Thank God... I don't need a new hot water tank

[flamingelephant]

We were cleaning up the storage room in our basement, spring cleaning and all that fun stuff. I've got some junk in the back corner by the hot water tank. Notice it's a bit wet on the floor. I think CRAP, we need a new tank, and we don't have an extra 1000-1500 lying around. I had a good look at it, and turns out the only thing leaking is a cold water pipe into the hot water tank, right were the threaded end comes out of the tank. The damn thing rusted away and started to leak (slow leak). A quick trip to the Home Depot to finally buy a blow torch and assorted plumbing tools that I always borrowed from my parents before, some parts and 3 hours later, I saved a a whack of $$$$ and don't need a new hot water tank (knock on wood)



Cliffs

-thought hot water tank was leaking
-found out it was just a fitting into the tank that had rusted and started to leak
-fixed it, saved a whack of cash!!!!!

 

[Amused]

You're a regular Tim Allen!

 

[mjrpes3]

you also get brownie points for not calling it a hot water heater *smirk*

 

[FoBoT]

they don't cost that much to replace, but not having to replace it until needed is good

 

[Jeff7]

You saved your whack off cash? That sure is lucky.:Q

 

[DrPizza]

Originally posted by: flamingelephant
We were cleaning up the storage room in our basement, spring cleaning and all that fun stuff. I've got some junk in the back corner by the hot water tank. Notice it's a bit wet on the floor. I think CRAP, we need a new tank, and we don't have an extra 1000-1500 lying around. I had a good look at it, and turns out the only thing leaking is a cold water pipe into the hot water tank, right were the threaded end comes out of the tank. The damn thing rusted away and started to leak (slow leak). A quick trip to the Home Depot to finally buy a blow torch and assorted plumbing tools that I always borrowed from my parents before, some parts and 3 hours later, I saved a a whack of $$$$ and don't need a new hot water tank (knock on wood)



Cliffs

-thought hot water tank was leaking
-found out it was just a fitting into the tank that had rusted and started to leak
-fixed it, saved a whack of cash!!!!!

Are you kidding me? $1000-$1500 for a hot water tank?!
Try: about $300-400, and 1 hour to install, if it's the first time you've installed one.

 

[blurredvision]

Originally posted by: DrPizza

Originally posted by: flamingelephant
We were cleaning up the storage room in our basement, spring cleaning and all that fun stuff. I've got some junk in the back corner by the hot water tank. Notice it's a bit wet on the floor. I think CRAP, we need a new tank, and we don't have an extra 1000-1500 lying around. I had a good look at it, and turns out the only thing leaking is a cold water pipe into the hot water tank, right were the threaded end comes out of the tank. The damn thing rusted away and started to leak (slow leak). A quick trip to the Home Depot to finally buy a blow torch and assorted plumbing tools that I always borrowed from my parents before, some parts and 3 hours later, I saved a a whack of $$$$ and don't need a new hot water tank (knock on wood)



Cliffs

-thought hot water tank was leaking
-found out it was just a fitting into the tank that had rusted and started to leak
-fixed it, saved a whack of cash!!!!!

Are you kidding me? $1000-$1500 for a hot water tank?!
Try: about $300-400, and 1 hour to install, if it's the first time you've installed one.

That's what I was thinking. The nicer, bigger 50-gallon tanks cost upwards of $500 that I've seen. If you can live with a 30-gallon, you can get away with spending $200.

 

[DrPizza]

Originally posted by: blurredvision

Originally posted by: DrPizza

Originally posted by: flamingelephant
We were cleaning up the storage room in our basement, spring cleaning and all that fun stuff. I've got some junk in the back corner by the hot water tank. Notice it's a bit wet on the floor. I think CRAP, we need a new tank, and we don't have an extra 1000-1500 lying around. I had a good look at it, and turns out the only thing leaking is a cold water pipe into the hot water tank, right were the threaded end comes out of the tank. The damn thing rusted away and started to leak (slow leak). A quick trip to the Home Depot to finally buy a blow torch and assorted plumbing tools that I always borrowed from my parents before, some parts and 3 hours later, I saved a a whack of $$$$ and don't need a new hot water tank (knock on wood)



Cliffs

-thought hot water tank was leaking
-found out it was just a fitting into the tank that had rusted and started to leak
-fixed it, saved a whack of cash!!!!!

Are you kidding me? $1000-$1500 for a hot water tank?!
Try: about $300-400, and 1 hour to install, if it's the first time you've installed one.

That's what I was thinking. The nicer, bigger 50-gallon tanks cost upwards of $500 that I've seen. If you can live with a 30-gallon, you can get away with spending $200.

What's so nice about a 50 gallon tank? I have a high quality 30 gallon tank and it produces hot water faster than I can use it. In fact, during the course of a shower, sometimes you have to increase the cold water as the water starts getting hotter when the tank kicks on.

 

[dartworth]

Originally posted by: DrPizza



What's so nice about a 50 gallon tank? I have a high quality 30 gallon tank and it produces hot water faster than I can use it. In fact, during the course of a shower, sometimes you have to increase the cold water as the water starts getting hotter when the tank kicks on.

depending on family size and water usage...not everyone can get away with a 30 gallon tank...

 

[imported_cheapdude]

After installing a jacuzzi, I upgraded to a 50 gallon tank.

 

[DrPizza]

Originally posted by: dartworth

Originally posted by: DrPizza



What's so nice about a 50 gallon tank? I have a high quality 30 gallon tank and it produces hot water faster than I can use it. In fact, during the course of a shower, sometimes you have to increase the cold water as the water starts getting hotter when the tank kicks on.

depending on family size and water usage...not everyone can get away with a 30 gallon tank...

Think about what I posted again: It produces hot water faster than it's being used. If I turn on the shower to hot right now, and leave it on, the water coming out will still be just as hot (if not hotter) 6 hours from now.

 

[richardycc]

Originally posted by: DrPizza

Originally posted by: dartworth

Originally posted by: DrPizza



What's so nice about a 50 gallon tank? I have a high quality 30 gallon tank and it produces hot water faster than I can use it. In fact, during the course of a shower, sometimes you have to increase the cold water as the water starts getting hotter when the tank kicks on.

depending on family size and water usage...not everyone can get away with a 30 gallon tank...

Think about what I posted again: It produces hot water faster than it's being used. If I turn on the shower to hot right now, and leave it on, the water coming out will still be just as hot (if not hotter) 6 hours from now.

thats impossible, if thats the case, every house should just get a 30gal tank.

 

[slag]

Originally posted by: DrPizza

Originally posted by: flamingelephant
We were cleaning up the storage room in our basement, spring cleaning and all that fun stuff. I've got some junk in the back corner by the hot water tank. Notice it's a bit wet on the floor. I think CRAP, we need a new tank, and we don't have an extra 1000-1500 lying around. I had a good look at it, and turns out the only thing leaking is a cold water pipe into the hot water tank, right were the threaded end comes out of the tank. The damn thing rusted away and started to leak (slow leak). A quick trip to the Home Depot to finally buy a blow torch and assorted plumbing tools that I always borrowed from my parents before, some parts and 3 hours later, I saved a a whack of $$$$ and don't need a new hot water tank (knock on wood)



Cliffs

-thought hot water tank was leaking
-found out it was just a fitting into the tank that had rusted and started to leak
-fixed it, saved a whack of cash!!!!!

Are you kidding me? $1000-$1500 for a hot water tank?!
Try: about $300-400, and 1 hour to install, if it's the first time you've installed one.

1 hour? lol.. ive installed a couple of them and they take a good 2 hours or more to do it right This isn't something to just slap in and do a half ass sweat job on.

 

[Evadman]

Originally posted by: DrPizza
Think about what I posted again: It produces hot water faster than it's being used. If I turn on the shower to hot right now, and leave it on, the water coming out will still be just as hot (if not hotter) 6 hours from now.

Then you have one hell of a water heater. A normal shower is int he range of 3 to 5 GPH of hot water (remember, hot and cold are mixed, so the total output isn't all from the hot water tank). A kenmore powermiser 50 gallon (i'll use a huge one to prove that you have no idea what you are talking about) has a recovery rate of 76%, which works out to the same temp of water forever if you use 50 * .76 = 38 GPH. That means you need to use about 1/2 a gallon per minute. A shower uses about 6 times that. In an hour, the heater can produce (50 in the tank + 38 recovery) = 88 gallons of hot water in the first hour. So at (88 gallons first hour / 3 GPM usage =) 29.3 minutes you would start losing tempeature.

And WTF do you man it will be hotter if you leave the shower on for 6 hours?! Did you pass 6th grade physics? Even if you have a god water heater, it will not get hotter even if your recovery rate is equal to your usage as the thermostat will kick in and stop raising the tempeature.

The only way the water will stay the same temp is if you have a tankless heater, and only if it is sized correctly for your application. Most tankless can handle a single shower. As soon as you turn on a faucet, you will lose temp. Same with a washer. Of course, youc an get bigger ones; but you didn't say you had a tankless, or a huge tankless. Maybe you have an industrial boiler, that could handle a 6 hour shower.

 

[Sphexi]

Originally posted by: DrPizza

Originally posted by: blurredvision

Originally posted by: DrPizza

Originally posted by: flamingelephant
We were cleaning up the storage room in our basement, spring cleaning and all that fun stuff. I've got some junk in the back corner by the hot water tank. Notice it's a bit wet on the floor. I think CRAP, we need a new tank, and we don't have an extra 1000-1500 lying around. I had a good look at it, and turns out the only thing leaking is a cold water pipe into the hot water tank, right were the threaded end comes out of the tank. The damn thing rusted away and started to leak (slow leak). A quick trip to the Home Depot to finally buy a blow torch and assorted plumbing tools that I always borrowed from my parents before, some parts and 3 hours later, I saved a a whack of $$$$ and don't need a new hot water tank (knock on wood)



Cliffs

-thought hot water tank was leaking
-found out it was just a fitting into the tank that had rusted and started to leak
-fixed it, saved a whack of cash!!!!!

Are you kidding me? $1000-$1500 for a hot water tank?!
Try: about $300-400, and 1 hour to install, if it's the first time you've installed one.

That's what I was thinking. The nicer, bigger 50-gallon tanks cost upwards of $500 that I've seen. If you can live with a 30-gallon, you can get away with spending $200.

What's so nice about a 50 gallon tank? I have a high quality 30 gallon tank and it produces hot water faster than I can use it. In fact, during the course of a shower, sometimes you have to increase the cold water as the water starts getting hotter when the tank kicks on.

The only reason for a bigger tank is that it runs less, but if you don't use that much water than a smaller tank would be better. At the 40gal level though, go with the better units. You get a much nicer warranty (12 years), plus they're a higher wattage so they produce water faster, and have better insulation.


Still, I'd personally go for tankless, little more expensive but so much nicer.

 

[slsmnaz]

Originally posted by: Evadman

The only way the water will stay the same temp is if you have a tankless heater, and only if it is sized correctly for your application. Most tankless can handle a single shower. As soon as you turn on a faucet, you will lose temp. Same with a washer. Of course, youc an get bigger ones; but you didn't say you had a tankless, or a huge tankless. Maybe you have an industrial boiler, that could handle a 6 hour shower.

A tankless heater does much more than 1 shower. Most do around 6gpm which is more than 1 showerhead puts out. A single gas tankless unit is perfect for most houses (usually less than 3000 sq ft). Before calling people stupid you should do a little homework.

Also the reason most go with a 50gal instead of a 30gal is the price. 30gal is less common and more expensive than the common 40 and 50gal water heater.