Here is an example of someone doing a half *** job and figuring it's good enough. About 4 1/2 years ago we had to have a new water heater put in for insurance reasons. Last Thursday we heard a hissing sound coming from it. I did some checking and figured it was the plastic drain valve. Apparently they are notorious for leaking. I shut the water off to the heater. I called a plumber/gas fitter we've used in the past. He didn't install the heater. He asked if I could drain the tank. Yeah, shouldn't be a problem. Boy was I wrong. There is even a garden hose coming up from the floor for draining the tank but I couldn't hook it up because the bozo who installed the tank had the drain valve partly blocked by the gas line. What a royal PIA trying to drain the 40 gallon tank. The new drain valve is brass and the plumber turned the tank so the hose can be hooked up. All he had to do was shorten one of the gas lines going to the union. Took less than 45 minutes from the time he showed up. This is a good reminder for anyone to take some pride in your work and do things right, even if it means you have to tweak something a little. It would have been so easy when the tank was first installed.
After that dries out i would put in one of those battery powered detectors. It's just a little cord that lays in there and if any moisture gets on it at all it will go. Beep beep beep. That could save a lot of misery. I have one under the kitchen sink and in the water heater pan. I did the kitchen sink because things get knocked off down there in that space. I have pull out recycling and garbage drawers and one of the traps could get loose. I also lined that space with vinyl flooring and wrapped it up the walls and caulked it so that a small leak will never go anywhere.
I'll look into one. The plumber said the box store heaters come with plastic drain valves but the ones he gets wholesale come with brass drain valves. He doesn't think we will have any more issues with it. The plastic drain valve had a very slight crack in it. Thankfully once the pressure bled off, from turning the water off, it didn't leak. Would have been a heck of a mess if 40 gals. had leaked out.
I think I would do something about the 110 outlet in there. If the pop off goes from a over pressure or over heat, its going to shower all over in that cabinet, you better hope the breaker trips.
I was looking at that plug and was wondering if it might be for heat tapes under the floor. I'll put some duct tape over it for now.
In these cases if I can't do it myself I have three people I can call that are above board. I know a electrician in town that must be a clone of Willie B, he's the guy I call.
I'm sure I could have just changed the drain valve but changing the gas line I figured should be done by a licensed gas fitter. He also had an assortment of different lengths of pipe.
I think you were right there, to fix the @#% up of that installation. Having all the tools and parts on the truck is priceless. When you DIY something like that it usually means 3 trips to get parts.
five for me and I've grown a beard in that time.
Those drain pans with a nipple on the side work well under a hot water heater to catch any leaks. A hose on the nipple can run to a floor drain or down under the floor to the crawl space
When I diy something I buy extra fittings and then keep them after, I've done a couple jobs without going to the store. I put my water heater in a livestock tub but I still haven't plumbed the drain pipe to the floor drain. I'm not worried about the 50 gallons that's in the water heater I'm worried about the water that comes after it. I typically shut my well off when I leave the house for a while day or more
When I put in my last propane water heater I put in a 12 volt shut off, wired to a Floodmaster sensor that sits in the drain pan. If the probe gets wet, it shuts off the valve and beeps. It does work. If that fitting cracked, more than likely you will be replacing that water heater soon. Just the way it is. Water heaters hate being moved or jostled as the coils hate oxygen. Good luck.
The plastic drain valves are known to leak a lot. There's nothing else wrong with the tank. The guy that fixed it said it should be good for another 5 years as 10 years is the usual lifespan of a water heater. He only turned it about 2 inches and that was with it shut off and empty.
Only 10 years? I guess I'm pretty fortunate then. I was given a used 80 gallon water heater when I built my house 8 years ago. I replaced both thermostats, both heating elements (electric water heater), and the magnesium rod when I put it into service. I really don't know how old it is. It sure is nice to be able to wash laundry, do the dishes, and run both showers in the evening with a family of five and never run out of hot water.
I think 10 years is for a basic residential water heater. The larger commercial ones will last longer. We only replaced it because we couldn't get insurance if we didn't replace it. The old one was a lot more than 10 years old. I think it's kind of like maintenance on equipment. It can last longer but do you want to take a chance it fails after the recommended replacement period. Had an old water heater explode at a former residence and what a mess.
My rule of thumb is I do absolutely everything myself unless its outside my skillset or its a bigger job that can't wait for me to pick away at it over a few months.
Our hot water tank is on borrowed time for sure, 27 yrs old now. It has a vinyl pan and drain hose. I will change it out one day and add a steel pan under it. I will also look at those water detectors next time I go to HD or Lowes.
We had installed a manhole down 5-6 meters extremely complex in terms of the amount of pipe and what that manhole was designed to do. Probably took over a month to install. We had finally finished everything and backfilled to the top. Next day popped the lid and noticed water in bottom of this water tight manhole… There was 1 piece of rubber at the bottom about an inch long and an inch thick that was backwards. The cheapest thing on the entire job and it was pointing the wrong way. Took five guys a full day to get down there and build it back up again. It’s a crazy world do it right the first time!
Lets see--been in this house since 97 replaced water heater with a gas one in 99. Replaced that one two years ago. Fridge is 17 years old, dishwasher 15, everything else is recent-------oh-coffee maker is two weeks old. the important item.
I'm not sure what wears out in a water heater or if using hot water more often plays a roll in the lifespan??
Electric heater elements definitely have a lifespan. Tanks mostly corrode from the inside until they pinhole leak. Gas valves gum up and thermal couples fail.
Where I live now, the water tanks fill up with hard water deposits. Lucky to get 7-8 years out of a hot water heater.
Yeah, I think a lot depends on the water supply. Some places they recommend draining the sediment and any build up every year. The guy said I don't need to here.
If the ph of the water is too high or too low, the water becomes corrosive. At my former job, we added soda ash to the water in some places to correct the ph to protect the piping system.
The one in this house is over 20 years old . It has never work like it should probably a thermostat problem. There is a new one sitting beside it when I get the time .
All water heaters life span is directly related to the water they are heating. The difference minerals in the water cause different issues. If you have hard water or introduce lots of oxygen, the liners rot, just like a truck frame rusting. 10 years for most water heaters is good. Some will go 25 years, some will go 3. Everytime you drain them and move them, the minerals slosh around and allow air, oxygen to get another surface to rot.
Electric heating elements need to be immersed all the time. Hot water tanks, hot tubes, water bath heaters, keeping them emersed seems to prolong there life
Even block heaters have to oriented the right way so they are fully immersed.
I've been in my house for 28 years, the electric water heater was old when I moved in. Lots of variables including quality of materials when built and water quality. I've got spring water so lots of minerals, there's a thick white streak all the way down the side of the tank below the relief valve that has always been there as well. Have had a new replacement tank in my shop for about 10 yrs. for when the old beast finally does puke but it keeps on tickin'. After this post it'll probably **** the bed tonight.
One reason to not get a new tank is we don’t want to be on the 10yr replacement plan.
I was told 8 years was average for my area. My tank was pretty new when I moved in, we'll see how long it goes.
We have a 2 or 3 gallon water heated in the shop with a bronze tank. I remember dad changing out a element once. I have no idea it's age but it's been doing its thing as long as I known it. It's probably from the 70s (old) can you buy ones with a tank other then steel or plastic
Which reminds me of a funny story that floated through the shops in my old home town. * Customer buys a new 1989 Chevy 4x4 Z1 or what ever those were dubbed. Wants the dealer to install a block heater-soft plug type. So the new young guy on the lube rack ended up with the installation. He was told which soft plug and how to do it. Story goes he finished, but the radiator just wouldn't stay topped up. Customer picked out another new rig, he didn't want one that needed a engine swap before he drove it. --He was told to drill a small hole install screw use vise grips on screw to pull soft plug, he just kept drilling--through cylinder wall.
Wow lol
If the public only knew of the crazy *** screw ups committed in dealer plus independent shops. * Kid at VW dealer {new hire} was told to wash a year old Champaign Edition Rabbit inside & out, he did alright----the headliner was hanging down to the seat full of water. Cornwell tool guy carried a camera and got a photo of it.
That's one thing I've been reading about newer electronic engines. Don't hit them with a pressure washer. Too many wire connectors and other places for water to get into and wreak havoc.
Double post
Had a customer phone in once. He had an old Ford 200 6cyl and twisted off one of the water pump bolts. Drilled it out but drilled right through into the cylinder. He asks, now what? I knew they would not spend any money on it, so i said put some sealer on the threads and run it. I never heard back. Most of their vehicles and equipment was held together with barb wire
Years ago--first employer, about blind as a bat, working on a Fiat 124 Spider. Couldn't see what he was looking at, moving the trouble light around in front of his eyes while engine running--fan grabs cord rips light out of his hand and rips cord from plug in and neatly winds it all up in a ball on the water pump.
Same guy---he would only weld something if there was a battery boiling on the charger near by and a slight breeze blowing the fumes his way.
I think I may have worked with his son at one point.
We were doing a small slab pour at home a while ago ,a little bit of redi mix left over. Being one not to waste it i had my helpers knock together a form for a new front step into the the house. My good wife reminded me of the 3" drain pipe under the step that she wanted to have to keep the down spout chains draining away from the bed for a new hedge.Dont worry i said we will sort it out after, the concretes gonna kick off. Heres what doing it after entailed. A day in the machine shop creating some directional drilling gear and a tough afternoon dodging unknown large rocks under the step.Success in the end . A whole 8' of pipe under the step.Should have done it right the first time?Reminded me of real life horrors involved in drilling piles.