Determining the right time to replace your water heater can be quite tricky. You should take your time and look at many different types before you have to replace it.

Here are signs that can help you determine if your water heater is on its way to retirement!

1. Check out the age of heater. You have to make sure when did you buy it or even inherit it when you bought your house. Gas heaters have a life span of eight to twelve years while an electric one can last from ten to fifteen years. Tankless heaters last up to twenty-five years or more.

2. You can decide to replace it when you get discolored or tainted water when you turn on the hot tap.

3. Rust, water damage or condensation could signal a leak. Inspect the tank fittings. If you see signs of leakage or rusting, check out the combustion chamber and the fuel-burning units. Heavy rust and water streaks are signs of danger and the time to replace the unit right away.

4. The hot water heater is not as hot as you remember it to be, or you even run out of hot water under normal conditions or worst, getting an ice cold shower in the early mornings.

5. Installing and having new hot water appliances such as a new dishwasher or washing machine could signal a need for a new water heating solution.

6. Determine the last time you did maintenance on your water heater. Unfortunately, if you cannot remember at all or the answer is never, you may be living on borrowed time.

7. An ineffective water heater could be the reason why your energy bill has gone up unexpectedly.

8. A good indicator for both electric and gas heaters is the sacrificial anode rod. While it is hard to remove, the effort could be worth it since the anode will give you the best clue concerning the condition of the tank. The sacrificial metal whether aluminum or magnesium is formed around a steel core wire. In normal conditions, the anode slowly corrodes away to protect the water heater against rust. When an ample amount of metal has rusted away, exposing six inches of the core wire it is time to replace it. When you pull the anode and find little or nothing of it left, some damage has occurred in the tank.

The major difference between the most old and the most recent water heaters in terms of energy performance is the level of insulation. Atmospheric immersion and combustion heating elements have not altered much. Thus, insulating heat traps, blankets and insulating pipes can greatly help in keeping your water heater where it should be and help older water heaters perform more like new ones.

When you have determined that it is really time to replace your old water heater, then you should make it a point beforehand to set aside a budget intended for this reason. Remember that not all things last forever, therefore, you should be able to anticipate this need especially when you are buying an older home.

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