Gang-

Over the last 24 hours we've noticed a small but persistent stream of water coming from our 40 gallon electric water heater. Its not heavy enough that you can see it flowing with the naked eye, but what was essentially a dry floor at midnight last night now has a little stream of water...

Some observations:

1) Nothing else is leaking above this area and the only thing also in this area is our furnace, which hasn't been turned on since March...

2) I see no visible sign of water dripping from a valve of any kind...

3) We still have hot water and plenty of it...

4) There are two small access panels on the front face of this unit. I removed the upper one and found what looks to be a tempurature settings and some insulation, which was dry...

5) Removing the lower access panel reveals another tempurature setting and again some insulation...HOWEVER, THIS INSULATION IS WET TO THE TOUCH...

6) There is a faint "water running" sound we can hear from the unit...

7) Its a Rheam "Standard" Water heater, and runs about 58" tall...It was here when we bought the house 3 years ago the unit was estimated to be 10-15 years at least...

Ideas, comments?

Is it repairable?

Is it best to replace it?

Thanks!

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Bill in Dayton

[This message has been edited by Bill in Dayton (edited 09-20-2008).]

You need a new one. 10-12 years is now considered the average life-span for a waterheater. If yours is over 10 years and possibly close to 15 it should be replaced. Your tank is leaking on the bottom (one of the most common places that you find the leak on an aged water heater as well). Your tank is cracked or fractured. Repairing a 10-15 year old tank could cost as much as a new one.

We just replaced ours last year... Our unit lasted almost 20 freakin years (how I don't know, but according to the date installed it was nearly 20 years ago). They're not making them like that anymore though.

get a new one asap before winter sets in.

get a new one while you have a choice and before it's a late night service call to stop the flooding.

I agree with the responses here. In my area, anything approaching over 10 years is overdue, probably due to the heavy mineral content of the water. I have all the filters, etc, but ... about every 8 years or so I change my hot water heater.

I recomemend replacing it ASAP, because it can get a whole lot worse in a hurry.

AJ

Hot water tanks used to come with a 20 year guarantee. they now come with a 10 year guarantee.
Even in order to get the 10 years out of them they do require some maintainence.
annually drain them and flush out all the mineral rocks in the bottom, by hooking up a hose to the drain faucet.
Replace the Annode rod every year or so and even better is annualy. it is there to be eaten up by the electrolysis instead of the bottom of the tank. that rod is usually only about 10.00 and maybe 15 minutes to change it.
Bebop

Agree with the rest! Just replaced mine last year and it was 14 yrs old! I was told that I was lucky it lasted that long.
Whwn they were made out of copper they could last "Forever" but we all know what that would cost today!

UPDATE

UPDATE: Wife & I went to the neighborhood Lowe's (We live north of Dayton, OH) and scanned what they offered.

We wound up with a Whirlpool 50 gallon (up from 40 gls.) roughly 5 inches wider and 10 inches shorter, which is nice...
http://www.whirlpoolwaterheaters.com/products/electric/details.php?recordID=1243

12 yr. warranty, two 4500 watt elements, 20.7 Gallons per hour recovery, 3 inches of insulation and an energy factor of .95. (Not sure how good that is but its the highest rating they offered..)

Also features "Energy Smart" self diagnostic controls that basically power the unit down (not off) when our habits for hot water are low...Also has 4 presets or modes we can use...

Self cleaning...

The unit sells for $339.99 plus tax....We purchased one that was a floor model and got it for $283.91 out the door...So, we saved almost $50 bucks...

Seems like a good solid residential water heater that should be more efficient than our previous one, plus last a good long while...

How did we do?

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Bill in Dayton

[This message has been edited by Bill in Dayton (edited 09-20-2008).]

[This message has been edited by Bill in Dayton (edited 09-20-2008).]

'Ya Done Good!!!

NO doubt about it.

I had one fail on a Friday night. $800 later installed. I know I got screwed on that deal, but when you've got water all over the place.......you don't go shopping for price

Sorry bill just seen your post now,all you needed was a $2 gasket behind the element.My 33Gal water heater is from the early 70's and going strong.

Bill ... It may have been the gasket?? But considering the latest and greatest options you have with the unit you purchased and the price!!! "Ya "Still" Done Good!!!

[This message has been edited by JCkeeys (edited 09-21-2008).]

Update!

Installed the new water heater and once we had the old one removed, we could get a really good look at it. Turns out it was purchased/put in back in 1975. 28 years of service from a unit like that one isn't too shabby, is it?



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Bill in Dayton

A man after my own heart...

Best,
Mike

Bill
It's good to know I am not the only musician here in hot water. Congrats!
Eddie

28 years of service from a waterheater is 28 damn good years You'll never find one today that'll last that long. These things are slapped together so cheaply today (even the high-end ones).., because THEY ALL are using cheaper and lower quality parts imported from other countries. The gaskets are of poor quality.., metals used are weaker. Boy I miss the days when they built things to last.

Amen to that!

There is a term used as to why manufacturers make their products in the way they do. You've probably heard the term before: "planned obsolescence". Because technology is advancing in such a rapid fashion, products are mostly constructed in an inferior fashion because manufacturers realize in a few years down the road the technology will have advanced to such a degree as to make the former product(s) now obsolete.

Example: Tyros1/2 and the new Tyros3. The Tyros 1/2 has USB 1.1 whereas the Tyros3 now has USB 2.0. The Tyros1/2 may last for several years (or maybe not, you never really know really) but now that the Tyros3 has USB 2.0 it has now made the Tyros 1/2 obsolete when comparing them to the Tyros3 with its USB 2.0.

Inferior materials and parts are used on most all electronic products made today for essentially the same reason. That is, technology will have further advanced in such a way in just a few scant years that it makes most, if not all, of those electronic products made just a few short years ago obsolete in the process. And because manufacturers plan for this certain and obvious eventuality i.e. "technology advancing", lesser quality materials and parts are used and play a major role in this grand scheme. This way, manufacturers keep increasing their bottom line by continuing to make new products that will meet and supply the consumer's needs and demand for these new technological advancements. But since technology advances so rapidly, manufacturers actually have a dollar incentive to use inferior parts and materials since, in reality, they want you to continue to buy the "new" products that replace the obsolete products once the new product(s) comes out. And the cycle repeats itself over and over again every few years.

Fifty, forty or even thirty five years ago etc., products were made to last because technology was basically at a snails pace (when comparing to today), and therefore higher quality parts and materials were constructed and used so as to last a much longer time between the slower intervals in advancements of technology.

Best,
Mike


[This message has been edited by keybplayer (edited 09-23-2008).]

A product ( Keyboards included) is NOT obsolete...as long as it does for you the job you bought it for.

The reason the companys today build cheep crap is to make more money, beat the competition (a lot more of it today) and so you will need to buy a new one-not fix the old one (planned replacement).

A new one might be a little more efficient, new features etc...but if the old one still heats water...you don't need a new one...even though you might want one (T3, PA3XPRO, G80 etc.)

Digital cameras are a good example... I had a Nikon D80, then a D200, then a D300...did I really need more than the D80...NO, I wanted the newer camera so I bought it. The D80, was not obslete, there were just newer neater ones, The D80 still took great photos.

28 Years...WOW...Must have been make in the USA! Not China.

You installed it yourself...your my kind of guy! Bravo!

Lee