Tiger Titan [49755]

TigerPulse: 100%

Posts: 32181

Joined: 2015

What would you do in this situation

Dec 20, 2024, 10:05 AM

Our hot water heater has started leaking from somewhere. Not 100% sure where. I tink it's the connection going into the water heater but not sure.

Wife of is all "let's just go ahead and replace it"

Currently, it is sitting in an old hall closet since it was put there in 1994. It's the old gas kind with the pilot light. Doesn't take any kind of electricity to run so when we lose power we still have hot water. Here are our options:

1. Replace with exact same kind.

Pros: Don't need a generator for it when the power goes out. $600 out the door. No rerunning lines.
Cons: Still don't have an old hall closet.

2. Replace with a fancier more efficient one

Pros: No rerunning lines. More efficient.
Cons: A little pricier. Would need generator power in an outage.

3. Replace and move the location with a tankless hot water heater

Pros: Get the closet back. Unlimited hot water.
Cons: More expensive. Would be on the exterior wall between bedrooms so not sure on how loud they are. Would have to rerun water lines and the gas line. Would have to crawl under the house. And draws a lot of wattage when the power is out.

What do jounge?

fyt

flag link

military_tech

thumb_down

thumb_up

I like your funny words magic man

tl;dr: if you have time, upgrade to tankless. if it's out (and it's as cold there as here) just replace with like model.

Not everything is apples to apples in our situation...the fact yours is from 1994 (if I read that right) is crazy haha. The location mine was in (the garage) made it super easy. Idk if I got swindled - don't really care b/c I like this guy and his company - but I opted to get a "commerical" unit instead of whatever I could've bought at Home Depot.

But I just replaced with a like model. Easy Peasy.

I wanted a tankless, but I woulda needed more gas too. He said I'd need a Permit, said out.

I still won't need a generator in a power outage...what type of upgrade would you need that if it's gas? Sorry for the dumb question, didn't research it much as mine was (literally as I was driving back from the airport after a work trip)...

Wife: hey we don't have any hot water.

Me: Ok I'll look when I get home.

Get home, pilot light is out. relight. get error message that control valve is busted. eff. turned it off.

Call my guy next morning tell him what's up...said it'll be $1k - $1.5k to replace the whole valve and unit whatever, replace was $3k. Said sold on a new one if you can get me one today. Installed that night.

What would you do in this situation

My recommendation at this point would be

^^ This seems like a reasonable compromise ^^***

Re: What would you do in this situation

Been there***

to piggy back here...

That's where you're wrong. I have been sold on the power of PEX

If the water is already hot, why do you need a heater for it?

Re: If the water is already hot, why do you need a heater for it?

Pro Tip: 3 Steps.

Sold all the copper in the house, now what?***

some questions

4 in the house. Daughter of likes her water close to "pits of hell" temp

Also, my house has always been the house for showers when hurricanes come

I just did this

I replaced my gas WH with same a couple years ago. Was pretty easy to do

It's from 1994. I'm scared to drain it and clean the sediment because

Tankless won't help you without a generator in a power outage.***

That's my delimma

It's probably <5 amp draw. You're powering a theromstat

Qualifying queshion. How many dumps does your wife take each day

And did she happen to cut her finger while shaving this morning?***

3

Re: What would you do in this situation

Replace with the same thing.

We went tankless when we built the bar

Not if you install it yourself***

This feels like the equivalent of you asking:

I'd throw the breaker,...

TigerBoard POTD