Hi Ladies,
I'm hoping someone out there has a hubby who repairs water heaters who can answer this question. My electric water heater is 10 years old. We have always been able to take multiple showers at the same time and even run the dishwasher. Now toward the end of just one shower, the water starts to loose heat and then becomes cold. Or I run a load of clothes, and the washer starts on hot but never has enough hot water to fill the whole tub and strts to get cold. It has been like this for about 3 weeks. Do you think it is just an element, or should I replace the whole unit?
We figured that the metal casing on the heater is fine,and if it were the thermostat the whole thing would be cold. The tank has two elements. so we replaced one of the elements. ($8.00). Drained it( but we really didnt have sedement from out soft water well.) So we are back up and running with just an eight dollar part. Thanks!
I don’t think we have ever had and electric water heater last that long. It would be cheaper to replace it then to repair it. You can also get a more energy efficient one.
Have you drained tank to clean out the calcium build-up? If not, try that.
I would also ask a professional to come out and take a look at it - it might be a simple fix. Go to http://www.angieslist.com and find a reputable one in your area.
The average lifespan of a water heater is 12 years.
Also - we are considering going tankless. We had one in Germany and loved it.
I'm thinking it's probably done too . . . :(
Have you considered a tankless water heater? We got one during our remodel and we mostly love it. The only con is it takes a minute or so for the water to heat up. It saves energy too.
It will cost you more to fix the element on a 10 year old system than it's worth. By the time you've paid a plumber to come out, order the element (if he can even get it) pay for it, and do the labor, it's money you could put onto a new unit. You should replace the hot water heater.
I'll bet you also have a ton of sludge in the bottom of the heater - yuck. Hot water heaters just don't last a very long time, sorry.
Dawn
I grew up with an all electric home--including the water heater.
Dawn is right.
It needs to be replaced--the tank--not just the element.
Ask your plumber/installer about draining & maintaining the new O. for optimal life expectancy. But 10 years, especially if you have hard water (we had well water) is about average.
Dawn's exactly right. Not to mention if you have calcification (minerals coming out of the water and hardening).
10 years has been a good life. Time to go shopping!
If it is 10 yrs old, I would not waste money on repairs. I would replace it.
We built our house in 2000 and by 2007 we replaced and upgraded our 2 water heaters that the builder installed originally. The builders don't use the highest quality.
We replaced with Bradford White which is supposedly good quality. We've had no issues since complete replacements. We spent less than $2000 for the 2 of them.
I agree on replacement, it's 10yrs old, it's had a good life.
Side note: ours just went out too - like completely, luckily for us we rent and the landlord has to deal with it. We have a wedding today (BIL's) and we had to go to MIL's to get ready so we can all have hot showers! So, I feel your pain.
Hi, my husband told me that you should start by just flushing the tank. There should be a faucet on it, you hook a hose to it and turn it on. If this does not help it may be an elament probably the top one. If this does not work it may be the thermostate. all are not hard to fix, you probably will not need a new one.
If you want to try draining and flushing out your water heater before replacing it, there are websites online with instructions and videos on how to do this. No hubby necessary. I was able to follow the directions and do this myself. Easy.
If you need to replace your water heater, check with your power company and see if they have a program to provide a rebate if you replace yours with an energy saver model.
In our household we would drain it. If really sludgy try to rinse or just replace. If you aren't handy with testing the element and replacing yourself (that's what we would do). then just replace it. We keep our water heaters for 15-20 years but we don't pay anyone to come out and fix it. Same with our washing machine, gas stove, and dryer...all have broken down but we just fix them ourselves for about $20-50.
