[Positiveone]

Does anyone have a recommendation on which company to use for a new gas hot water heater? Mine is shot! Leaking.

I live in henderson. I’m trying to find a reliable company to install a new water heater.

Thank you

[Hal Roach]

Originally Posted by Positiveone

Does anyone have a recommendation on which company to use for a new gas hot water heater? Mine is shot! Leaking.

I live in henderson. I’m trying to find a reliable company to install a new water heater.

Thank you

If you want to save money.. try to find an exact match that will minimize soldering, cutting, and plumbing. Bring it home, and let a skilled handyman do it... 150 labor.. I am not sure about permits, but that may not be necessary. I was away, and pop used home Depot.. was 1100 usd for 50 gallon gas and five visits total. Install, back for leak, inspector failed it because duct was touching pipe, redo, reinspect.. last one I did in Phoenix.. GE 40 GAL, DIY.. no inspec or permit.. 360 total, 6 year warranty.. The licensed contractors seem to have umbrella licenses, but the people doing all the work are very low level. Seen specials from some of the franchises like FURR... and consider the plastic tub underneath, and even earthquake strapping. As a DIY project, it is about a 3 on a 1 to 5 scale.

[Chappy2017]

I just put in a new one. 1500 bucks. I used MC plumbing and that is who I have used to do the once a year Maint. I have not had a problem and think their rates are good. However, come to find out from my neighbor, that the previous owner had just installed a new water heater before I bought the house, so it was 2-3 years old and was still under warranty. MC plumbing should have checked this and known. Once you install it make sure you have it serviced yearly, where they drain it and there is a rod that should be replaced every 2 years, not sure what it is called.

[gcvt]

^ Anode rod.

https://www.familyhandyman.com/plumb...the-anode-rod/

[WVREDLEG]

Tankless. Worth it.

[Hal Roach]

I think if you activate the pressure relief valve every year, and drain every two years, you would be fine. The 15 year old one I replaced in Bullhead City was still working good, but just a 30 g.. had a 50 dollars off at sears and got one for 90 bucks.. but since the sealed ignites came about, they really went up.. 350-400. Depends on your water, too, but that water in bhc was very hard, with the usual telling me I needed a softener.

I now use tankless electric.. 80 bucks, Panasonic, 3500 watts, but the water comes out of the tap at 70+f all year, here. But if your space cost 200 dollars psf+, tankless is worth a look.

[longviewJoe]

I love our tankless as it saved a ton of space in garage which is now used to store more junk and it saves a few bucks on electricity... but it was several thousand more to buy/install so economically speaking maybe not worth it.

[RationalExpectations]

A tank style water heater is a simple machine, and it will last a VERY long time if you maintain it.

1. Attach a garden hose to the drain spigot, run it out to the street, and drain about 3 to 5 gallons of water about once per quarter. Why? Inside the tank, dissolved solids in the water (either hardness minerals or salt if you have a water softener) will precipitate out of solution and fall to the bottom of the tank, creating a fine layer of gunk that acts as a thermal insulator. The burner is outside the tank underneath it; that layer of insulation gunk inside the tank means the stainless steel tank will will be stressed more from thermal expansion than it would absent the gunk. When you drain 3 to 5 gallons, the interior cold water fill tube extends down to the bottom and then curves, so as you drain, the replacement fill water is "swirling" the gunk that eventually goes out through the hose rather than having that gunk solidify over time. Excess stress on the tank can lead to premature leaks. It is all about extending the life of the tank by eliminating potential precipitates that act as interior insulators on the bottom of the tank compared to higher up portions of the tank. There is no need to drain the tank; just a few gallons will do the job to get rid of any accumulated gunk. There is no value in draining past the initial few gallons. Once a quarter is ideal. Two or three times per year is OK. Once a year is better than nothing, but not ideal.

2. Change the sacrificial anode rod. The sacrificial anode rod is solid aluminum; its purpose is to degrade instead of the stainless steel of the tank degrading in the presence of water. It is designed to be sacrificed, hence its name. There are many factors regarding how long an anode rod will last, the most important being the local water chemistry. Here, a rod seems to last about 4-5 years. There is no harm in changing it more frequently, just as changing the oil in your car engine more frequently than recommended does no harm. Once the aluminum is full consumed, the stainless steel of the tank is next.

A side note: if you walk the water heater aisle at Home Depot or Lowe's, you'll typically see most water heaters come with, say, a 6 year warranty while a few more expensive units have a 12 year warranty. The only difference -- the ONLY difference -- is the 12 year warranty tanks have 2 sacrifical anode rods. A rod costs about 35 bucks at Standard Plumbing (in stock) or Home Depot Online (ship to store in a couple days).

www.waterheaterrescue.com

The City of Henderson does require a permit for water heater replacement, although many people don't get one. Make sure you do have properly installed earthquake straps and flexible pipe for water fill & supply, and flexible gas pipe for natural gas supply. Las Vegas area is considered seismically active.

[VonZimmer]

An ICE BOX is a simple machine, and will also last a LONG time. Ice man delivers, hook up a hose for drainage, 3-days later repeat.

BUT we have much better technology, and it's called a REFRIGERATOR.

Ditto on the 100-year old design tank water heater. We have better technology, and it's called a TANKLESS WATER HEATER.

I assume you don't drive a horse & buggy? Why then continue to use antiquated designs for appliances??

-von

[gcvt]

Originally Posted by Hal Roach

I now use tankless electric.. 80 bucks, Panasonic, 3500 watts, but the water comes out of the tap at 70+f all year, here. But if your space cost 200 dollars psf+, tankless is worth a look.

Is this normal?

As I continue to look at homes for sale, I notice most have traditional water heaters and no water softeners. A couple of my budget items are the cost of converting to a tankless water heater and having a water softener installed.