Warrantees on Water Heaters

[tlcruiser1]

Thermo couples and power piles are universal and readily available......even Crappy tire and Home Hardware sell them for 12 bucks so your post does not make sense. The only explanation I can come up with in your instance is that your tank had no thermo couple but instead had an electronic ignition module that went, not a thermo couple. In that situation, you should have asked for a universal ignition module to replace your brand model that was discontinued. Honeywell makes them and they cost about 40 bucks. Too bad the help you got at Andrew Sheret was lacking that day. Most of the guys in there are just excellent.[/quote]


My heater had a stupid left hand thread setup so I could not buy this thermocouple. I had to buy the full match from the burner to the gas control module... believe me I looked into doing this the best way/cheapest possible.

[hobbyguy]

Worth having a look at this: http://www.waterheaterrescue.com/pages/WHRpages/English/Longevity/water-heater-anodes.html

Pay special attention to the section about water softeners.

Hot water tanks will last a long time if these anodes are replaced. I'd bet the warranty probably kind of assumes that you won't change the anode, and anodes seem to last about about 5 yrs without a softener.

Ever had a plumber/installer tell you to check these? Not me.

And don't let the installer "box you in", like mine did. I didn't realize it, but the tank I bought has a "combination outlet nipple and anode". The manual says I should check this for condition every 2 years (annually if you have a softener). The installer didn't put in a union, piped it rigid, so there is no way to remove the nipple/anode for inspection.

There's no reason a HW tank won't last 20+ years if you look after the anodes. Keep the bills for anodes in the manual pocket though, as if you ever go to sell you house an inspector will only look at the age, not if it has been looked after.

[theseeker]

Well I'm glad I got a positive response from most people [except kgcayenne] thought I should of minded my own side of the fence. I as well know that some contractors are not so forth coming with information to their customers and are told just to make a sale, like I said some contractors. So forgive me kg that some of us care.

[kgcayenne]

Sorry, theseeker, I live in a strata complex and would be absolutely IRATE if someone were chatting it up with a service contractor about something going on 'inside' my unit that had zero bearing on adjacent units. I'd have had a different take on your query had you stated a more detailed account. The fact that you are looking out for an elderly neighbour who would otherwise be on her own is admirable, and she's lucky to have you there.

[Ken7]

Water heaters tend to go bad after 7 years. They do not make them like they used to.

For the cost, replace it. One claim against you insurance, deductible and rate increase.... you may be ahead in the next two years.

[twobits]

Water heaters tend to go bad after 7 years. They do not make them like they used to.

For the cost, replace it. One claim against you insurance, deductible and rate increase.... you may be ahead in the next two years.

Nonsense, make sure it is properly grounded and replace the anode every five years and you will get 12to 15 years of life out of it. Anodes are cheap, are available at any hardware store, and any homeowner with a socket set can replace it. The hardware store will even tell you how to do it. Takes five minutes.