Hot Water Heater Replacement Cost? (sales, how much, Home Depot)

[TXwrath]

Hey All,

Any idea of what a plumber/company SHOULD charge to remove/replace a standard hot water heater in an attic. I am unsure of the exact size but it is for a 2,300 sq ft home.

Currently, our unit functions but is around 9 years old and I do not want the bottom to rust out and flood the attic/below.


I called a plumber that seems reputable out in katy and he quickly/firmly said $1,000.

Is this a reasonable price to pay? Any suggestions on cutting the cost such as buying the unit myself?

[Hiapo]

Is it rusting now? Most water heaters are glass lined so no way to rust unless they are cracked. 1000 seems high but it is a pain working in the attic so that may just be what it is worth to them. Check with home depot or lowes to see what they install them for.

With water heaters I think Brand plays a big role so research some higher end models, I have used Bradford white with great success but there are others.

[Harpaint]

A 50 gal water heater costs between $600 and 800 retail at Loew's depending on the guarantee, so that sounds very reasonable to me.

[gwarnecke]

I recently got 3 quotes ranging from about $450 to $700 (labor only) to replace a 40-gallon gas-fired water heater located in an attic that is accessible only by folding stairs. Sales guy at Home Depot claimed that their installers could do the job for $250, but I've heard that once they actually come out to your home and see the existing setup, they find reasons to get the price up.

I ended up doing the job myself. Total for new 6-year 40-gallon gas water heater and misc fittings (drain pan, flex hoses, etc) was just over $500. Bought a cheap chain hoist to lower the old water heater out of the attic and raise the new one. The toughest part of the job was getting the old water heater drained - it was 17 years old, full of rust and scale, and had a jammed drain valve.

Bradford White only sells water heaters and parts to plumbers, not direct to consumers. And at least on some of their water heaters, changing out the anode rod is fiendishly difficult.

[TXwrath]

Thanks for all of the responses. I guess the quote from a year ago changed to ~$1,300ish and they use Bradford White products.

Is there any telltale signs if my heater is going to fail? If possible I want to prolong for a few months as there are no issues and pay cash.

[gwarnecke]

The unit that I just swapped out was actually still heating fine, but it had lots of rust on the exterior and signs of previous slow leaks. Given its age and the damage that would result if it failed, we decided to go ahead and change it out.

You may want to try flushing the heater and see how rusty/scaly the water that comes out is. If it's pretty clean, you may be good for awhile longer.

Also recommend getting a cheap leak alarm and installing the sensor in your water heater's pan. These are about $10 on Amazon and will at least provide some warning of a smaller leak.

[TXwrath]

Originally Posted by gwarnecke

The unit that I just swapped out was actually still heating fine, but it had lots of rust on the exterior and signs of previous slow leaks. Given its age and the damage that would result if it failed, we decided to go ahead and change it out.

You may want to try flushing the heater and see how rusty/scaly the water that comes out is. If it's pretty clean, you may be good for awhile longer.

Also recommend getting a cheap leak alarm and installing the sensor in your water heater's pan. These are about $10 on Amazon and will at least provide some warning of a smaller leak.

Best advice I heard. I have one of the alarms and will do a flush this weekend to see how much rust/sediment comes out.

The peace of mind of spending $1,300 and having a good unit that should last another $10 years is a lot better than dealing with a busted bottom, deductible and repairs.

[Hiapo]

Originally Posted by gwarnecke

Bradford White only sells water heaters and parts to plumbers, not direct to consumers. .

Not true, I am no longer a plumber and can order them right off the internet. I believe I got my last one from efaucets.com delivered right to my house.

edit: I guess that in not technically direct but the point is you can get them yourself if you want.

[Hiapo]

Originally Posted by TXwrath

Best advice I heard. I have one of the alarms and will do a flush this weekend to see how much rust/sediment comes out.

The peace of mind of spending $1,300 and having a good unit that should last another $10 years is a lot better than dealing with a busted bottom, deductible and repairs.

I did plumbing for a few years in Mass probably changed out a 1000 water heaters and you will be the first person that I have heard change one for peace of mind. Not saying you are wrong but it just doesn't happen very often. Water heaters from my experience dont normally start leaking (it does happen just not that much), but instead have something else go wrong with them. Ive also had more problems with newer water heaters than older ones.

If it were me I would just leave it in there till it fails and do like was mentioned above. Flush it to make sure there is no sediment buildup and stick a sensor in the pan for your peace of mind.

[TXwrath]

Originally Posted by Hiapo

I did plumbing for a few years in Mass probably changed out a 1000 water heaters and you will be the first person that I have heard change one for peace of mind. Not saying you are wrong but it just doesn't happen very often. Water heaters from my experience dont normally start leaking (it does happen just not that much), but instead have something else go wrong with them. Ive also had more problems with newer water heaters than older ones.

If it were me I would just leave it in there till it fails and do like was mentioned above. Flush it to make sure there is no sediment buildup and stick a sensor in the pan for your peace of mind.

I think I will do this!

Anybody including yourself, mind if i snap a few pics of what comes out of the heater, pics of the unit etc?

I will give it a "flush" by Sunday.