Are you concerned that your water heater may be nearing the end of its life? Replacing your water heater before it completely gives out is important to ensure that you won’t suddenly find yourself without hot water. It is especially important not to wait too long to replace a tank water heater since this type of unit is prone to experiencing major leaks if it gets too old or damaged. In this article, we’ll tell you all you need to know about average water heater lifespans so you know when it’s time to schedule a replacement and how to get the most out of your unit.
Typical Lifespan for Tank and Tankless Water Heaters
How long you can expect a water heater to last depends in large part on what type of unit it is. The type of fuel it runs on also plays a role in how long a water heater’s lifespan may be. Gas-powered traditional tank water heaters have the shortest life expectancy and will typically only last for eight to 12 years or so. Traditional electric tank units typically have a slightly longer life expectancy and often last for approximately 15 years. That is also about the same amount of time as most electric heat pump water heaters last.
Gas and electric tankless water heaters almost always have a much longer lifespan. You can generally expect that any new tankless unit will last for 20 years at the very least. If properly maintained, some tankless units can even have a lifespan of 30 years or more.
How Regular Maintenance Helps Protect the Lifespan of a Water Heater
There are various factors that can impact a water heater’s lifespan, such as what brand it is and how energy efficient it is. Nonetheless, the single biggest factor that will usually determine how long any water heater lasts is whether it is professionally maintained on a regular basis.
All water heaters should be maintained by a licensed plumber at least yearly and also flushed once or twice a year. One reason that water heater maintenance is essential is that the plumber will inspect it for any issues. Getting any issues repaired promptly will lessen the strain on the unit and help it to work more effectively and efficiently and also to last longer.
On tank water heaters, it is especially important that you have the anode rod inspected and replaced as needed. The metal coating on the anode rod helps prevent the tank from corroding by basically sacrificing itself so that the minerals corrode it instead of reacting with the steel tank. The problem is that this coating will eventually get completely eaten away and lead to the tank corroding.
Anode rods usually need to be replaced every five years or so. However, hard water will cause the coating on the rod to corrode much quicker, so you may need to replace it every three years or so if your home has harder water. If you don’t replace the anode rod when necessary, the steel will corrode much quicker and there is a high chance the tank will start leaking much sooner.
Flushing is also important for both tank and tankless water heaters but for different reasons. Tankless units need to be flushed and descaled regularly to prevent limescale from building up on the heat exchanger. Limescale build-up will make the unit heat much less effectively and may lead to your water never getting quite hot enough. If too much limescale collects on the heat exchanger, you’ll likely need to pay at least a few hundred dollars to replace it.
The reason that tank units need to be flushed is to remove all of the sediment that naturally builds up inside the tank. Sediment build-up is the primary cause of many water heater issues and will always lead to the unit heating less efficiently and experiencing greater wear and tear. Sediment can be especially problematic for gas units since it tends to absorb lots of the heat produced by the burner. This can lead to hot spots forming that can start to weaken the tank and greatly increase the chances of it springing a leak.
If you need to have your water heater maintained or repaired or you have a unit that is near the end of its life, you can always count on the expert plumbers at Midstate Plumbing & Air for help. We service and install all types of water heaters, and we’re available 24/7 for any emergencies. We also specialize in all other residential plumbing services so contact us today if you need to schedule any service in the Bridgeport area.
