water heater question

[fishin'lunatic]

Good morning fishingtx. When we built our house in 1992, we installed a Cimarron made by Rheem water heater. We are closing in on 20 years and the water heater is still working good, but I want to replace it, before I come home and find water everywhere.
And as usual, they do not make that model anymore. I mean why should they, they last too long. They do make a Richmond by Rheem, but I am not impressed with reviews I have read. Like 6 bad, to 1 good.
So here is what I got. I live out in the country, use well water which is heavy. I have a whole house filter on my well to cut down on mineral deposits. It is a 30 gallon electric water heater. What would you use? thanks.

[Bill Barrick]

The only help that I can suggest is to put a substantial drain pan under a water heater in the event it rusts through. Of course hook up the drain line to the outside,Huh
That Cimmarron sure did you a good service. It would be neat if you knew the actual time that it would quit, but alas, it is already overdue.

[Gentleben]

hey bro use it til it quits' don't fix it if it ain't broke:captain:

[Snapshot]

Joel, there are some instant heat systems that might be worth looking into. I believe they hook up to your system and you don't have to wait for the hot water to run through the house to get to your water supply faucet. Wish I could remember what they are called but I wanted to put on in my kitchen and the wife vetoed it. Now she wished she had done it. Check it out and don't rush into any one system. Good luck. Will this keep you off the water for a week or so?

[tylerdan]

The "instant heat" or "tankless water heaters" do not work well in water with lots of minerals. As they heat the water, the scale builds up on the heating elements.

If you are electric and have a lot of minerals in your water, get a model that flushes the deposits out, I think they call them self-cleaning or something like that. Basically, the cold water inflow is curved at the bottom of the tank to stir up newly formed sediment and make it flow out with the hot water.

[Snapshot]

Thanks Tylerdan for providing the tanksless and instant water heater info. Joel mentions that he has the complete house water filtered from the well. That could make the difference with the tankless water heater systems.

Joel, it may be worth checking it out anyway.

[Red3Fish]

For the past 30 yrs I have bought, remodled, rented and sold houses. I have probably installed something like 15 or so HW heaters. IMHO it is a cra-p shoot with how long they last. Most will last 10 yrs, some 12-15, and a few just keep on going, like 20 yrs or so.

Brand, or how much you pay for them doesn't seem to matter, in my experience. The idiot that started installing them in the attics, ought to be shot!! OR at least run the drain hose from the overflow pan, out to the front of the house where a person could see if they drip every day, but no, they will run them to the side or back of the house????

I haven't installed one in a while, but that self cleaning thing might be worth looking at. Other than that, research them and take your best guess!!

Later
R3F

[tylerdan]

One other thought in case you have not changed water heaters before -- Before taking it out, unplug it first, then drain it before you try to move it. Hook a water hose to the drain, open the drain, open a hot side of a faucet, then disconnect the pipes. After you disconnect the pipes, let it drain till it empties. Sometimes they pull a vacuum and don't completely drain till you cut the hot pipe.

After you get the new one installed and plumbed, let it fill to the top before you plug it back in or you can damage the top electrode. As it fills, open the hot side of a faucet to let the air out as it fills so you don't get an air bubble in the top.