new water heater

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jsdspif
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new water heater

#1

Post by jsdspif »

Since I'm logged in. I just called my furnace a.c. guy about a new water heater. Mines 37 years old (gas) and it's never given me problems but for about a year now sometimes for a day or 2 the water will have a black tint to it,like there's carbon in it. Cold water runs clear so it's from the water heater. Now about a week ago the water coming out is quite brown and dirty looking enough i don't really like using it for anything except for the fact I like hot water for some stuff. I thought maybe it would clear up but the week or so that has passed it hasn't cleared up much. Don't know if sediment just broke loose or if something is rusting out? I figure 37 years with no problems I got my money's worth,especially since I didn't pay for it,well,I guess i kind of paid for it,it was in the house when I bought it,that was about 22 years ago. the first 15 years of it's life it was water from the well,no filters,no softener (I installed those when I moved in) and the well water here is pretty dirty.I thought maybe the point on my well was bad when I moved in but the neighbor next door said that's just how the ground water here is,"it's pretty shitty".
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Animal
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Re: new water heater

#2

Post by Animal »

have you tried hooking a garden hose up to the drain and draining it out to see what kind of sediment has built up in the bottom?
Antknot
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Re: new water heater

#3

Post by Antknot »

It’s rusting on the inside. Look close you may see a leak. It will start to leak soon. So changing it out now is a good thing. The laws had changed here when I had to replace mine. Had to add an expansion tank to the inlet line.
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Re: new water heater

#4

Post by jsdspif »

I know it must have alot of buildup. I have 2 whole house filters i guess they're 10 inch long filters,first one is just for sediment,the one I just put in is the cotton string kind and then a carbon block for taste and odor and then the softener. After about 3 months my pressure at taps drops from all the shit in the filter. Just alot of sand and silt and just alot of brown crap. So for the first 15 years of use it was being fed that untreated water. At the time it was a grandma,her daughter and after the first few years the daughter had a son so 3 people using hot water. When I moved in water would barely flow from the faucets,the aerators were all full of stuff,actually the buildup was in the faucet also. Like they never took the aerators off. The washing machine pretty much wouldn't fill with water because it had screens on I guess it's mixing valve and that was full of crap. Toilet valve was plugged with it. I too think it's started to rust inside
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Animal
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Re: new water heater

#5

Post by Animal »

i agree with replacing it. you don't want a busted water heater. consider yourself lucky to have done it before it leaked.
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Re: new water heater

#6

Post by rule34 »

Probably full of sediment, get some strong backs to carry it out.
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Charliesheen
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Re: new water heater

#7

Post by Charliesheen »

The expansion tank prolongs the life of the heater, right?
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Zerobeat
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Re: new water heater

#8

Post by Zerobeat »

Anode rod is probably rotted away. It's recommended to change them every couple of years, but hardly anyone does. It could be the source of both issues, but much like big hair and acid-washed jeans, that relic of the '80's needs to be sent to pasture.
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Re: new water heater

#9

Post by saltydog »

37 years is more than enough for almost anything.
The problem is not that there is evil in the world, the problem is that there is good. Because otherwise, who would care?
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Animal
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Re: new water heater

#10

Post by Animal »

saltydog wrote: Mon Apr 18, 2022 11:09 pm 37 years is more than enough for almost anything.
the manufacturer might be interested in documenting it for their brochures as a real life testiment to their longevity.
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Re: new water heater

#11

Post by Antknot »

Animal wrote: Mon Apr 18, 2022 11:46 pm
saltydog wrote: Mon Apr 18, 2022 11:09 pm 37 years is more than enough for almost anything.
the manufacturer might be interested in documenting it for their brochures as a real life testiment to their longevity.
Bet the mfg is out of business cause of poor repeat buys
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Re: new water heater

#12

Post by Animal »

Antknot wrote: Tue Apr 19, 2022 12:27 am
Animal wrote: Mon Apr 18, 2022 11:46 pm
saltydog wrote: Mon Apr 18, 2022 11:09 pm 37 years is more than enough for almost anything.
the manufacturer might be interested in documenting it for their brochures as a real life testiment to their longevity.
Bet the mfg is out of business cause of poor repeat buys
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Re: new water heater

#13

Post by Whackov »

saltydog wrote: Mon Apr 18, 2022 11:09 pm 37 years is more than enough for almost anything.
Damn. My 38th anniversary is just around the corner. I’m a year overdue.
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Re: new water heater

#14

Post by Charliesheen »

Animal wrote: Tue Apr 19, 2022 1:32 am
Antknot wrote: Tue Apr 19, 2022 12:27 am
Animal wrote: Mon Apr 18, 2022 11:46 pm
saltydog wrote: Mon Apr 18, 2022 11:09 pm 37 years is more than enough for almost anything.
the manufacturer might be interested in documenting it for their brochures as a real life testiment to their longevity.
Bet the mfg is out of business cause of poor repeat buys
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Lulz

What a reference
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Re: new water heater

#15

Post by rule34 »

Whackov wrote: Tue Apr 19, 2022 2:15 am
saltydog wrote: Mon Apr 18, 2022 11:09 pm 37 years is more than enough for almost anything.
Damn. My 38th anniversary is just around the corner. I’m a year overdue.
I'm way past my expiration date.
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jsdspif
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Re: new water heater

#16

Post by jsdspif »

I found some posts online and ruud seems to be a long lasting water heater,as in 40,47,53 years etc.etc. I got my quote 1900 installed 40 gallon natural gas vents out thru the furnace sheet metal thru the roof,same setup I have now. Roughly 700 for the heater 1200 labor. I thought that sounded high but 2 guys 6 hours at 100 an hour = 1200. I can't do it myself and wouldn't really want to. Something goes a little wrong and rheem probably wouldn't honor warranty,something goes really wrong and my house blows up home owners won't cover that. One thing I thought about is why don't they put a valve on the intake pipe of the heater,then if the heater ever did spring a leak you could turn it off and close the intake valve and then still have water for the rest of your house? I've never seen that but my sister did a test of her safety valve and it then leaked so she had to shut the water off to the whole house. I think then the tank got broke because they couldn't get the valve out to replace it.
I tried replacing my anode rod years ago but couldn't get it loose and didn't want to risk damaging the heater,so I said hell with it.
I saw many posts of people saying the new water heaters only last about 7 years? I hope that's not the case. I suppose some of it is what water is going into it.
Another thing is this guy is a friend of mine and he has been to my house twice,after hours on a friday night (he does live only 2 miles away) one time was the relay on my ac fried so he came and installed a new one no charge. It wasn't under warranty he just said it shouldn't happen,then another time my thermostat went bad so ac wouldn't turn on,he installed new thermostat,again not under warranty,no charge" thermostats only about 10 years old,it shouldn't go bad". So I figured those calls would have probably been $200 or more from most places. I offered the guy cash off the books both times and he said no,"keep me in mind when you need something" so I don't feel quite so bad buying from him.
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Zerobeat
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Re: new water heater

#17

Post by Zerobeat »

Water heaters should have a shutoff valve on the supply line. $1200 isn't too bad for the change-out, but if you have a reasonably handy friend/family member, it's an easy afternoon job. Rheem will warrant the parts, regardless of who installed it, they know which models are sold through home improvement stores.
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Re: new water heater

#18

Post by peterosehaircut »

Zerobeat wrote: Wed Apr 20, 2022 1:10 pm Water heaters should have a shutoff valve on the supply line. $1200 isn't too bad for the change-out, but if you have a reasonably handy friend/family member, it's an easy afternoon job. Rheem will warrant the parts, regardless of who installed it, they know which models are sold through home improvement stores.
I installed our new one myself.......twice.
Had the original new one completely plumbed in before I noticed the wife had brought home a natural gas one, we are on propane. :(
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Re: new water heater

#19

Post by crash273 »

Just a FYI if you have a water softener you are supposed to remove the annode rod from the water heater before use. Since yours is that old I am 99% sure it's been gone a long time ago.
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Re: new water heater

#20

Post by Zerobeat »

crash273 wrote: Thu Apr 21, 2022 11:25 am Just a FYI if you have a water softener you are supposed to remove the annode rod from the water heater before use. Since yours is that old I am 99% sure it's been gone a long time ago.
That's not true at all. If anything, you should be inspecting and replacing it more frequently. You should also.have the water analyzed to determine which metal your anode should be.
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Re: new water heater

#21

Post by jsdspif »

Yeah,i didn't agree with the remove the anode either,but then I thought may have just been a typing /thought error. I found several search results stating magnesium rod is best if using soft water. I tried to get mine out of my water heater years ago and couldn't get the fitting loose and wasn't sure how hard I could try to get it loose so I gave up. With the new heater I'm going to have them take the anode out and put it back in with some anti seize ( or whatever they use) to hopefully avoid having it get "corroded" /seized over time,and do this before they install it. With my sisters heater something broke when the repairman tried to remove her anode and she had to get a new heater.
I mentioned to the sales guy I wish i had a helper because I may just do it myself and he said for the rheem warranty to be valid it has to be installed by a licensed technician.
I spoke to a friend of mine about the price and he actually thought it wasn't too bad. He just said "I'm not going to tell you how much the one I had installed in Florida cost". He's the tightwad that spent 3 and a half hours making a 63 cent nut,and he lives about 1 minute from ace hardware where I priced the nut.
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Re: new water heater

#22

Post by Zerobeat »

jsdspif wrote: Fri Apr 22, 2022 1:08 pm Yeah,i didn't agree with the remove the anode either,but then I thought may have just been a typing /thought error. I found several search results stating magnesium rod is best if using soft water. I tried to get mine out of my water heater years ago and couldn't get the fitting loose and wasn't sure how hard I could try to get it loose so I gave up. With the new heater I'm going to have them take the anode out and put it back in with some anti seize ( or whatever they use) to hopefully avoid having it get "corroded" /seized over time,and do this before they install it. With my sisters heater something broke when the repairman tried to remove her anode and she had to get a new heater.
I mentioned to the sales guy I wish i had a helper because I may just do it myself and he said for the rheem warranty to be valid it has to be installed by a licensed technician.
I spoke to a friend of mine about the price and he actually thought it wasn't too bad. He just said "I'm not going to tell you how much the one I had installed in Florida cost". He's the tightwad that spent 3 and a half hours making a 63 cent nut,and he lives about 1 minute from ace hardware where I priced the nut.
The install does not have to be performed by a licensed technician for the warranty to be valid. The only time this comes into play is if you are trying to claim a warranty labor allowance. Read the warranty, and it's pretty well spelled out. However, if your local code authority having jurisdiction requires a licensed technician to install (ie: no homeowners installs permitted), that is a different story. Either way, make sure you register the tank with Rheem, and keep a copy of the receipt for the duration of the warranty period.
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Re: new water heater

#23

Post by Animal »

Zerobeat wrote: Sat Apr 23, 2022 1:28 am
jsdspif wrote: Fri Apr 22, 2022 1:08 pm Yeah,i didn't agree with the remove the anode either,but then I thought may have just been a typing /thought error. I found several search results stating magnesium rod is best if using soft water. I tried to get mine out of my water heater years ago and couldn't get the fitting loose and wasn't sure how hard I could try to get it loose so I gave up. With the new heater I'm going to have them take the anode out and put it back in with some anti seize ( or whatever they use) to hopefully avoid having it get "corroded" /seized over time,and do this before they install it. With my sisters heater something broke when the repairman tried to remove her anode and she had to get a new heater.
I mentioned to the sales guy I wish i had a helper because I may just do it myself and he said for the rheem warranty to be valid it has to be installed by a licensed technician.
I spoke to a friend of mine about the price and he actually thought it wasn't too bad. He just said "I'm not going to tell you how much the one I had installed in Florida cost". He's the tightwad that spent 3 and a half hours making a 63 cent nut,and he lives about 1 minute from ace hardware where I priced the nut.
The install does not have to be performed by a licensed technician for the warranty to be valid. The only time this comes into play is if you are trying to claim a warranty labor allowance. Read the warranty, and it's pretty well spelled out. However, if your local code authority having jurisdiction requires a licensed technician to install (ie: no homeowners installs permitted), that is a different story. Either way, make sure you register the tank with Rheem, and keep a copy of the receipt for the duration of the warranty period.
if you ask an "installer" they will always tell you that you have to hire an installer to do it in order to get the warranty. That's the first thing they learn to do.
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Zerobeat
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Re: new water heater

#24

Post by Zerobeat »

Animal wrote: Sat Apr 23, 2022 1:30 am
Zerobeat wrote: Sat Apr 23, 2022 1:28 am
jsdspif wrote: Fri Apr 22, 2022 1:08 pm Yeah,i didn't agree with the remove the anode either,but then I thought may have just been a typing /thought error. I found several search results stating magnesium rod is best if using soft water. I tried to get mine out of my water heater years ago and couldn't get the fitting loose and wasn't sure how hard I could try to get it loose so I gave up. With the new heater I'm going to have them take the anode out and put it back in with some anti seize ( or whatever they use) to hopefully avoid having it get "corroded" /seized over time,and do this before they install it. With my sisters heater something broke when the repairman tried to remove her anode and she had to get a new heater.
I mentioned to the sales guy I wish i had a helper because I may just do it myself and he said for the rheem warranty to be valid it has to be installed by a licensed technician.
I spoke to a friend of mine about the price and he actually thought it wasn't too bad. He just said "I'm not going to tell you how much the one I had installed in Florida cost". He's the tightwad that spent 3 and a half hours making a 63 cent nut,and he lives about 1 minute from ace hardware where I priced the nut.
The install does not have to be performed by a licensed technician for the warranty to be valid. The only time this comes into play is if you are trying to claim a warranty labor allowance. Read the warranty, and it's pretty well spelled out. However, if your local code authority having jurisdiction requires a licensed technician to install (ie: no homeowners installs permitted), that is a different story. Either way, make sure you register the tank with Rheem, and keep a copy of the receipt for the duration of the warranty period.
if you ask an "installer" they will always tell you that you have to hire an installer to do it in order to get the warranty. That's the first thing they learn to do.
Exactly. I've been in the mechanical trades for a few years now, and can spot a "sales tech" a mile away.

I should probably clarify, the warranty labor allowance refers to the labor to complete the repair/replacement only. Fix it yourself? No labor allowance. Have a licensed tech repair it? Send your repair invoice in, we'll think about it.
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