Things to Keep in Mind When It Comes to Your Water Heater 

The water heater is probably the most underrated appliance in your home. Think about it – without your water heater, you don’t have any of the following: 

• Hot showers 
• Warm baths 
• Disinfected dishes 
• Disinfected towels and sheets 

• Hot water, period. 

Given the importance of the water heater, do you really know much about it? We’re here to provide a few things to remember when it comes to maintaining, servicing, and replacing your water heater. 

The usual lifespan of residential water heaters is between ten and twelve years. 

Natural gas and electric water heaters will typically last about a decade before you need to look into replacing the appliance. If you are not sure what age your water heater is, the date the system was manufactured will be reflected in the serial number which is located on the identification tag on the water heater tank. 

Aging water heaters are nothing to mess around with. A water heater that is ten years or older is at greater risk of producing a leak and leading to water damage to your home. If your water heater is in your attic or above the first floor, the potential for catastrophic damage rises. Always have your water heater maintenance annually to avoid any leaks from damaging your home. 

The most usual failure of residential water heaters that will entail replacement is a leaking tank. 

It is a good idea to have your installer place the water heater in a drain pan with piping that allows the pan to drain to the outside of your home and lower the possibility of water damage. Each water heater should have a functional and accessible cut-off valve on the inlet water supply to the tank, and a ball-type valve on the gas supply. For electric water heaters, an electrical disconnect should be located nearby. 

If a water heater is “undersized,” particularly a gas water heater, the system will fail in a shorter period of time. 

When a gas water heater is regularly emptied of hot water due to heavy hot water usage, the gas burner fires more frequently which can create heavy condensation on the tank exterior. The condensation can cause more expeditious deterioration of the steel tank. Additionally, the extreme heat from the gas burner on the bottom of the water heater tank can also take its toll on the glass lining on the interior of the tank, which reduces the life expectancy of the water heater. 

Water Heater sizing is an important replacement consideration. 

All water heaters are under pressure from the water supply, and as water is heated, it grows creating even more pressure. When considering replacement of a water heater, it’s generally better to go with a larger 50 gallon tank, rather than a 30 or 40 gallon tank, providing the location will accept the larger size. The larger tank will also give you more hot water capacity.