If you had a gas water heater

[dncdawg]

that looks to be in good shape, works well, no rust, no leaks, no maintenance to speak of in the last 10ish years, but it was about to turn 28 years old, would you go ahead and replace it?

Asking for a friend.

[ugafan49]

Great ? im asking myself the same, mine is an electric, 25 yrs old. imma thinking yes, before Easter when we will have a whole house full of company.

[Jettdog]

that looks to be in good shape, works well, no rust, no leaks, no maintenance to speak of in the last 10ish years, but it was about to turn 28 years old, would you go ahead and replace it?

Asking for a friend.

I'd wait till it crapped out

[dncdawg]

that looks to be in good shape, works well, no rust, no leaks, no maintenance to speak of in the last 10ish years, but it was about to turn 28 years old, would you go ahead and replace it?

Asking for a friend.

I'd wait till it crapped out

Goes against my nature, but part of me really wants to see how far it can make it.  

Hardwoods in the basement have me worried about it.  I've had a water detector alarm under it for about 5 or 6 years.  

I doubt the anode rod has ever been replaced.  It's a Kenmore with some kind of "flushing technology" so maybe that has helped it have such a long life.  I figure if I replace it, I might get 10 years out of a new one.  They don't make anything like they used to.

[JC-DAWG83]

No. It will start acting up before it totally dies. If it is sitting in a pan of some sort you will see a little water in the pan when it begins to leak. Is the water heater sitting on hardwood? That would seem to be unusual. The pilot light might start going out if there is a leak that puts it out and you won't have hot water. It is very rare for a water heater tank to fail catastrophically without warning.

I would wait until I saw some sign of failure before I replaced it. New ones are more efficient but don't last nearly as long.

[dncdawg]

No.  It will start acting up before it totally dies.  If it is sitting in a pan of some sort you will see a little water in the pan when it begins to leak.  Is the water heater sitting on hardwood?  That would seem to be unusual.  The pilot light might start going out if there is a leak that puts it out and you won't have hot water.  It is very rare for a water heater tank to fail catastrophically without warning.

I would wait until I saw some sign of failure before I replaced it.  New ones are more efficient but don't last nearly as long.

There's no pan.  I don't think they were code when the house was built.  It is on a stand over concrete, but it's in a closet like area and outside the closet is hardwood.

Good think is, I can see it from all the way around, so if there's any sign of leaks or anything, it will be easy to spot.  I've only seen an electric water heater fail in my lifetime and it scared the shit out of me.  it started bouncing up and down.  I pulled the pop off valve.  I was probably 13.

[JC-DAWG83]

No.  It will start acting up before it totally dies.  If it is sitting in a pan of some sort you will see a little water in the pan when it begins to leak.  Is the water heater sitting on hardwood?  That would seem to be unusual.  The pilot light might start going out if there is a leak that puts it out and you won't have hot water.  It is very rare for a water heater tank to fail catastrophically without warning.

I would wait until I saw some sign of failure before I replaced it.  New ones are more efficient but don't last nearly as long.

There's no pan.  I don't think they were code when the house was built.  It is on a stand over concrete, but it's in a closet like area and outside the closet is hardwood.

Good think is, I can see it from all the way around, so if there's any sign of leaks or anything, it will be easy to spot.  I've only seen an electric water heater fail in my lifetime and it scared the shit out of me.  it started bouncing up and down.  I pulled the pop off valve.  I was probably 13.

I've only seen one water heater really "fail" and it was in a rental house so who knows how long it had been leaking before it really failed?  The tenant didn't call until there was water running out of the laundry room into the kitchen but she said she had noticed water on the laundry room floor for a while but thought the washing machine was leaking.  The other gas water heaters I've replaced all quit heating the water before they leaked.  I bet your water heater's anode is about six inches long now.

[ToccoaDog]

The one in my mother in law’s house was close to 45 years old when we sold the house

[dncdawg]

No.  It will start acting up before it totally dies.  If it is sitting in a pan of some sort you will see a little water in the pan when it begins to leak.  Is the water heater sitting on hardwood?  That would seem to be unusual.  The pilot light might start going out if there is a leak that puts it out and you won't have hot water.  It is very rare for a water heater tank to fail catastrophically without warning.

I would wait until I saw some sign of failure before I replaced it.  New ones are more efficient but don't last nearly as long.

There's no pan.  I don't think they were code when the house was built.  It is on a stand over concrete, but it's in a closet like area and outside the closet is hardwood.

Good think is, I can see it from all the way around, so if there's any sign of leaks or anything, it will be easy to spot.  I've only seen an electric water heater fail in my lifetime and it scared the shit out of me.  it started bouncing up and down.  I pulled the pop off valve.  I was probably 13.

I've only seen one water heater really "fail" and it was in a rental house so who knows how long it had been leaking before it really failed?  The tenant didn't call until there was water running out of the laundry room into the kitchen but she said she had noticed water on the laundry room floor for a while but thought the washing machine was leaking.  The other gas water heaters I've replaced all quit heating the water before they leaked.  I bet your water heater's anode is about six inches long now.

Lol.  I've thought about changing it, but I know as soon as I do, the damn thing will quit.

[11B1SG(RET)Dawg]

that looks to be in good shape, works well, no rust, no leaks, no maintenance to speak of in the last 10ish years, but it was about to turn 28 years old, would you go ahead and replace it?

Asking for a friend.

You may flush it good and put a new heating element in it and get ten more year out of it.  However, we all know, that when it goes it will go at the worst possible time!!!  I hope yours' isn't in the attic like mine was in Texas!!  What a mess that was!!  Pure stupidity.

[Rogasingingdawg]

As my son and I replaced my 60 gallon electric water heater in under 2 hours including driving to Lowes and buying a new one and a couple of flex pipe connectors in 2016, I'd would not replace mine before it craps out.

As we do have lots of lime in our water in Walker County, I do have to drain and flush it every year or so. That's what killed my old water heater that was about 20 years old. I didn't flush that one and it had lime in the tank above the bottom heating element, about 14 inches deep.

[FeralDawg]

As my son and I replaced my 60 gallon electric water heater in under 2 hours including driving to Lowes and buying a new one and a couple of flex pipe connectors in 2016, I'd would not replace mine before it craps out.

As we do have lots of lime in our water in Walker County, I do have to drain and flush it every year or so.  That's what killed my old water heater that was about 20 years old.  I didn't flush that one and it had lime in the tank above the bottom heating element, about 14 inches deep.

Flushing and replacing the sacrificial rod goes a long way.

[redpantsdawg]

Speaking as someone that had a hot water heater croak on Thanksgiving Day about 25 years ago, I will always replace it before it happens.  It showed signs it was getting older (wouldn't heat as fast, hot water production was down, etc.) but I thought I could get away with keeping it until the new year.  It might cost me a little bit more but I replace it on my terms instead of needing to find a plumber on Thanksgiving or coming up with the money.  I also use a device called a Sediment Buster to bleed and flush the tank once a year.

[dncdawg]

Thanks fellers. I might go ahead and flush it and replace the anode rod, just to see how long it can make it. I've been thinking about doing it anyway.

[Smokindawg]

Never have Never will

[Dymwit]

Tankless, if you have a few people in the house.

[McDonoughDawg]

Don’t bandaid this thing..bring in the dozer, level the place and rebuild…

[gulfportdawg]

that looks to be in good shape, works well, no rust, no leaks, no maintenance to speak of in the last 10ish years, but it was about to turn 28 years old, would you go ahead and replace it?

Asking for a friend.

I would replace it.

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Tankless, if you have a few people in the house.

Agree...

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that looks to be in good shape, works well, no rust, no leaks, no maintenance to speak of in the last 10ish years, but it was about to turn 28 years old, would you go ahead and replace it?

Asking for a friend.

I'd wait till it crapped out

Goes against my nature, but part of me really wants to see how far it can make it.  

Hardwoods in the basement have me worried about it.  I've had a water detector alarm under it for about 5 or 6 years.  

I doubt the anode rod has ever been replaced.  It's a Kenmore with some kind of "flushing technology" so maybe that has helped it have such a long life.  I figure if I replace it, I might get 10 years out of a new one.  They don't make anything like they used to.

I bet that anode is long gone.

[Punkin14]

Have had many crap out at the worst times in a few rentals I used to have.  Hot redhade single momma with two kids didn’t know what she was gonna do without hot water for six hours while my guy got a new replacement.  Don’t miss that at all.  My new build starting this year is tankless gas, but it’s just two of us so should be fine.

[Beatledawg]

Just don't ever leave home for any extended period of time, without shutting off your water. A broken water heater can ruin your year.