How long does a water Heater last?
By Glenda Taylor and Bob Vila
What is the situation?The previous owners of the house told us that the water heater is six years old.Does that mean we have to replace it?How long does a water heating system last?
A.You might still get a few more years of service from it if it is still heating water sufficiently.Depending on the type of water heater, the quality of the unit, and how well it has been maintained, a water heaters useful life can vary.
The interior lining of the tank is protected by an anode rod that attracts corrosive particles to itself.When the rod is no longer able to do its job, the particles settle at the bottom of the water tank, where they destroy the lining.The water heater enters its final stage of life when it starts to get damaged.
These appliances do not work continuously to maintain a supply of hot water, and as a result, they last longer than their tank-style counterparts.Eventually, tankless water heaters will need to be replaced due to the fact that they don't use anode rods.
The serial number, which is a letter followed by a series of numbers, can be looked at if you can't find the documentation for your current appliance.The letter stands for the month and the next two numbers indicate the year it was made.January 2010 was when the serial number that leads with A10 was manufactured.If you have any doubts, you can confirm this on the company's website.
Before you get caught by surprise, start shopping for a replacement.
The service life of a water heater can be reduced by two or more years because of hard water.Water heaters located in crawl spaces, where the temperature drops significantly, have to work harder to heat the water, and they tend to wear out more quickly than units installed in a temperature-controlled house.Start looking for end-of-life warning signs earlier than the manufacturer recommends if either of those elements factor into your setup.