I'd like to have a Rhianna on each floor, too (and each room, maybe the couch, the kitchen table....;-)
Not sure about the cost, though. I get the feeling that this model falls in the "High Maintenance" category!
Posted on 02/02/2011 3:08:04 PM PST by Bean Counter
Our 1985 model 50 gallon electric hot water heater is original to our house and has been extremely reliable since we have lived here, but lately it is showing signs of age and I wonder if there is anything I can do to extend its life.
It takes a lot longer for it to recover after one use, a shower or a load of laundry, than it used to. Also I have been cleaning particles of white crusty debris out of our various hot water strainers and it's clear the stuff is coming from the hot water heater.
Is there anything I can do short of replacing it, that will restore some of it's heating capacity in whole or in part? Am I better advised to wait until it fails completely, or should I be looking at replacing it now before it goes?
A new 80 gallon electric tank will fit in this one's place and runs about $600. I'm almost certain that a new electric water heater will be more efficient than the 25 year old model so there will probably be some modest savings on our electric bill. The main goal is to restore our hot water in the steady volume we used to get.
This is the last appliance in the house that we have not upgraded, repaired or replaced, and I think the time to kiss it goodbye is drawing near...
IIRC a young Arnold Schwarzenegger started building up by pushing a dead heater tank in circles!
I seem to recall that building code lets you use smaller diameter vent piping if “powered” venting is used — but then, powered venting may be required anyway if a multistory vent is used. Have never dealt with it.
The space that became available after replacing my old tank with the tankless heater got used real quick for a solar power backup system for the house (which I installed). Battery banks outside, inverter inside. Around 800 amp hours.
I agree, they are a bit more up front, particularly if you are putting it into an existing residence. I was fortunate to add mine into my new construction. The minimal cost of the endless hot water is remarkable. Why heat a whole tank of water and let it sit and cool until you need it?
The extreme cold in my area also presents another hazard to the tankless heat exchanger. Absent careful dampers, you can have cold air come down the vent pipe and freeze the heat exchanger during a period of non-use. That ruins the device and exposes you to a flood as well. Too many down sides to the technology in my area. It would have been fine in San Diego.
BTW, I'm approaching 14,000 miles on the Harley that I purchased last June with 7507 on the odometer. The 60 mile round trip to work each day is more enjoyable and affordable on the bike. A new tire went on the back at 13,000 miles. The Versys sits in the garage at home with 9500 miles on the odometer.
That is impressive- Thick Envirofoam® insulation allows only 5ºF heat loss in 24-hours!
We did have ours freeze up once (-17 in 2003, I believe), but no internal damage to the unit or pipes, for that matter. I didn’t install the little thermostatically-controlled electric resistance heater for the unit so I was lucky. Since then I improved the insulation and installed a little fan to blow warm air from the adjoining room on it when needed, but it has never been nearly that cold again.
Don’t let gunner see this!
OH, I do have heat tape a little upstream too which is probably the main improvement.
Turn it into a vertical water smoker!
Lucky you! Around here (SE Pa.) we average a water heater every 3 years.
ping for interesting
>> You can’t heat W that’s already H
Can too! You can heat ‘er hotter... :-)
Don’t even think of making an air compressor tank out of it!! You’d be asking for trouble if it ruptured!!
JC
Just think, when you took your first hot shower with that water heater, President Reagan was just beginning his second term of office. Intel stock could be had for 64 cents a share. Nobody had cell phones and had to stick a dime in a smelly pay phone. Helen Thomas was a beautiful young woman who turned heads.
I will be thinking about your 25-year-old water heater for several days to come and I may even have dreams about it.
Thanks for a bit of perspective Sam, I hadn’t thought about it in quite those terms, but you’re right!
Thanks!
See post 113
I'd like to have a Rhianna on each floor, too (and each room, maybe the couch, the kitchen table....;-)
Not sure about the cost, though. I get the feeling that this model falls in the "High Maintenance" category!
Remember, that unless you are there to turn the water off, a leak can spill far more water than the tank holds. A bad one can literally gut several floors.
Cleaning will actually weaken the tank and it will break faster.
Get the best quality American-made one you can afford. Preferably a commercial one or at least from a manufacturer that also does commercial.
;-)
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