How to go through a paycheck quickly.
Aug. 2nd, 2014 12:45 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
lionkingcmslGranted I paid some bills and bought some play toys, but I was not expecting to replace a water heater.
The existing water heater had been in the house when we purchased it. It seemed pretty new, and I wasn't expecting any problems from it. About a week or so a go it started leaking around the T&P (temperature and pressure) safety valve. I talked to the people at the local lumber yard and they thought maybe the tape on the T&P fitting had corroded. Being I had some Teflon tape I thought it might be worth a shot in re-doing that fitting. I replaced the tape and replaced the valve. After I turned on the cold water I noticed that the water was actually coming from between the fitting and the tank.
I went back to the lumber yard and told them what I saw and they told me that the water heater was shot and I needed a new one. They asked me how old the old water heater was and I told them it was at least eight years old, as it was in the house when we bought it. They explained I had actually got a good life out of the tank, as they don't last long with the type of water that is around here.
So I bought a new water heater and then found out unlike the "old" days, when you did the work yourself, inside your house, and replaced in kind, I had to get the proper permits for the job. Fortunately the construction officer for the township was kind enough to mark the applications for the permits as "Emergency" and told me to go ahead and do the work, but get the permits into the township office on Monday morning. I was also told of newer requirements for electric water heaters. So a 30 amp disconnect switch, 50' of 10/2 Romex wiring, plus other assorted parts later I am now ready to put in the new water heater, which will happen tomorrow when a friend will stop by and help me move the water heaters around. Total cost for this adventure is around $600 dollars with the water heater costing me ~$300.
On good thing is that the old water heater was only 3800 watts and the new one is 4500 watts, so a faster recovery time on the hot water.
The existing water heater had been in the house when we purchased it. It seemed pretty new, and I wasn't expecting any problems from it. About a week or so a go it started leaking around the T&P (temperature and pressure) safety valve. I talked to the people at the local lumber yard and they thought maybe the tape on the T&P fitting had corroded. Being I had some Teflon tape I thought it might be worth a shot in re-doing that fitting. I replaced the tape and replaced the valve. After I turned on the cold water I noticed that the water was actually coming from between the fitting and the tank.
I went back to the lumber yard and told them what I saw and they told me that the water heater was shot and I needed a new one. They asked me how old the old water heater was and I told them it was at least eight years old, as it was in the house when we bought it. They explained I had actually got a good life out of the tank, as they don't last long with the type of water that is around here.
So I bought a new water heater and then found out unlike the "old" days, when you did the work yourself, inside your house, and replaced in kind, I had to get the proper permits for the job. Fortunately the construction officer for the township was kind enough to mark the applications for the permits as "Emergency" and told me to go ahead and do the work, but get the permits into the township office on Monday morning. I was also told of newer requirements for electric water heaters. So a 30 amp disconnect switch, 50' of 10/2 Romex wiring, plus other assorted parts later I am now ready to put in the new water heater, which will happen tomorrow when a friend will stop by and help me move the water heaters around. Total cost for this adventure is around $600 dollars with the water heater costing me ~$300.
On good thing is that the old water heater was only 3800 watts and the new one is 4500 watts, so a faster recovery time on the hot water.
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no subject
Date: 2014-08-04 09:53 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2014-08-04 02:41 pm (UTC)Sadly, 8 years is pretty good life for a modern tank regardless of what kind of water goes into it. Mom had to replace her 9-year-old tank earlier this year.
When the lower element in our tank went a couple of years back, we were looking very seriously at replacing the tank, but the company I called for a replacement talked me into just having them change out the element instead.
The tank is older than I am, but it has a copper lining, so it will likely outlast me before it needs replacing.