CECAA850 Posted October 29, 2019 Share Posted October 29, 2019 13 minutes ago, wvu80 said: I think I want to buy local, and to that end I'm going to find a local plumbing supply store this afternoon and see what they have to offer. Excellent idea. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wvu80 Posted October 29, 2019 Author Share Posted October 29, 2019 1 hour ago, avguytx said: But get a new one. It would be stupid to get an almost 30 year old water heater repaired; it's not a vintage amp. LOL! Thanks for talking to me in language I can understand! 🤣 Quote Don't drag this out like some of the other things you've asked opinions on buying. Hey, I'm overly analytical and obsessive-compulsive, which I compensate for by being cheap. Don't judge me bro! In my defense, I've actually purchased the things I've asked for help with. Speaker wire, the office chair, the mattress. Uh, OK I haven't actually bought a mattress yet, but I have thought about it a lot. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zack R Posted October 29, 2019 Share Posted October 29, 2019 FYI if you go through a plumber you'll need to get a permit, inspection and possibly increase the scope to address other items (such as adding straps in case of earthquake, adding an external drain, flexible connections, replace leaky valves), etc... Not necessarily a bad thing but it can quickly increase the cost beyond what you initially expected. This recently happened to my mother in law when she was selling her house in WA. A $500 gas hot water heater ended up being closer to $1,800 when it was all said and done. 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
avguytx Posted October 29, 2019 Share Posted October 29, 2019 Yep. Codes change through the years....especially if you live in the city limits. If you live outside of them, things are a lot more lenient. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coytee Posted October 29, 2019 Share Posted October 29, 2019 As I understand it, when you buy a new heater.... their warranty is in general, dependent on how many anode rods they have. Usually a 5-year warranty will have a single rod and a 10-year warranty will have two rods. (getting the picture?) The anode rod is user replaceable (though can be difficult to remove) If you keep them replaced every handful of years (no idea how many, I try to target 5) then you can increase the life of your tank by a margin. When I bought my 80 gallon tank to replace my 50, I immediately ordered a replacement rod for it so I'd have it ready when the time came. The rod is sacrificial so you KNOW it's going to get eaten up. Better the rod gets eaten than the insides of your heater..... Once the rod is gone, the guts of your heater are next. Food for thought 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
babadono Posted October 29, 2019 Share Posted October 29, 2019 Tankless Water Heater = Pain In ***. Don't ask me how I know. Only reason to have one is if you need endless hot water. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dirtmudd Posted October 30, 2019 Share Posted October 30, 2019 On 10/28/2019 at 8:27 PM, CECAA850 said: I don't think you'd ever recoup the price difference in energy savings by going tankless. Electric requires a large service run to the tankless unit and gas requires larger pipe. Tankless should be flushed every year as well. 3/4 water line , 3/4 gas line... Inline water filter... Flush once a year with white vinegar.... And a water pump.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wvu80 Posted October 30, 2019 Author Share Posted October 30, 2019 Here's where I've progressed: I want to replace the existing 40 gal unit with similar but different brand from my old Whirlpool. I'm going to install DIY. The box with the new Rheem unit is 125 pounds. Heck, that's no different from a single La Scala. I can move it around. Brand: I'm staying away from Lowes and O.E Smith. Brand: I went to Home Depot tonight and did some window shopping. They have three price levels of 40 gal Rheem in the same "family" but there are better ones out there: Basic: Rheem Performance - $400 Same features as the one I have, 36,000 BTU (Best Seller) (six year warranty) Mid Tier - Rheem Performance Plus - $500 Adds some electronic monitoring on the unit for trouble shooting 40,000 BTU (nine year warranty) Top Tier - Rheem Performance Platinum - $750 40,000 BTU - (12 year warranty) I find this one genuinely interesting. It has a module to monitor and control it via Wifi. It lights every time it is heating so it is a pilot-less design. I'm leaning towards the $750 model or the basic one, but is it really worth almost double just to control it via my smart phone with an app? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DizRotus Posted October 30, 2019 Share Posted October 30, 2019 I drove a lift truck for Rheem one summer loading hot water tanks, air conditioners, and furnaces into boxcars and semi-trailers. Those are probably all out of service by now. 😏 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sunburnwilly Posted October 30, 2019 Share Posted October 30, 2019 Got a failing water heater as well so this thread was timely 👻 Thing is 20 years old , went super nova and then just barely working to normal to now barely working . So , replace is the correct answer ? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JBCODD Posted October 30, 2019 Share Posted October 30, 2019 14 hours ago, avguytx said: Yep. Codes change through the years....especially if you live in the city limits. If you live outside of them, things are a lot more lenient. Indeed. When I had to have a water heater replaced in Co. Springs, I had to have a double wall vent stack installed as well, due to code change. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CECAA850 Posted October 30, 2019 Share Posted October 30, 2019 Simpler is better. Less to go wrong. How many times do you actually think you'll need to adjust your waterheater with your phone? 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wstrickland1 Posted October 30, 2019 Share Posted October 30, 2019 6 hours ago, sunburnwilly said: Got a failing water heater as well so this thread was timely 👻 Thing is 20 years old , went super nova and then just barely working to normal to now barely working . So , replace is the correct answer ? Let me know what you need sir. I can get one from our plumbing side at cost... 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wvu80 Posted October 30, 2019 Author Share Posted October 30, 2019 8 hours ago, wvu80 said: I'm leaning towards the $750 model or the basic one, but is it really worth almost double just to control it via my smart phone with an app? I just read the reviews for the Rheem app at the App Store. It had a rating of 1.5 and the people who own it HATE it. The overall recommendation is (paraphrasing) "don't get the $750 model" as the Rheem app has limited functionality and doesn't work most of the time. That's OK with me, saves me tons of money. The basic Rheem model it is unless you guys have some other brand/model specific recommendations. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wvu80 Posted October 30, 2019 Author Share Posted October 30, 2019 6 hours ago, sunburnwilly said: So , replace is the correct answer ? It is in my case. I have an older unit with multiple problems including leaking from a valve. The basic, no frills Rheem Performance model is a very close replacement for the the current unit and is the one I'm going with. Four hundred bucks at Home Depot and I will DIY the installation. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
avguytx Posted October 30, 2019 Share Posted October 30, 2019 So there's not a locally owned store you can buy one from? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oldtimer Posted October 30, 2019 Share Posted October 30, 2019 1 hour ago, CECAA850 said: Simpler is better. Less to go wrong. How many times do you actually think you'll need to adjust your waterheater with your phone? Exactly. I was surprised to hear something like that even exists. Set it and forget it. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coytee Posted October 30, 2019 Share Posted October 30, 2019 8 hours ago, sunburnwilly said: Got a failing water heater as well so this thread was timely 👻 Thing is 20 years old , went super nova and then just barely working to normal to now barely working . So , replace is the correct answer ? You might make sure your heating elements aren’t fried first Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oldtimer Posted October 30, 2019 Share Posted October 30, 2019 After 20 years, why bother replacing elements when something else is bound to go wrong soon anyway? 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete H Posted October 30, 2019 Share Posted October 30, 2019 Best thing you can do for you water heater and the rest of your plumbing is to put clean water through it. I never have to flush out scale from my water heater but I pull all of the mineral out, prior to it entering the tank. Do yourself a favor and get your water properly tested for calcium and iron content and depending on those results, look at the proper water treatment. it will pay for itself over a few years and a hell of a lot less cleaning. Buy a good model with a great warranty from a local plumbing supply as others have stated, I would not buy any appliance from any big box store ever due the headaches in obtaining warranty if the need arises. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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