see that causing a frantic rush. *You can decide in advance
who you want to deal with and pretty much what you want to buy, and
anyone can go a couple days or more without hot water. *One can wash
somewhere else or take a spongebath with water heated on the stove.
How are we ever going to fight Al Queda if we can't go a few days
without hot water?

REALLY OLD HEATERS lasted 50 years, they may not have been as energy
efficent, but were built to last!

He may have one of those, it might be 1/2 thru its life.

"Trail Blazer" wrote in message
oups.com...
My gas hot water heater is 25yrs. old and works fine but looks its age
with a little rust around the bottom, should I replace it soon or wait
until it actually fails. How dangerous is it?


Water heater tanks only fail after the sacrificial anode is eaten away. To
check pull out the anode.

You can get instructions he
http://waterheaterrescue.com/


--
Roger Shoaf
If you are not part of the solution, you are not dissolved in the solvent.