I’m a Retired NYC Plumber. My Parents had a Copper Custom HW heater,installed new with the house in 1964. It was STILL running when my mom sold the House in 2004!!
This Old House replaced one of those not long ago, over 50 year old. But they're not in business anymore, because a water heater that never corrodes is very expensive to build and buy, and very few people live in the same house that long. It probably cost a month's pay back then.
Bought my house in 1999. Original Rheem hot water heater from 1986 was still working. Made a mental note to keep an eye on it. 2016 I finally replaced it. It was still working, I just felt like I was pushing it a little too far. Replaced it with another Rheem. It barely made 8 years before it sprung a leak.
@@jondoes7836 I bought my house used in 1979 and it had a Rheem that was already a couple of years old according to the previous owner but even then, it lasted 15 more years for me.
@@alb12345672 Surprising with AO Smith -- I always thought they were one of the best (or they used to be, "back in the day"). Must be made cheaper now (lower/thinner metal). Another company reputation withering with outsourcing.
I work at a replacement parts facility in inventory and you just helped me understand our product components and better research lost item numbers. THANK YOU!
I love old appliances. I have a 1920 Detroit jewel gas stove, a 1942 GE refrigerator, and my home is heated with a 1971 Heil furnace. Sure, they're not as efficient as new ones, but they're dependable and easy to repair.
@@twillison8824 I agree, the somewhat less energy efficiency is well offset by not having to repair the older appliances. I have the original GE refrigerator, and Maytag washer and gas dryer I bought in 1984 when my house was built. I selected my own gas furnace and central a/c as well. Both are still running just fine. No C/O from the furnace yet so the heat exchanger is still ok at least for now.
I used to get about 12 years out of water heaters. Had a Sears and then an AO Smith. Most recent is a Whirlpool Flamelock I installed in 2002. I had a lot of problems with the Flamelock. There was a one time thermal fuse inside the thermocouple. Whirlpool had a lawsuit and I filed the paperwork, but never got the settlement. Eventually Home Depot sold a retrofit kit for $35 which included a new jet, pilot, cover plus and adapter to convert from left hand thread to normal on the thermocouple connection. The retrofit has a resettable klixon instead of the bone head single use fuse. I am still using the 22 year old water heater. I plan to hold on as long as possible because all the new heaters are much more complicated and crazy expensive for what they do.
Recently my landlord finally changed my turquoise water heater from 1965. It had so much sediment inside that it took 4 very strong men to even move it at all.
A helpful tip: if you are changing your anode rod, use an impact gun, it is much easier. I struggled with a breaker bar the first time I changed one. The biggest problem is the tendency to rotate the entire water heater when trying to break the anode free. The impact works great, the rod breaks free without any effort.
Used to get only a few years out of a new water heater, I did some investigating and learned about replacing the anode rod. I found that between the water softener and my daughter taking 45 min showers every day the Anode rod was completely gone in about 3 years. I now replace the anode rod when about 1/3 of it is gone and the water heater is going on 11 years now. Side note water softeners will *accelerate* the consumption of the anode rod, the reason being is the water softener removes the minerals that cause the hardness and the water is looking to replace those minerals, in this case the anode rod, when the anode rod is used up the water will attack the steel tank. As said in the video "the ions are hungry".
This is the first I’ve heard of this phenomenon and I appreciate your posting it. I’ve always been skeptical of the addition of water softeners and avoided adding that whole headache to my hard water system. We have a fully finished basement and multiple plumbers have said it would be a nightmare to try to isolate our outside faucets to avoid softening the water that goes onto the lawn so I’ve avoided having to add they hassle of a softening system despite my wife’s requests. I’m going to read up on the issue you mentioned as it makes sense - thx! 👍🏼
Good point. Problem is we have two baths upstairs & one downstairs and we really want to hit all of those (plus get the really hard water minerals we have out of the toilet bowls). Whoever built our house in 1971 fully finished the entire basement ceiling and plumbers have told us they couldn’t trace the pipes/plumbing as everything is totally hidden behind drywall ceilings. I’m a huge fan of keeping the utilities accessible in at least a portion of the basement, but the high school building trades class built our place back in the day - apparently that instructor really wanted to teach those kids how to drywall!
@@TastySurrealBowl Easiest thing with the biggest benefit is to just run the softened water to the water heater. If you can get the cold line to your laundry that's another important one. That gives you soft hot water for showers, laundry, dishes, etc. Bonus, if you don't like the slick feeling of e.g., washing your hands with softened water, you can hit them quick with cold to get rid of it. The softener will slow the rate of scale buildup in the water heater, but accelerate the consumption of the anode rod. It's particularly important to keep up with replacing those when you have a softener.
That $60 Sears water heater from 1972 is equivalent to $435 today. I just replaced my water heater last summer for about $700, the insulation is at least 3 times as thick and the burner/ignition is light years safer than the open chamber on that Sears unit. We had one of those Sears units back in the 1970s and you could put your hand on it and feel the heat, they really didn't pay much attention to energy efficiency.
I'm on your side of the subject too. When it comes to any gas burning heat source, priority goes to enhanced safety tech, modern materials, and engineering for efficiency, over ease of maintenance
You do realize that "more" replacement and "more" maintenance requires "more" resources which completely nullifies energy efficiency. It also requires "more" time, that which you will never get back.
My hydraulic heat boiler from Weil McLane has serviced the home I live in every year since 1963. Each cast iron heat exchanger is still solid and burns perfectly. All that has been replaced that I can tell is the aquastat and the original coupling style pump replaced with a Taco direct drive pump. Every component is older than I am and while it’s at best 80% efficient I still rarely have a heating bill above $100/mo and I love water heat.
Back in the day, my grandfather and I would get those really old H2O heaters that had a big copper coil in them to scrap out. They were super old and lasted for many years. Built-in obselescence is great for inventory turn over and profit margins!
I remember them two piece heaters the coil part where the flame heated the water then it would go into a stone lined tank that kept the water hot until it was used when you turn on the hot water the flame turned on. They also made tankless heaters out of the same fire box with the coil copper pipe. I did turn in one coil for money I cut off the brass and got full price for the copper and brass. I used to collect copper wire from our farm house we rewired that was when you could burn off the insulation which the scrap yard now don't allow. They have to do the police's work now. The cops don't do their job anymore. Oh well it's progress now I guess. 73
Thank you! All old equipment including cars was made to last and made in the US! Besides water heaters. My A/C, a Comfort Maker from 1985 was still running in 2020 when the house was sold. A Rheem A/C I had installed at another place in 2022 already broke down in 2023!!!
I’ve had a Sears Kenmore electric WH since 1996. It’s in a cool basement in summer and a cold one in winter. Bought a “jacket” for it at one point and really noticed it on the electric bill.
2022 , I pulled a leaky 80 gallon monster of an electric water heater that had a “Puget Power “ rental sticker on it . Was made in 1972 so it lasted 38 years until leaking for 2 years at end….. Showers were much better with the new , smaller 60 gallon heater that lowered power bill by 200% since we it was leaking and got downsized. Thanx for showing the inside .
Very interesting video. Amazing to see the differences in the technology. More wires = more problems. Why can’t we just have a gas valve with a thermocouple? Simple design and easy to fix.
Because the US Govt demanded pilot lights go away to "save" energy, except the pilot light puts out enough heat on mine alone to keep the water at the set temp, the ONLY time the main burner comes on is when I draw about 2-4 qts of hot water, the electronic ignotion krap will have the main burner cyling on and off 24/7 and THAT definitely wastes gas
It's good to see that they haven't really changed much besides just added safety. They used to have more fires and explosions with the old ones, and they'd fail annoyingly soon as well. Seems the ones from the past 30 years don't normally explode as much, which is nice.
Dude! That sears one looks brand new! Kudos to you for taking it out so cleanly if it wasn’t against code (idk your areas codes), you could resell that!!!
Thank you for the simple and clear explanation. Here in the Chicago area I’m still on my 2nd WH in my 1984 built house. The 2001 Rheem 40 gal i installed is still in place, but yes I do have a new AO Smith in the carton in my garage. My WH sets 6’ from the floor drain in an unfinished basement so I’m not too concerned. When it begins to leak then I’ll change it.
The old 2001 water heater could easily be costing 10 dollars or more per month in additional energy compared to a new water heater with 2 inches of foam insulation. At that 120 dollars per year additional energy, if the old water heater lasts another year or three, that could add up to an additional $360 dollars or more in energy costs, especially if gas or electricity rates keep rising in the next few years. If the new water heater is paid for and already sitting in the basement, why not install it now and start saving some money? And, it can be scheduled to be replaced exactly at your desired time, when U feel like it.
Your warranty is getting shorter every day you wait. And if it’s bad right out of the box and you have had it very long you’ll have to fight them for a replacement.
When I bought my first house, water heater had an installed date of 1996. Bought house in 2014, lived in it 8 years. A few years before we moved, water got scalding hot! Gas valve stuck on, keep heating water, Bomb waiting to go off. I got home that morning from my 12 hour shift, heard a hissing noise coming from basement, I went downstairs, water heater had swelled up, blowing steam out of pop off valve. Scared me to death. Had to shut water off to whole house , turned off gas valve, open all water faucet to release pressure. Keep an eye on your older units, they definitely last a long time, lack of Maintenance will kill them. Mine was an older Sears and Roebuck water heater.
Now I'm sure they used more Steele back in the day - because those older water heaters weigh a lot more - the Reliance 501 - they run for 35 years sometimes ! Great Video!!
@@HobbyOrganistIt weighed about the same as the 2011 so I don't think there would be much difference. The burner is probably the only different component.
I’m still using a 1965 Chrysler Airtemp Furnace & it works flawlessly. Also have a 1986 Kennore Refrigerator that runs like a tank & is still in mint condition.
It wasn't at all common for those simple Sears water heaters with the tiny bit of insulation to last 50 years. My house had one in the 1970s and it probably lasted about 12-13 years before the tank rusted through and flooded the basement. It's mostly a matter of water quality, as noted in the video. As for the open combustion chamber, one of our neighbors' house burned after the pilot light in their water heater lighted fumes from a gas can they had stored in their basement (not smart, but not unheard of either).
You should probably realize how many people died, entire families, because of the way these old appliances functioned. It wasn't just from fire either. Older gas appliances wouldn't necessarily fail safe, so they might pump carbon monoxide into a house. They might have been more reliable, but there were some trade offs.
Around here the really old ones are made of copper or Monel. Those sell for big money because people will install them again and they never corrode and leak. A used 1940s water heater with a Monel tank will sell for more around here than a new one costs. And someone is guaranteed to buy it in a couple days.
My house (in Australia) had an electric water heater installed in 1970, Saxon brand, copper tank, indirectly heated instead of immersion heated and it lasted about 40 years before the non-pressurised tank sprang a leak. It was replaced about 17 years ago with a Dux brand vitreous lined steel tank electric heater which is still going strong. So far the anode has only had to be changed once in all that time.
My house in Durham NC was built in '92; it still has the 2 original A.O. Smith 40-gallon low-boy electric water heaters in the crawl space. I've been paying Duke Energy $8 per month for each for `15 years, so I'm sure that I've paid for 2 water heaters by now. My water is treated municipal water, so its cleanliness has probably contributed to them lasting so long.
Did I miss the look inside the newest tank. I thought you cut all three open but never saw the new compared to the other two. Just wondering what you get for all that extra cost.
Thanks so much for sacrificing those water heaters. It’s so interesting to see inside. I thought they were much more complex. But I was wondering why they don’t put some fins on the side of that flue pipe. Wouldn’t that transfer heat more efficiently than just straight tube? If you could make it more like a radiator it would work better. But then again it would probably add more thin exposed metal to the corrosive water. I guess you could make it out of stainless. But the cost would be outrageous.
Our house is still using an A.O. smith "Permaglass" water heater from 1955 or 1956. One more year and it will be 70 years of service. That's got to be some sort of record!
My 90's TruValue branded WH works great and my 70's Burnham boiler still runs great. Not sure if I'm crazy to consider replacing both with a combi on demand boiler unit.
My house has 2 water heaters because the house is so long. I installed two new Sta Clean units in July 1995, both are still working great, no thumping from mineral build up.
You can do another video comparing the 1940's pure copper tanks with external heaters on the side, and the ultra modern all-plastic tank heaters of today with lifetime warranties.
$1000?!?! WTF?! I replaced a few in the 90s for ~$150/ea because it was easier to just buy a new one. I still have a Kenmore heating water since circa 2000 though. Meanwhile a friend in a dhhorton shitbox has already had to replace his at
Just for reference, I have a 30 year old (1994) State brand 40G standing pilot water heater that still works fine. Yes, I do worry about it quite often but it's still going. I won't replace it for no reason. It's on a well, too.
I own a Rheem non metallic electric water heater. I was tired of the water heaters and well pump tanks that always sprung leaks in my mom's house when I was growing up. The water heater is still as it was when it was installed 19 yrs ago. Funny thing, the hot water assist loop on my geothermal heat pump nearby sprung a leak a year ago. The expansion tank atop the water heater had to be replaced 10 years ago. Anytime I open the drain valve, once every few years, it runs milky or clear but no sediment.
WHen I bought my house in 1998 the STate "glass lined" gas water heater was from 1978, and it worked fine until it started to leak a little around the drain valve about 2011. I replaced it with one from Sears. I cut open the old tank and it had a good foot of lyme built up, which was why I was never able to flush the drain on it. But the tank wall itself looked pristine grey, so it might have been a small spot that corroded around the valve where it threaded in. They both have a pilot light, which despite the claims by the Govt- does not "waste" gas at all, in fact, that pilot light has always kept the tank of water to the set temperature with JUST the pilot light only, the only time the main burner ever comes on is if I draw about 2-4 quarts of hot water out. Those electronic ignition POS they have everyone forced to use now will have their big main burner cycle on and off 24/7 just to maintain the temperature. When the Sears unit goes out I'm definitely going to look at retrofitting the burner and pilot into it.
The problem is there are too many monopolies. No competition means you can sell garbage and consumers have no choice but to buy inferior products. Its your government's fault by letting wall street do what they want. Gotta maximize profit to pay shareholders instead of providing decent products for the consumer.
Come up with a better design, mortgage everything you have to begin producing that better water heater while meeting all government regulations. Hire employees and offer health insurance, 401k, vacation and other benefits. Their life problems become your problems. Make sure your shop is OSHA compliant (not just safe, but compliant) and document everything. Hire attorneys and accountants to incorporate and file tax returns and other onerous government filings. Then price your heater low because most people are on a budget. If you do make a profit, the IRS will be there with their hand out. I started and ran a business for over 20 years, it's not easy. Your first sentence is interesting..."too many monopolies"...
the "baffle" can also be call a "turbulator" and is used to cause turbulence in the hot gas flow to improve heat transfer to the tube as the gas moves up through the pipe.
Love the old style. Less efficient, but they worked. Hate the electronics in the new ones. It's not needed. However, the sealed combustion chamber was a really good idea.
We bought a water heater in '96. It worked till this past August. Bought another one same make and stuff I expect maybe 6-7 years. The old ones worked and lasted. A problem with the new ones is the blasted crappy Honeywelll gas valve. It creates nightmares. They know it and will send you a new one all you have to do is pay for it.
The old water heaters lasted forever. They just weren't efficient. Around 2010, we replaced our water heater in our last house for efficiency reasons as well as a slightly larger unit and the old one was from the early 70's and still worked like a champ. Our house now is on its third water heater and the house was built in 2007. The last water heater lasted less than 5 years. Like most modern appliances, they are purposely not built to last and yet cost far more than the older units you likely only needed to buy once and just service. Modern appliances are mostly throwaways when anything goes wrong. Manufacturers used to pride their brands' quality and made money off of any service as well as customer loyalty. If a brand did you well, your entire house likely had appliances only from the same manufacturer.
Yes, and no. Yes, old ones lasted forever and newer ones are junk, but it's not quite as simple as the planned obsolesce argument. Manufacturers don't want water heaters to last just 5 years because they will lose money honoring the 6/9/12-year warranty, which varies by model. The main reason newer ones are junk is because we don't make any of the parts here in the USA or even Mexico anymore. They are assembled here with gas controls that are made in China, imported burners and wiring, imported, low quality metal, etc. (Gas controls are made by third parties, never the water heater maker themselves and since the recession, are the cause of a lot of water heater leaks.) They cost so much more in order to comply with "energy efficiency" regulations which require more insulation, thus making the entire heater wider and much more expensive to produce. The same is true for home appliances: A majority of imported parts because the suppliers don't make many parts in America anymore and corners have to be cut in order to compete on price with Chinese and Korean brands. So even if a brand wanted to make an appliance with the "best" parts so that it can have a longer warranty (say a sealed system warranty, for example), they are stuck with the junk that's available in the marketplace today--low quality imports.
A more technical description of the role of the anode rod is to prevent galvanic corrosion. Dissimilar metals in a water system promote the flow electrons from one metal to another. Without the sacrificial anode in the water tank, the steel of the tank gives up electrons which results in the corrosion of the tank. The anode sacrifices electrons instead and over time is destroyed rather than the shell of the tank.
I have a tankless water heater. Brand shall not be discussed. The plumbers have just finished their fourth visit, under warranty, in order to provide me hot water.
That's rough. I've not heard any good stories about a tankless water heater except from breaking bad. They seem to be so problematic. If the unit itself isn't causing problem, another 'eco friendly' component down the line is, such as the one of those 'water saver' shower heads that has too little flowrate to have the tankless heater turn on and call for heat.
@JoyClinton-i8g Why "brand shall not be discussed?" Disclosing the brand name helps others to avoid spending money on a bad product and having to go through what you're having to deal with.
I have a Rheem tankless......still going strong after two years. It shows it was made in the USA. Some of these tankless are made in China. I have never had a problem with Rheems.
I replaced my old water heater back in 2009, at GE manufactured under license from Redeem, bought at Home Depot, with a 12 year warranty. Dog-gone tank started leaking this year. What a racket Home Depot has going! Replacement here in CA required a low nox version that needs an electric outlet. Home Depot wants $2000 to replace a 55 gal version, city permits required! WTF for a water heater replacement?!!
Just replaced my 12 year old tank last Friday. Just like all appliances in a new house these days - they last about 10 -15 years. I replaced the dishwasher, washing machine and dryer last year. The refrigerator is still original. The stove better hang in there for a good long while - it wasn't cheap.
A major problem I've found with modern water heaters is the thermostat housing that threads into the tank is plastic and WILL break, flooding your house. The complete idiocy of using plastic there is shocking, especially when it's not just a matter of flooding, but flooding with boiling water and the heater never shutting off when it happens. I was so lucky that mine broke literally as i was getting ready to head to work and I heard water running while I was heading to the front door and was able to shut the water and gas off.
We bought our house at the beginning of 2019, and it came with a water heater that was made in 2013. At the end of 2022, the water heater began making strange sounds. I figured it was on its way out, and at the end of 2023, it finally sprung a leak. To make a LONG story short, I had to buy four water heaters before I finally got one that didn't leak right out of the box. (Talk about poor quality! I hope this fourth water heater lasts until we sell the house, I don't want to install another water heater again!) Also, the first two Rheems I tried were about $1K, and the third was about $800, so I wasn't buying bargain waters... funny enough, the fourth was an AO Smith that was about $700, and so far, it's lasted a year with 0 problems.
12/12/24, just bought a new Bradford White 50 gal short, power vent, gas, cost = $1700. The one it replaced lasted 16 years, installed 2008. The original Bradford White 50 gal short power vent lasted 21 years. I had no water softener, if you have an electric heater, you must have a softener or the electric elements will not last in this area. Cincinnati, Ohio area.
Replaced our old 1985 or so with a new 2022 propane water heater even though the older one still worked fine. I can only say to not believe the energy stickers. Our usage of propane went up drastically in spite of a lower temp setting. If we hadn't already scrapped the old one I would have re installed it already.
You mentioned that the life expectancy was primarily attributed to the tank's non-leaking. Are there any improvements in the 2024 models (on the inside) to delay the inevatable?
Braindead take. 70 bucks in 72 is a little under $500 today, another value brand at your big box store is also a little under $500. So for basically a zero net change in value, you got a safer and more efficient (and therefore cheaper) product.
@grinchyface It's not a cheaper product when you factor in the cost of having to replace today's water heaters every seven to ten years. The older water heaters lasted 20+ years. Our last water heater (a Rheem) only lasted four years before the tank rusted through.
Keep in mind that the rigid/spray foam has nearly twice the R-value as typical fiberglass 'batts'. Electric water heaters tend to have better insulation.... essentially because electric water heaters are less efficient than their gas/oil fired counterparts.
@@Argellus Sorry man, you are wrong! Don't get hung up on those EV ratings. That 100% rating is a measure of how well (or efficiently) that water heater converts energy (in this case, electricity) to heat! Advantage: Electricity. Gas/oil fired hot water heaters on the other hand loose some of their 'energy'.... right up the flue. But you HAVE to look at total operating costs (per year) and if you DO THE RESEARCH, you will find that natural gas is BY FAR the least expensive to RUN! I'm from a cold climate (New England), so please don't tell me that electricity is the most 'efficient'...because it's NOT!
nice to watch. seems like WH stayed around $200-400 for decades. I turned my outside gas off couple months ago. Tried to relight WH and the more I pressed sparker the weaker it got. Screwed down door and said do not open. Luckily got it going late night and ordered new piezo sparker. Previous WH started leaking up on top defects known but could not get warranty replacement. Mine is getting older. Definitely need water container to divert leaks underneath.
great video,thank you for posting...do you feel that the new gas control valves tend to over shoot?...also do you usually install expansion tanks on your hwh installs?thanks
What about the difference with the pilot light system? I imagine on the 1972 the pilot light always remained on. The Bradford has electronic ignition of the flame ?
My son loves to tell me how dumb he thinks I am. I didn’t know what was in a water tank- so he found me ignorant. Thanks for posting this. My son will feel like I am educated. 🖕🏻
For my Bradford-White tank, now 20 years old, I've replaced the anode rod twice and it is working. Every six monthis I drain a gallon or so out of the tank into a bucket to look for debris and do not find any. All tanks should be drained at least twice a year to remove buildup that diminishes the ability of the burner to heat the water.
I just had my 10-year-old Bradford White 50-gallon electric replaced 2 days ago, it was still working fine, however the hot water would not last as long as I remembered when it was new. I had another BW installed 50 gallons, electric and it seems fine. cost installed was 1900.00 OUCH! Also, when the water from old tank was being drained out it was dark and muddy like, then it turned to rusty water, so I guess it was a good idea for a new one.
I used to live a few miles from where the Bradford White water heaters were made and I had the same issue happen - my hot water suddenly wouldn’t last nearly as long as it originally did. The plumbing company I had back then only used Bradford White and they told me there was a period of time when they had issues with the dip tube breaking off after a short period of time (shortening the amount of hot water delivered per tankful) but that they had fixed the issue. The replacement B-W water heater they put in never gave me any trouble. Hopefully you get a long life out of your replacement.
First of all older water heaters are lasting longer then new ones and the new ones are lined with a glass liner so what has changed in the metal that new tanks last less and start leaking sooner
When my old appliances die I cry a bit knowing that I can't replace their reliability, but the newer stuff is so much more efficient that the savings can offset the replacement costs.
Was the old one glass lined? Does that make it last much longer even if the anode is used up? would a electronic anode make any difference on the accumulation of hard water deposits? Thanks a lot, Great Video!!
as a former manufacturer representative... hard water has minimal bearing on the 'standard sacrificial anode' (typical lifespan 3-5 years) ... a standard anode rod is designed to repair the (fractures) of the glass lining which degrade do the heating of water 'once depleted the heater has no internal protection and will fail... (higher temperature settings can degrade the lining faster do to water becoming molecular faster and slightly abrasive over cold water... hence why it is recommended to cook using cold tap water)... hard water (water with excessive mineral content) will deposit more mineral buildup on the bottom of the tank which will solidify over time causing longer warming times and removal of space so you then get less hot water... you can alleviate sediment deposits by draining your heater, typically recommend once or twice a year.. (not a full drain, just a few gallons to flush the bottom of the tank)... during that time it is also recommended to check the life of the anode and replace if required... these maintenance steps can drastically increase the lifespan of a heater... .... electric or powered anodes are meant as a (lifetime, no maintenance) rod and can help with limescale build up and 'hard water smell'... they do need power to operate and can cost substantially more than a 'standard anode'.... (powered anode.. approx. $100/$200 - standard anode... approx. $15/$30)... even with a powered anode it is recommended to do a sediment drain annually or bi-annually... .... I apologize for the long winded rant, hopefully it makes some sense and was in some way helpful...
Thank you for all the great info. Im considering switching my water heater to an electronic anode. Another users comment was that the electronic anode does not protect against the mineral part of the corrosion inside the water tank. What do you think? So glad you are available to answer questions. Keep up the great work!!
I can't get over the prices of the water heaters, as back in 2015 I bought an A.O Smit 50 gallon gas water heater for right around $450.00! I'm even more shocked that people get 15-20 years out of a tank.
I’m a Retired NYC Plumber. My Parents had a Copper Custom HW heater,installed new with the house in 1964. It was STILL running when my mom sold the House in 2004!!
This Old House replaced one of those not long ago, over 50 year old. But they're not in business anymore, because a water heater that never corrodes is very expensive to build and buy, and very few people live in the same house that long. It probably cost a month's pay back then.
My grandparents have one just like the one in the video, got it in the 60s and they are still using it!
You must have better water there in NY, I've heard that's why the pizza is so good!
Bought my house in 1999. Original Rheem hot water heater from 1986 was still working. Made a mental note to keep an eye on it. 2016 I finally replaced it. It was still working, I just felt like I was pushing it a little too far. Replaced it with another Rheem. It barely made 8 years before it sprung a leak.
An AO smith just lasted a few months before 8. Lots of rust and nothing left on the Anode. Will replace the anode year 3.
yup, new furnaces are no different.
a 1986 Rheem water heater is one of the last water heaters made in Chicago. After that, they were made in Mexico.
@@jondoes7836 I bought my house used in 1979 and it had a Rheem that was already a couple of years old according to the previous owner but even then, it lasted 15 more years for me.
@@alb12345672 Surprising with AO Smith -- I always thought they were one of the best (or they used to be, "back in the day"). Must be made cheaper now (lower/thinner metal). Another company reputation withering with outsourcing.
I work at a replacement parts facility in inventory and you just helped me understand our product components and better research lost item numbers. THANK YOU!
I love old appliances. I have a 1920 Detroit jewel gas stove, a 1942 GE refrigerator, and my home is heated with a 1971 Heil furnace. Sure, they're not as efficient as new ones, but they're dependable and easy to repair.
@@twillison8824 I agree, the somewhat less energy efficiency is well offset by not having to repair the older appliances. I have the original GE refrigerator, and Maytag washer and gas dryer I bought in 1984 when my house was built.
I selected my own gas furnace and central a/c as well. Both are still running just fine. No
C/O from the furnace yet so the heat exchanger is still ok at least for now.
I used to get about 12 years out of water heaters. Had a Sears and then an AO Smith. Most recent is a Whirlpool Flamelock I installed in 2002. I had a lot of problems with the Flamelock. There was a one time thermal fuse inside the thermocouple. Whirlpool had a lawsuit and I filed the paperwork, but never got the settlement. Eventually Home Depot sold a retrofit kit for $35 which included a new jet, pilot, cover plus and adapter to convert from left hand thread to normal on the thermocouple connection. The retrofit has a resettable klixon instead of the bone head single use fuse. I am still using the 22 year old water heater. I plan to hold on as long as possible because all the new heaters are much more complicated and crazy expensive for what they do.
Recently my landlord finally changed my turquoise water heater from 1965.
It had so much sediment inside that it took 4 very strong men to even move it at all.
A helpful tip: if you are changing your anode rod, use an impact gun, it is much easier. I struggled with a breaker bar the first time I changed one. The biggest problem is the tendency to rotate the entire water heater when trying to break the anode free. The impact works great, the rod breaks free without any effort.
I can confirm this. Couldn’t get mine out with a regular wrench but the impact zipped it right out.
Used to get only a few years out of a new water heater, I did some investigating and learned about replacing the anode rod. I found that between the water softener and my daughter taking 45 min showers every day the Anode rod was completely gone in about 3 years. I now replace the anode rod when about 1/3 of it is gone and the water heater is going on 11 years now. Side note water softeners will *accelerate* the consumption of the anode rod, the reason being is the water softener removes the minerals that cause the hardness and the water is looking to replace those minerals, in this case the anode rod, when the anode rod is used up the water will attack the steel tank. As said in the video "the ions are hungry".
This is the first I’ve heard of this phenomenon and I appreciate your posting it. I’ve always been skeptical of the addition of water softeners and avoided adding that whole headache to my hard water system. We have a fully finished basement and multiple plumbers have said it would be a nightmare to try to isolate our outside faucets to avoid softening the water that goes onto the lawn so I’ve avoided having to add they hassle of a softening system despite my wife’s requests. I’m going to read up on the issue you mentioned as it makes sense - thx! 👍🏼
@@TastySurrealBowl You could just pipe the softened water directly to your showers and sinks.
Good point. Problem is we have two baths upstairs & one downstairs and we really want to hit all of those (plus get the really hard water minerals we have out of the toilet bowls). Whoever built our house in 1971 fully finished the entire basement ceiling and plumbers have told us they couldn’t trace the pipes/plumbing as everything is totally hidden behind drywall ceilings. I’m a huge fan of keeping the utilities accessible in at least a portion of the basement, but the high school building trades class built our place back in the day - apparently that instructor really wanted to teach those kids how to drywall!
@@TastySurrealBowl Easiest thing with the biggest benefit is to just run the softened water to the water heater. If you can get the cold line to your laundry that's another important one. That gives you soft hot water for showers, laundry, dishes, etc. Bonus, if you don't like the slick feeling of e.g., washing your hands with softened water, you can hit them quick with cold to get rid of it.
The softener will slow the rate of scale buildup in the water heater, but accelerate the consumption of the anode rod. It's particularly important to keep up with replacing those when you have a softener.
Yes. Three big things. Water quality, Anode rod changes, draining yearly.
That $60 Sears water heater from 1972 is equivalent to $435 today. I just replaced my water heater last summer for about $700, the insulation is at least 3 times as thick and the burner/ignition is light years safer than the open chamber on that Sears unit. We had one of those Sears units back in the 1970s and you could put your hand on it and feel the heat, they really didn't pay much attention to energy efficiency.
I'm on your side of the subject too. When it comes to any gas burning heat source, priority goes to enhanced safety tech, modern materials, and engineering for efficiency, over ease of maintenance
"P" factor...P for "plenty"
It's too bad you can't get more energy efficiency while retaining the simplicity of the older appliances.
@@KillaninjaFC “maintenance” you mean having to constantly replace it 😂😂
You do realize that "more" replacement and "more" maintenance requires "more" resources which completely nullifies energy efficiency. It also requires "more" time, that which you will never get back.
My hydraulic heat boiler from Weil McLane has serviced the home I live in every year since 1963. Each cast iron heat exchanger is still solid and burns perfectly. All that has been replaced that I can tell is the aquastat and the original coupling style pump replaced with a Taco direct drive pump. Every component is older than I am and while it’s at best 80% efficient I still rarely have a heating bill above $100/mo and I love water heat.
Back in the day, my grandfather and I would get those really old H2O heaters that had a big copper coil in them to scrap out. They were super old and lasted for many years. Built-in obselescence is great for inventory turn over and profit margins!
I remember them two piece heaters the coil part where the flame heated the water then it would go into a stone lined tank that kept the water hot until it was used when you turn on the hot water the flame turned on. They also made tankless heaters out of the same fire box with the coil copper pipe. I did turn in one coil for money I cut off the brass and got full price for the copper and brass. I used to collect copper wire from our farm house we rewired that was when you could burn off the insulation which the scrap yard now don't allow. They have to do the police's work now. The cops don't do their job anymore. Oh well it's progress now I guess. 73
Great video....always love old versus new comparisons
Thank you! All old equipment including cars was made to last and made in the US! Besides water heaters. My A/C, a Comfort Maker from 1985 was still running in 2020 when the house was sold. A Rheem A/C I had installed at another place in 2022 already broke down in 2023!!!
I’ve had a Sears Kenmore electric WH since 1996. It’s in a cool basement in summer and a cold one in winter. Bought a “jacket” for it at one point and really noticed it on the electric bill.
2022 , I pulled a leaky 80 gallon monster of an electric water heater that had a
“Puget Power “ rental sticker on it .
Was made in 1972 so it lasted 38 years until leaking for 2 years at end…..
Showers were much better with the new , smaller 60 gallon heater that lowered power bill by 200% since we it was leaking and got downsized.
Thanx for showing the inside .
Very interesting video. Amazing to see the differences in the technology. More wires = more problems. Why can’t we just have a gas valve with a thermocouple? Simple design and easy to fix.
Because the US Govt demanded pilot lights go away to "save" energy, except the pilot light puts out enough heat on mine alone to keep the water at the set temp, the ONLY time the main burner comes on is when I draw about 2-4 qts of hot water, the electronic ignotion krap will have the main burner cyling on and off 24/7 and THAT definitely wastes gas
It's good to see that they haven't really changed much besides just added safety. They used to have more fires and explosions with the old ones, and they'd fail annoyingly soon as well. Seems the ones from the past 30 years don't normally explode as much, which is nice.
@olivaddavilo9614
0 seconds ago
@RinoaL The safety features are great, but the tanks are prone to corrosion and don't last as long as the older tanks.
Dude! That sears one looks brand new! Kudos to you for taking it out so cleanly if it wasn’t against code (idk your areas codes), you could resell that!!!
Thanks for this video. More people need to demonstrate comparisons.
Thank you for the simple and clear explanation. Here in the Chicago area I’m still on my 2nd WH in my 1984 built house. The 2001 Rheem 40 gal i installed is still in place, but yes I do have a new AO Smith in the carton in my garage. My WH sets 6’ from the floor drain in an unfinished basement so I’m not too concerned. When it begins to leak then I’ll change it.
The old 2001 water heater could easily be costing 10 dollars or more per month in additional energy compared to a new water heater with 2 inches of foam insulation.
At that 120 dollars per year additional energy, if the old water heater lasts another year or three, that could add up to an additional $360 dollars or more in energy costs, especially if gas or electricity rates keep rising in the next few years.
If the new water heater is paid for and already sitting in the basement, why not install it now and start saving some money?
And, it can be scheduled to be replaced exactly at your desired time, when U feel like it.
@ very good point and I gain floor space. Thank you
Your warranty is getting shorter every day you wait. And if it’s bad right out of the box and you have had it very long you’ll have to fight them for a replacement.
@ yes understood, thank you.
When I bought my first house, water heater had an installed date of 1996. Bought house in 2014, lived in it 8 years. A few years before we moved, water got scalding hot! Gas valve stuck on, keep heating water, Bomb waiting to go off. I got home that morning from my 12 hour shift, heard a hissing noise coming from basement, I went downstairs, water heater had swelled up, blowing steam out of pop off valve. Scared me to death. Had to shut water off to whole house , turned off gas valve, open all water faucet to release pressure. Keep an eye on your older units, they definitely last a long time, lack of Maintenance will kill them. Mine was an older Sears and Roebuck water heater.
Now I'm sure they used more Steele back in the day - because those older water heaters weigh a lot more - the Reliance 501 - they run for 35 years sometimes ! Great Video!!
Cmon now, cut open that new one and lets have a look!
metal is probaby HALF the thickness
@@HobbyOrganistIt weighed about the same as the 2011 so I don't think there would be much difference. The burner is probably the only different component.
Very well done, guys!. Thank you for your hard work on this, most educational. Subscribed-
My 2001 GE electric 50gal still holding strong.
I’m still using a 1965 Chrysler Airtemp Furnace & it works flawlessly. Also have a 1986 Kennore Refrigerator that runs like a tank & is still in mint condition.
This explains why I’m always in a perpetual state of replacing/repairing things. Give me the old stuff that works for a while.
Business is about profits not about having a reputation for building quality
It wasn't at all common for those simple Sears water heaters with the tiny bit of insulation to last 50 years. My house had one in the 1970s and it probably lasted about 12-13 years before the tank rusted through and flooded the basement. It's mostly a matter of water quality, as noted in the video. As for the open combustion chamber, one of our neighbors' house burned after the pilot light in their water heater lighted fumes from a gas can they had stored in their basement (not smart, but not unheard of either).
You should probably realize how many people died, entire families, because of the way these old appliances functioned. It wasn't just from fire either. Older gas appliances wouldn't necessarily fail safe, so they might pump carbon monoxide into a house. They might have been more reliable, but there were some trade offs.
He says in the video it's rare to find water heaters this old.
Very Informative. My area in Central California also requires Lo-Nox water heaters for the smog.
Around here the really old ones are made of copper or Monel. Those sell for big money because people will install them again and they never corrode and leak. A used 1940s water heater with a Monel tank will sell for more around here than a new one costs. And someone is guaranteed to buy it in a couple days.
new ones are garbage. AO smith barely lasts 8 years. Same with the neighbor. We are going to change anode rods every 3 years now, who knows.
Monel should last forever.
DAMMMM !
That cut-off saw is friggin CRAZY!
I have my original 1988 State censible 510e water heater. It is still working well. I do wonder how much longer it will last. 0
My house (in Australia) had an electric water heater installed in 1970, Saxon brand, copper tank, indirectly heated instead of immersion heated and it lasted about 40 years before the non-pressurised tank sprang a leak. It was replaced about 17 years ago with a Dux brand vitreous lined steel tank electric heater which is still going strong. So far the anode has only had to be changed once in all that time.
Thank you for this video. Not on my bingo card but well worth watching.
My house in Durham NC was built in '92; it still has the 2 original A.O. Smith 40-gallon low-boy electric water heaters in the crawl space. I've been paying Duke Energy $8 per month for each for `15 years, so I'm sure that I've paid for 2 water heaters by now. My water is treated municipal water, so its cleanliness has probably contributed to them lasting so long.
Very interesting comparisons, thanks for the video.
Always remember to replace the sacrificial anode.
Did I miss the look inside the newest tank. I thought you cut all three open but never saw the new compared to the other two. Just wondering what you get for all that extra cost.
Yeah, I noticed that they didn't want to ruin a brand new water water.
Thanks so much for sacrificing those water heaters. It’s so interesting to see inside. I thought they were much more complex. But I was wondering why they don’t put some fins on the side of that flue pipe. Wouldn’t that transfer heat more efficiently than just straight tube? If you could make it more like a radiator it would work better. But then again it would probably add more thin exposed metal to the corrosive water. I guess you could make it out of stainless. But the cost would be outrageous.
Our house is still using an A.O. smith "Permaglass" water heater from 1955 or 1956. One more year and it will be 70 years of service. That's got to be some sort of record!
My 90's TruValue branded WH works great and my 70's Burnham boiler still runs great. Not sure if I'm crazy to consider replacing both with a combi on demand boiler unit.
My house has 2 water heaters because the house is so long. I installed two new Sta Clean units in July 1995, both are still working great, no thumping from mineral build up.
You can do another video comparing the 1940's pure copper tanks with external heaters on the side, and the ultra modern all-plastic tank heaters of today with lifetime warranties.
$1000?!?! WTF?! I replaced a few in the 90s for ~$150/ea because it was easier to just buy a new one. I still have a Kenmore heating water since circa 2000 though.
Meanwhile a friend in a dhhorton shitbox has already had to replace his at
Great illustration video, appreciate it 👍 👏
Excellent and informative! One small note: the $60 price in 1972 would be about $453 in today's dollars adjusted for inflation.
And I just bought an electric one for 409, I don't know why you would want the gas
I asked a plumber if I should replace my 15 year old water heater,. He said no. 20 years later, it's still doing its job.
my AOSMITH was installed in 1982, still going strong!
Just for reference, I have a 30 year old (1994) State brand 40G standing pilot water heater that still works fine. Yes, I do worry about it quite often but it's still going. I won't replace it for no reason. It's on a well, too.
Imagine if the gov didn't over regulate and we could buy the old style today
Things may be more “efficient” energy consumption wise, but I’m sure the math on their shorter lifespans is ultimately more expensive
Always buy a commercial model. It will have real brass and material differences from cheap residential
I own a Rheem non metallic electric water heater. I was tired of the water heaters and well pump tanks that always sprung leaks in my mom's house when I was growing up.
The water heater is still as it was when it was installed 19 yrs ago. Funny thing, the hot water assist loop on my geothermal heat pump nearby sprung a leak a year ago. The expansion tank atop the water heater had to be replaced 10 years ago. Anytime I open the drain valve, once every few years, it runs milky or clear but no sediment.
I owned a house that had a old Homart Water heater it was from the 50's.
My water heater is somewhere between 32 and 44 years old. I really should clear a path to it and inspect it.
WHen I bought my house in 1998 the STate "glass lined" gas water heater was from 1978, and it worked fine until it started to leak a little around the drain valve about 2011. I replaced it with one from Sears.
I cut open the old tank and it had a good foot of lyme built up, which was why I was never able to flush the drain on it. But the tank wall itself looked pristine grey, so it might have been a small spot that corroded around the valve where it threaded in.
They both have a pilot light, which despite the claims by the Govt- does not "waste" gas at all, in fact, that pilot light has always kept the tank of water to the set temperature with JUST the pilot light only, the only time the main burner ever comes on is if I draw about 2-4 quarts of hot water out.
Those electronic ignition POS they have everyone forced to use now will have their big main burner cycle on and off 24/7 just to maintain the temperature.
When the Sears unit goes out I'm definitely going to look at retrofitting the burner and pilot into it.
Very interesting. Thanks for making this video. It was cool to see inside.
The problem is there are too many monopolies. No competition means you can sell garbage and consumers have no choice but to buy inferior products. Its your government's fault by letting wall street do what they want. Gotta maximize profit to pay shareholders instead of providing decent products for the consumer.
Good luck convincing other people of that; most will call you a communist and dismiss anything you say after that errant deduction.
Come up with a better design, mortgage everything you have to begin producing that better water heater while meeting all government regulations. Hire employees and offer health insurance, 401k, vacation and other benefits. Their life problems become your problems. Make sure your shop is OSHA compliant (not just safe, but compliant) and document everything. Hire attorneys and accountants to incorporate and file tax returns and other onerous government filings. Then price your heater low because most people are on a budget. If you do make a profit, the IRS will be there with their hand out. I started and ran a business for over 20 years, it's not easy. Your first sentence is interesting..."too many monopolies"...
@@cbsctom7428 ROFL
the "baffle" can also be call a "turbulator" and is used to cause turbulence in the hot gas flow to improve heat transfer to the tube as the gas moves up through the pipe.
Love the old style. Less efficient, but they worked. Hate the electronics in the new ones. It's not needed. However, the sealed combustion chamber was a really good idea.
Big saw you got there
We bought a water heater in '96. It worked till this past August. Bought another one same make and stuff I expect maybe 6-7 years. The old ones worked and lasted. A problem with the new ones is the blasted crappy Honeywelll gas valve. It creates nightmares. They know it and will send you a new one all you have to do is pay for it.
The old water heaters lasted forever. They just weren't efficient. Around 2010, we replaced our water heater in our last house for efficiency reasons as well as a slightly larger unit and the old one was from the early 70's and still worked like a champ. Our house now is on its third water heater and the house was built in 2007. The last water heater lasted less than 5 years. Like most modern appliances, they are purposely not built to last and yet cost far more than the older units you likely only needed to buy once and just service. Modern appliances are mostly throwaways when anything goes wrong. Manufacturers used to pride their brands' quality and made money off of any service as well as customer loyalty. If a brand did you well, your entire house likely had appliances only from the same manufacturer.
Yes, and no. Yes, old ones lasted forever and newer ones are junk, but it's not quite as simple as the planned obsolesce argument. Manufacturers don't want water heaters to last just 5 years because they will lose money honoring the 6/9/12-year warranty, which varies by model. The main reason newer ones are junk is because we don't make any of the parts here in the USA or even Mexico anymore. They are assembled here with gas controls that are made in China, imported burners and wiring, imported, low quality metal, etc. (Gas controls are made by third parties, never the water heater maker themselves and since the recession, are the cause of a lot of water heater leaks.) They cost so much more in order to comply with "energy efficiency" regulations which require more insulation, thus making the entire heater wider and much more expensive to produce. The same is true for home appliances: A majority of imported parts because the suppliers don't make many parts in America anymore and corners have to be cut in order to compete on price with Chinese and Korean brands. So even if a brand wanted to make an appliance with the "best" parts so that it can have a longer warranty (say a sealed system warranty, for example), they are stuck with the junk that's available in the marketplace today--low quality imports.
A more technical description of the role of the anode rod is to prevent galvanic corrosion. Dissimilar metals in a water system promote the flow electrons from one metal to another. Without the sacrificial anode in the water tank, the steel of the tank gives up electrons which results in the corrosion of the tank. The anode sacrifices electrons instead and over time is destroyed rather than the shell of the tank.
It would nice to find some new old stock 😅😅
I have a tankless water heater. Brand shall not be discussed. The plumbers have just finished their fourth visit, under warranty, in order to provide me hot water.
That's rough. I've not heard any good stories about a tankless water heater except from breaking bad. They seem to be so problematic. If the unit itself isn't causing problem, another 'eco friendly' component down the line is, such as the one of those 'water saver' shower heads that has too little flowrate to have the tankless heater turn on and call for heat.
@JoyClinton-i8g Why "brand shall not be discussed?" Disclosing the brand name helps others to avoid spending money on a bad product and having to go through what you're having to deal with.
I have a Rheem tankless......still going strong after two years. It shows it was made in the USA. Some of these tankless are made in China. I have never had a problem with Rheems.
I replaced my old water heater back in 2009, at GE manufactured under license from Redeem, bought at Home Depot, with a 12 year warranty. Dog-gone tank started leaking this year. What a racket Home Depot has going! Replacement here in CA required a low nox version that needs an electric outlet. Home Depot wants $2000 to replace a 55 gal version, city permits required! WTF for a water heater replacement?!!
excellent info thanks
Just replaced my 12 year old tank last Friday. Just like all appliances in a new house these days - they last about 10 -15 years. I replaced the dishwasher, washing machine and dryer last year. The refrigerator is still original. The stove better hang in there for a good long while - it wasn't cheap.
Hope it is not induction...
Question is what’s the best you can buy today? Should take apart all the new ones that people are looking to purchase going forward.
Nice video gentlemen!
A major problem I've found with modern water heaters is the thermostat housing that threads into the tank is plastic and WILL break, flooding your house. The complete idiocy of using plastic there is shocking, especially when it's not just a matter of flooding, but flooding with boiling water and the heater never shutting off when it happens. I was so lucky that mine broke literally as i was getting ready to head to work and I heard water running while I was heading to the front door and was able to shut the water and gas off.
Were is the dip tube on the Sears heater?
It was hidden behind the flue, it exists but video didn't show it. It was also way shorter.
We bought our house at the beginning of 2019, and it came with a water heater that was made in 2013. At the end of 2022, the water heater began making strange sounds. I figured it was on its way out, and at the end of 2023, it finally sprung a leak. To make a LONG story short, I had to buy four water heaters before I finally got one that didn't leak right out of the box. (Talk about poor quality! I hope this fourth water heater lasts until we sell the house, I don't want to install another water heater again!)
Also, the first two Rheems I tried were about $1K, and the third was about $800, so I wasn't buying bargain waters... funny enough, the fourth was an AO Smith that was about $700, and so far, it's lasted a year with 0 problems.
Boy that's really disgusting quality from the manufacturers.
12/12/24, just bought a new Bradford White 50 gal short, power vent, gas, cost = $1700. The one it replaced lasted 16 years, installed 2008. The original Bradford White 50 gal short power vent lasted 21 years. I had no water softener, if you have an electric heater, you must have a softener or the electric elements will not last in this area. Cincinnati, Ohio area.
I'm at about 25-30 years with my Bradford-White currently.
are you comparing bat insulation to spray foam?
Replaced our old 1985 or so with a new 2022 propane water heater even though the older one still worked fine. I can only say to not believe the energy stickers. Our usage of propane went up drastically in spite of a lower temp setting. If we hadn't already scrapped the old one I would have re installed it already.
Nothing like the copper tanks!
Just replaced my mothers last week, it was installed in 1971……..kenmore.
The last 2 hot water heaters I had only lasted for the 7 year warranty period! 😢 And the last one I installed costed around 700 dollars!!
You mentioned that the life expectancy was primarily attributed to the tank's non-leaking. Are there any improvements in the 2024 models (on the inside) to delay the inevatable?
Long story short: government regulations make everything more expensive and overly complex.
Braindead take. 70 bucks in 72 is a little under $500 today, another value brand at your big box store is also a little under $500. So for basically a zero net change in value, you got a safer and more efficient (and therefore cheaper) product.
@grinchyface Imagine how cheap it would be nowadays without all the added complexity.
@grinchyface It's not a cheaper product when you factor in the cost of having to replace today's water heaters every seven to ten years. The older water heaters lasted 20+ years. Our last water heater (a Rheem) only lasted four years before the tank rusted through.
Why hasn't the insulation thickness increased? You'd think that would be the number 1 way of increasing efficiency.
Keep in mind that the rigid/spray foam has nearly twice the R-value as typical fiberglass 'batts'. Electric water heaters tend to have better insulation.... essentially because electric water heaters are less efficient than their gas/oil fired counterparts.
@@sc_marauder492 electric water heaters are nearly 100% efficient.... vs about 60% for gas. FYI
@@sc_marauder492 Electric water heaters are MORE efficient than gas, although in many areas they cost more to run. Do not confuse cost with efficiency
@@Argellus Sorry man, you are wrong! Don't get hung up on those EV ratings. That 100% rating is a measure of how well (or efficiently) that water heater converts energy (in this case, electricity) to heat! Advantage: Electricity. Gas/oil fired hot water heaters on the other hand loose some of their 'energy'.... right up the flue. But you HAVE to look at total operating costs (per year) and if you DO THE RESEARCH, you will find that natural gas is BY FAR the least expensive to RUN! I'm from a cold climate (New England), so please don't tell me that electricity is the most 'efficient'...because it's NOT!
@@darrellhay Exactly!
nice to watch. seems like WH stayed around $200-400 for decades. I turned my outside gas off couple months ago. Tried to relight WH and the more I pressed sparker the weaker it got. Screwed down door and said do not open. Luckily got it going late night and ordered new piezo sparker. Previous WH started leaking up on top defects known but could not get warranty replacement. Mine is getting older. Definitely need water container to divert leaks underneath.
great video,thank you for posting...do you feel that the new gas control valves tend to over shoot?...also do you usually install expansion tanks on your hwh installs?thanks
I replace one at work from 1978 in a RENTAL. literally built like a tank
I'll Take the '72 Model Please.
What about the difference with the pilot light system? I imagine on the 1972 the pilot light always remained on. The Bradford has electronic ignition of the flame ?
only the 90% water tanks have electric spark ignition
great video concept
My son loves to tell me how dumb he thinks I am. I didn’t know what was in a water tank- so he found me ignorant. Thanks for posting this. My son will feel like I am educated. 🖕🏻
Wow I guessed $50 for the 1972 and about a minute later he confirmed it!
For my Bradford-White tank, now 20 years old, I've replaced the anode rod twice and it is working. Every six monthis I drain a gallon or so out of the tank into a bucket to look for debris and do not find any. All tanks should be drained at least twice a year to remove buildup that diminishes the ability of the burner to heat the water.
My water heater is about 25-30 year old Bradford-White currently.
I just had my 10-year-old Bradford White 50-gallon electric replaced 2 days ago, it was still working fine, however the hot water would not last as long as I remembered when it was new. I had another BW installed 50 gallons, electric and it seems fine. cost installed was 1900.00 OUCH! Also, when the water from old tank was being drained out it was dark and muddy like, then it turned to rusty water, so I guess it was a good idea for a new one.
I used to live a few miles from where the Bradford White water heaters were made and I had the same issue happen - my hot water suddenly wouldn’t last nearly as long as it originally did. The plumbing company I had back then only used Bradford White and they told me there was a period of time when they had issues with the dip tube breaking off after a short period of time (shortening the amount of hot water delivered per tankful) but that they had fixed the issue. The replacement B-W water heater they put in never gave me any trouble. Hopefully you get a long life out of your replacement.
Excellent video......find a Clayton & Lambert, Alumilux sometime. I still see on now and then......aluminum tank and outer jacket flue tube
Mine is from 1976 and still works everyday.
First of all older water heaters are lasting longer then new ones and the new ones are lined with a glass liner so what has changed in the metal that new tanks last less and start leaking sooner
When my old appliances die I cry a bit knowing that I can't replace their reliability, but the newer stuff is so much more efficient that the savings can offset the replacement costs.
Was the old one glass lined?
Does that make it last much longer even if the anode is used up?
would a electronic anode make any difference on the accumulation of hard water deposits?
Thanks a lot, Great Video!!
as a former manufacturer representative... hard water has minimal bearing on the 'standard sacrificial anode' (typical lifespan 3-5 years) ... a standard anode rod is designed to repair the (fractures) of the glass lining which degrade do the heating of water 'once depleted the heater has no internal protection and will fail... (higher temperature settings can degrade the lining faster do to water becoming molecular faster and slightly abrasive over cold water... hence why it is recommended to cook using cold tap water)... hard water (water with excessive mineral content) will deposit more mineral buildup on the bottom of the tank which will solidify over time causing longer warming times and removal of space so you then get less hot water... you can alleviate sediment deposits by draining your heater, typically recommend once or twice a year.. (not a full drain, just a few gallons to flush the bottom of the tank)... during that time it is also recommended to check the life of the anode and replace if required... these maintenance steps can drastically increase the lifespan of a heater...
.... electric or powered anodes are meant as a (lifetime, no maintenance) rod and can help with limescale build up and 'hard water smell'... they do need power to operate and can cost substantially more than a 'standard anode'.... (powered anode.. approx. $100/$200 - standard anode... approx. $15/$30)... even with a powered anode it is recommended to do a sediment drain annually or bi-annually...
.... I apologize for the long winded rant, hopefully it makes some sense and was in some way helpful...
Thank you for all the great info.
Im considering switching my water heater to an electronic anode. Another users comment was that the electronic anode does not protect against the mineral part of the corrosion inside the water tank.
What do you think?
So glad you are available to answer questions. Keep up the great work!!
I subscribed 😊 love this content.
I can't get over the prices of the water heaters, as back in 2015 I bought an A.O Smit 50 gallon gas water heater for right around $450.00! I'm even more shocked that people get 15-20 years out of a tank.