This article refers to water heaters 55 gallons and over. Most all US single family homes have either a 40 or a 50 gallon water heater.
We just replaced our 16 year old water heater, and the total cost here in Southern California was $1,000 for a low NOX gas heater.
Having had two tank failures in prior homes, I had no interest in waiting for our tank in this home to rupture. The last time our tank ruptured, when I went to turn off the valve at the heater, it failed. When I went to turn off the valve for the entire house, it also failed. We had to have the water company come out and turn off the valve at the street. In the meantime, water kept gushing across our garage floor.
Lesson learned. Have lever type shutoff valves installed in place of the screw type valves. the lever valves cannot fail. The screw valves are subject to failure as they age.
Yep. Always good to have a stainless steel ball valve on the water heater.
Also comes in handy when someone stays in the shower too long. ;)
That's nothing. Be glad your water heater wasn't in the basement.
Here's a tip from the business:
Never bottom out your screw-type valves. ALWAYS open them all the way, then back them off 1/4-1/2 turn.
This will usually prevent the nasty surprises that you got.
People usually open them all the way without thinking. You actually have to force yourself to remember the back-off turn.
But lever-type is what I like to install in at least one place on the feed line - you're correct there.