Do you maintain your water heater?

[General Tso]

This is the one appliance I never pay any attention to as far as cleaning, getting tuned up, etc. We've had our current one for 8 years.

 

[Moral]

The last time I flushed a water heater the drain valve became leaky. I had to put a little inline shut off valve on the drain of that to get it to stop leaking. I just went back neglecting them after that.

 

[ICWestfan]

I figure if I get 8-10 years out of a water heater, I'm doing good. I neglect this appliance.

 

[Rifler]

My position with water heaters has become, leave it alone and replace when necessary...

 

[Greenway4Prez]

Neglecting a water heater?? What kind of Neanderthal paradise have I stumbled into?!?!


(I don’t know shit about fǔck when it comes to water heaters)

 

[SeaPA]

We've been in our home for about 35 years. The one time I flushed it, something happened and a bunch of the lime deposit seeped into the line to the house, clogging it to the point I had to have a plumber cut out & replace a section of the line. Haven't messed with it since.

On our 2nd water heater in the 35 years of living here.

 

[HawkinK.C.1]

Replaced a gas model from 1985 a couple years ago. Never maintained it. There was no build up inside but I do have a softener. Not expecting the same longevity from its replacement.

 

[LuciousBDragon]

This is the one appliance I never pay any attention to as far as cleaning, getting tuned up, etc. We've had our current one for 8 years.

Where I live, the water is very hard so a water heater will degrade in about 7 years (even with water softener). My last water heater formed a leak in the base almost 7 years to the day from install.

 

[Obviously Oblivious]

The last time I flushed a water heater the drain valve became leaky. I had to put a little inline shut off valve on the drain of that to get it to stop leaking. I just went back neglecting them after that.

Same. I just leave it alone now.

 

[GES4]

This is the one appliance I never pay any attention to as far as cleaning, getting tuned up, etc. We've had our current one for 8 years.

Mine was installed 12/24/2007. I feel like Kramer and the gas tank.

 

[Lindemann]

Yes and no. I have replaced burned out elements and while doing so cleaned the sediment out of the bottom. I've also put an electric powered anode in a water heater as a replacement for the standard solid aluminum/zinc rod. Not sure how it worked, I sold the house a year after installing it.

Truth is, there's not a lot you can do extend the life of a standard steel WH. It's constantly being filled with water that has dissolved oxygen and minerals in it that over time corrode the tank. I've seen some newer water heaters made of fiberglass or a composite material that may last forever; IDK that much about them.

Interestingly, (or not) water heaters and boilers in closed loop heating systems rarely experience corrosion issues. There's no new water entering the system full of O2 or electrolytes to promote corrosion.

 

[CaboKP]

At my last house, I replaced the thermocouple one time. I did no actual maintenance. It gave up the day we were showing the house, so the new owner had a new water heater. It was an AO Smith and lasted from 93 to 2020.

 

[artradley]

Owned homes for the last 40 years and all I’ve ever done is replace a couple when they rusted out.

Current home has a tankless heater which I descale once every year or two.

 

[markfromj]

Mine was installed 12/24/2007. I feel like Kramer and the gas tank.

Just went on a hike with that actor (not Michael Richards) last week in LA.