Water heater help

[ManBearPig]

Sooo our water heater in our store messed up and we need to get a new one. The current messed up one is 19.9 gallons, 120 volts, and they told me gas powered. However, it seems like most are electric powered, so I'll be able to get a better look at it later tomorrow.

Any cheap ones you recommend or anything I should look out for? Thanks a ton ATOT.

 

[MagnusTheBrewer]

Depending on where you are, gas is almost always cheaper. When you say "messed up," when referring to the old water heater, what exactly was the problem?

 

[ManBearPig]

It leaks. My dad told me it got rusted on the bottom and i guess a hole developed.

 

[SillyOReilly]

It's your store,and told you it's gas powered?

 

[mshan]

You already have natural gas line in place, so hopefully they can pop a better one of similar dimensions right in.

Don't skimp (cheapest) because if it ruptures quickly because of poor quality control, water damage is probably going to be more expensive.

Plus if you can get durable brand (I like State Industries http://www.statewaterheaters.com/index.html though all water heaters I think I remember reading are basically made by one of three OEMs), hopefully it can last 12 years or more.

Get a quality one, at reasonable price, and make sure person who installs it is experienced and really knows what they are doing. You'd like to minimize likelihood you walk in after weekend and find out water heater burst sometime over weekend and flooded everything.

 

[iGas]

All water heater are pretty much the same except for the amount of anode that is installed inside. Check and replace the anode every 6-12 months, as well as drain off the debris at the bottom of the heater will add decades of life to the water heater.

electric water heater

 

[BoomerD]

Bradford White. Best in the biz. (not cheap...but usually cheaper than the crappy Whirlpool and GE sold at Lowes/Home Depot.

http://www.bradfordwhite.com/finda.asp

 

[iGas]

The Best Water Heater

6 year warranty with maximum insulation.
Add an extra hex head (magnesium) anode to the tank make it an equivalent to a 15 year warranty tank. Or, use the combination hot water port and cold water port anodes additional to the 2 anode ports will also increase it to an equivalent of a 21 year warranty tank.

Magnesium anode

 

[EagleKeeper]

You can do it yourself in 3-4 hours or get a plumber to come in and do it.

If yourself; get all the tools, supplies and fittings prepared in advance.

The old tank is going to need to be drained and will be heavy to move around because of all the sediment.

Easiest way would be to use some type of dolly.

Replacement will be lighter and easier to manipulate.

 

[ManBearPig]

This sounds like a complete pain in the ass lol. Thanks for the advice guys.

 

[EliteRetard]

I say check your insurance and then let it go to hell

My mother just got a complete top to bottom remodel of her place (~$70K) for free because of flooding due to faulty water heater. She had a deductible, but got the water heater company to cover that part.

 

[MagnusTheBrewer]

I say check your insurance and then let it go to hell

My mother just got a complete top to bottom remodel of her place (~$70K) for free because of flooding due to faulty water heater. She had a deductible, but got the water heater company to cover that part.

And people wonder how we got into our current economic problems. D:

 

[jagec]

I say check your insurance and then let it go to hell

My mother just got a complete top to bottom remodel of her place (~$70K) for free because of flooding due to faulty water heater. She had a deductible, but got the water heater company to cover that part.

Ugh, what an asshole move. No wonder my homeowner's insurance is so expensive.

 

[EagleKeeper]

I say check your insurance and then let it go to hell

My mother just got a complete top to bottom remodel of her place (~$70K) for free because of flooding due to faulty water heater. She had a deductible, but got the water heater company to cover that part.

If one ignores a problem; the insurance company is under no obligation to pay out.

 

[klod]

You might want to check your local building codes. While you may be able to replace it yourself, you also may be obligated to at least get it professionally inspected before use. You could ignore this, but if your store burns down because you forgot to do a gas leak check, and you can't show it was bought off by an inspector, your insurance may not pay.

 

[EliteRetard]

In this case it was actually legitimate...though I was making a sarcastic suggestion based on the incident.

 

[The_Dude8]

You can do it yourself in 3-4 hours or get a plumber to come in and do it.

If yourself; get all the tools, supplies and fittings prepared in advance.

The old tank is going to need to be drained and will be heavy to move around because of all the sediment.

Easiest way would be to use some type of dolly.

Replacement will be lighter and easier to manipulate.

after you drained the old water heater, cut the old water heater in half, so you can move it easily.

 

[Mark R]

There are lots of things to consider between different water heaters.

Size: How much stored water do you need? How big is your bath? Do you expect 2 people to shower simultaneously? Do you intend to utilise solar heating (and therefore need an oversized heater to store "free" hot water)?

Recharge rate: How fast do you want the heater to recharge? 3 kW fast-recharge electric can heat 10 gallons in 30 minutes. 40 kW gas can heat 30 gallons in 10 minutes.

Material: Enamelled steel is cheapest, but most at risk of corrosion. Decent quality heaters may be made of enamelled copper, but are still vulnerable to corrosion. Best quality heaters are made of marine grade stainless steel (but you pay a high price for these).

Corrosion protection: To an extent this depends on local water regulations. Some manufacturers fit a sacrificial anode to their heaters - these are metal rods which sacrifice themselves to prevent corrosion to the heater body. These need replacement on a yearly or 2-yearly basis. If you fail to replace the anode on a steel heater, it will corrode to failure within a few years. Caution: some manufacturers fit non-removable anodes (they are riveted to the inside of the heater dome), which will ensure enough corrosion protection to get through the warranty period, at which point, you are SOL.

Some locales have banned the use of sacrificial anodes for domestic water supplies. Alternatives include the use of "active" anodes where an electronic power supply passes a tiny current through an anode made of an inert metal (such as titanium or gold). These anodes need no replacement, but require a power supply and will fail if the electronics fail or become disconnected from power.

Stainless steel heaters do not need an anode, so anode maintenance is avoided. The high corrosion resistance of stainless steel allows manufacturers to offer 25 year+ warranties with the expectation that they will last much longer.

Connections: Do you want single fuel only? Do you want a gas heater with electric backup? Do you want connections to a solar/geothermal/HVAC system? Do you want provision for a secondary circulation (circulation pump to ensure instant hot-water at faucets).

 

[iGas]

There are lots of things to consider between different water heaters.

Size: How much stored water do you need? How big is your bath? Do you expect 2 people to shower simultaneously? Do you intend to utilise solar heating (and therefore need an oversized heater to store "free" hot water)?

Recharge rate: How fast do you want the heater to recharge? 3 kW fast-recharge electric can heat 10 gallons in 30 minutes. 40 kW gas can heat 30 gallons in 10 minutes.

Material: Enamelled steel is cheapest, but most at risk of corrosion. Decent quality heaters may be made of enamelled copper, but are still vulnerable to corrosion. Best quality heaters are made of marine grade stainless steel (but you pay a high price for these).

Corrosion protection: To an extent this depends on local water regulations. Some manufacturers fit a sacrificial anode to their heaters - these are metal rods which sacrifice themselves to prevent corrosion to the heater body. These need replacement on a yearly or 2-yearly basis. If you fail to replace the anode on a steel heater, it will corrode to failure within a few years. Caution: some manufacturers fit non-removable anodes (they are riveted to the inside of the heater dome), which will ensure enough corrosion protection to get through the warranty period, at which point, you are SOL.

Some locales have banned the use of sacrificial anodes for domestic water supplies. Alternatives include the use of "active" anodes where an electronic power supply passes a tiny current through an anode made of an inert metal (such as titanium or gold). These anodes need no replacement, but require a power supply and will fail if the electronics fail or become disconnected from power.

Stainless steel heaters do not need an anode, so anode maintenance is avoided. The high corrosion resistance of stainless steel allows manufacturers to offer 25 year+ warranties with the expectation that they will last much longer.

Connections: Do you want single fuel only? Do you want a gas heater with electric backup? Do you want connections to a solar/geothermal/HVAC system? Do you want provision for a secondary circulation (circulation pump to ensure instant hot-water at faucets).

This is the first time I have heard that anode rod can be riveted onto the tank. That would defeat the glass coating and anode. I also haven't heard of a local jurisdiction that ban the usage of sacrifice anode.

The life of the anode depends on the water that you have (soft or hard water). If you check the anode regularly and record it...it will give you a good estimate of time when the anode/s need to be replace.

I have to agree that stainless steel hot water heater is a good alternative.

 

[BUTCH1]

It's your store,and told you it's gas powered?

Huh? maybe he doesn't do his own maintenance at "his" store..

 

[DrPizza]

Wait a second.

You said that this was for in a store. "They" told you to switch over to gas? Unless you already have a gas line run to the location where the heater is at, and you already have a vent in place, then it would be very foolish to put in a gas water heater. If you've never had trouble with the hot water capacity (i.e., running out during a shower), then there's absolutely no reason to switch over to a heater that can recharge quicker.

Replace with another 120V 20-gallon hot water heater.

I'm bewildered why anyone would suggest putting in a gas hot water heater for such an application. It would take a LONG time to recoup the investment of having someone to run the gas line, and put in a vent.

Also, depending on space issues, you might want to take a look at prices for slightly larger hot water heaters. Unless I'm mistaken, 30 gallon hot water heaters are more of a "standard size." Because more are manufactured, they are cheaper than the 20 gallon ones. They *might* make 120V models, but if you did opt for the 30 gallon to save $100, then it might be a wash with paying $100 (or more; depending on location & type of construction) to upgrade the wiring to a 240V circuit. If you have to replace the heater down the road (in a decade), then it'll save you money at that time. Most important thing that virtually no one does: check & replace the anode & you'll extend the life way beyond the warranty. It could be compared to buying a car, getting a 40k mile warranty, and not knowing that if you change the oil, you can get a lot more miles out of that engine.

 

[lupi]

Ill pop this little water heater question in; made sure my current one has aa nice easy drain valve to flush is out every now and then, but I get absolutely no flow out when I open the drain valve when the cold supply is shut?

 

[DrPizza]

Ill pop this little water heater question in; made sure my current one has aa nice easy drain valve to flush is out every now and then, but I get absolutely no flow out when I open the drain valve when the cold supply is shut?

It's like magic, huh? If the water is shut off going to the water heater, you'll need to open a hot water valve to a sink somewhere in the house.

Next time you have a soft drink with a straw, lift the straw out of the drink with your finger completely covering the hole at the top of the straw. Notice that your soft drink stays inside the straw. Now move your finger to let a little air in... the soft drink runs out the bottom.

 

[alkemyst]

I say check your insurance and then let it go to hell

My mother just got a complete top to bottom remodel of her place (~$70K) for free because of flooding due to faulty water heater. She had a deductible, but got the water heater company to cover that part.

Jesus...

 

[mvbighead]

It's like magic, huh? If the water is shut off going to the water heater, you'll need to open a hot water valve to a sink somewhere in the house.

Next time you have a soft drink with a straw, lift the straw out of the drink with your finger completely covering the hole at the top of the straw. Notice that your soft drink stays inside the straw. Now move your finger to let a little air in... the soft drink runs out the bottom.

Also, most water heaters have a vent of sorts. If you open the vent, which is generally located higher on the tank, it'll allow air into the tank to allow you to flush out the bottom:

Hope that helps.

EDIT: It's the TPR valve that I am talking about.