Comments on: Can a Water Heater Last More Than 15 Years?

By: Debra

Debra — Wed, 17 Apr 2024 03:59:37 +0000

Dear Larry, Thank you for your valuable information. Can you comment on water that is softened with KCL salt instead of NaCL? Does the dissolved KCL conduct as well as the NaCL? How often would you check the anode rod if your water was softened with KCL?
My water was extremely hard – 17 grains per gallon on a scale where 10 is very hard. Now I have a water softener, using KCL, and water tests as extremely soft. I just tested it at slightly less than 25 ppm.
Our current water heater is about 20 years old and we are currently discussing with a plumber to replace it very soon.
Thank you for your advice,
Debra

By: Ray O

Ray O — Fri, 25 Aug 2023 02:22:11 +0000

In reply to Ken Z. Our 115 gallon Selco Hydrastone started leaking and had it replaced a few keeks ago after 28 years,never replaced the anode or drained it! It's still in the basement because Selco refused to come get it. I estimate its 450 to 500 lbs and I'm in my 70s and there it sits. I found that Vaghn made this magnificent electric water heater, with the Selco name placed on it. Carefull when it's time to change it out for another, know that you cannot depend on Selco, the people you pay to rent it, will not come and remove it!

By: Larry Weingarten

Larry Weingarten — Fri, 21 Jul 2023 16:09:37 +0000

Hi and yes, a film of scale build-up does seem to protect and slow rusting. Often, the action of the anode is what creates that film as it works to protect any bare steel it “sees”. The National Association of Corrosion Engineers (NACE) is where I’d expect to find any literature on it. There is also a book, “Corrosion Engineering” by Fontana and Green, that is a great resource for all things corrosion.

Salt softening increases the conductivity of the water, making the anode get used up faster…. sometimes much faster. I’ve seen anodes completely consumed in six months in over-softened water. NACE suggests leaving 60 to 120 ppm total dissolved solids in the water and not softening it down to zero, which some people like to do. That might explain your neighbor’s heater problems.

Yours, Larry

By: J

Fri, 21 Jul 2023 13:15:15 +0000

In reply to Larry Weingarten.

Thanks for the tip about the segmented anode rod. I’ll do a more thorough inspection of the current rod next time I flush the tank.

It actually is a lifetime warranty. Tank was sold at Lowes and I bought it back in 2003. This lifetime warranty offer went away sometime after that. I’m sure they were losing money on it.

I’ve read the coating of calcium carbonate inside a water heater tank actually extends the life of the unit by preventing salts in water from contacting imperfections in the steel coating. Any studies verifying this? I would also be interested in knowing if water softening systems hasten the demise of water tanks by salts attacking such tank imperfections and causing corrosion. My neighbor installed a home water softening system and a few years later his tank developed a leak. Coincidence? He replaced it with a 120 amp, whole house, ‘instant’ hot water unit, mostly due to his dissatisfaction with leaking water tanks. Our neighborhood is all electric.

By: Larry Weingarten

Larry Weingarten — Thu, 20 Jul 2023 19:55:29 +0000

Hi J, Looking it up, it seems all US Craftmaster offers is up to a 12 year warranty these days. Might be good to double check your warranty. Anodes can get coated over with hardness from the water and make it look like there is more sacrificial metal left than there really is. I’d replace the anode with a magnesium one sooner than later. The anodes are available as segmented rods, so can fit into tanks with low overhead.

Yours, Larry

By: J

Thu, 20 Jul 2023 13:57:50 +0000

US Craftmaster 50 gallon electric, 5.5 kW, with ‘Energy Smart’ control board and lifetime warranty. Installed by us in 2003 and still going strong. I’ve flushed it twice over the years and replaced the failing control board (high pitched noise) myself with free part 3 years ago. Original anode rod. Water here is city treated and medium hardness. We generally keep it at 120F, but I have bumped it up to 140F a few times for sanitation and vacation mode is around 50F. It sits in the basement with a low ceiling, so I checked the anode rod by disconnecting and removing one element when the tank was empty.

By: Walnut

Walnut — Mon, 10 Jul 2023 00:46:42 +0000

Love to see an update for your HPWT energy usage – I’ve installed the open source iotawatt energy monitor and I’ll compare the results once I get a year of data.

I have the Rheem 80 gallon hpwt and configured it to be heat pump only and have the four schedules with one at 140F to clear any legionaries, the others set at 110 and 120. Thank you for the tips !

By: Walnut

Walnut — Mon, 10 Jul 2023 00:38:53 +0000

I forgot to mention that the 27 year old rheem had minimal maintenance done on it. In the 27 years I flushed the sediment twice and never replaced the anode but I have very soft water so that likely helps to extend the lifespan.

Prior to swapping out the gas with electric I had the electrican install a breaker and a JB right next to the water heater location so when it came time to swap it to electric, the electrical portion was already done. The plumber did have to cap the gas line and cap the exhaust duct.

By: Tray Biasiolli

Tray Biasiolli — Wed, 05 Jul 2023 21:30:21 +0000

One downfall of running a water heater until it dies is that the replacement is often “whatever’s on the truck”, as a replacement is often needed ASAP. Also, if someone wants to install a heat pump water heater, particularly if they’re switching from a gas unit, there’s typically some additional work involved beyond just swapping the tank (dealing w/ condensate drainage, running wiring + circuit install, etc.). So we’ll typically advise clients to be proactive when moving to HPWHs, aiming for replacement once existing equipment gets much beyond 10 years.

By: Walnut

Walnut — Wed, 21 Jun 2023 00:39:54 +0000

In 2021, I replaced a rheem gas 60 gallon install in 1994, figured it was time. The drain valve was plastic and had a crack, the element had signs of flare up and I wanted to go electric. 27 years is pretty good but didn’t want to risk my new basement suite cabinets for when it did go…. even with the flood stop solonoid, pan and floor drain. Insurance is typically the big reason for replacing as they won’t cover if the tanks are over 10 years old.