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Hot Water heater life expectancy

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steve from staten island

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Any opinions on the life span of a indirect fired hot water heater. I believe it had a minimum 20 year warranty, but i think it was installed in early nineties possibly end of the eighties. Ive read they can go thirty years easily but im wondering what fails first, the shell or coil inside. Thanks
 
If you have had it since then, you are doing good! Most I believe only go about 15 to 20 years because people don't service their heater, like flushing it out once a year to get any sediment out of the bottom of the tank, or replace the anode rod which is designed to corrode and keep the tank from rusting.
 
What kind is it Steve? I install lots of them and am very familiar with each type.
 
I'm going on 36 years. I never flush it because nothing ever comes out of it. I suspect that is because I have a water softener. I also attribute it's longevity to the water softener. That said, mine is direct fired, not indirect.
 
If you are concerned you can hydro it to 200 lb and if no trouble you are good for 5 years then test again
as these are built with many grades of stainless and some steel and glass
The PH of your water has more to do with its life
 
Ranger16 said:
I'm going on 36 years. I never flush it because nothing ever comes out of it. I suspect that is because I have a water softener. I also attribute it's longevity to the water softener. That said, mine is direct fired, not indirect.
Click to expand...
WOW!! For a conventional direct fired hot water heater that has to be a record. Is it gas/oil fired or electric?
 
steve from staten island said:
Its a "superstor" sixty gallon. Its got to be close to or at thirty years now and thanks.
Click to expand...
The Super Stor started out without the lifetime warranty which is what I suspect yours is. As you know, they are made of stainless with a cuprinol coil that was braised into the tank. They do last a long time and when they go, they rarely will cause a flood. In my experience, they always start with a small wet spot and I've seen them go like that for years. Their Achilles heel is actually the aquastat well and you can sometimes change it out.

I wouldn't worry about it at all, keep enjoying what you have and put your money in your Mopar. LOL
 
The natural gas fired water heater in dads house is the same one when he moved in '79. We have had a backup unit on standby for 5 years.
 
I wonder the same thing about mattresses. Just when and how do they expire??

I guess it's a tough selling decision at the outset. --This will last a lifetime but we do hope it's not your lifetime.:D
 
Wow - 36 years!! I had my last one for about 15 and I thought that was great. We have very hard water here in SoCal and it eats thru the shell. I think that's what causes them to go here. My neighbors only got about 7 years out of his and they have a water softener.
 
Talk about WOW. I have a 48 year old dodge coronet and it still runs like new.
It has had an easy life and was taken care of.:)
 
Sonny had an AO **** water heater with a 1 yr warranty .....1 year and 5 days "it" started leaking......
long story .. (made short)
I called them, I wrote to them, & called the store.....

I was "Out of Luck":wtf::(....they would NOT do a thing about it.

maybe
they should have given me a pro rated new one.....and save someone like me NOT writing this post......
I now have a rheem water heater
 
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