Marley redux: Hot water heaters

I have learned more about hot water heaters today than I ever wanted to. Perhaps this may save you similar angst:

+ There are three types: traditional tank, tankless, and calorifiers.

+ The first is the cheapest, in the short term. But they only last for 13 years at the best. Mine, ITOT, is a six year version and takes $1000 in parts and labor to replace, without complications.

    - the complication, of course, is that when they installed it they had to take out and reinstall a couple of doors, so we'd have to do the same to replace it, so add another $1000.

+ For that amount of money you can install a tankLESS unit, prolly two of them. If you are smart. 

     - As it is, since my predecessor was not, I can do that, but then what to do with the old unit? 

     I vote for kicking it into a corner and letting the next owner decide if s/he wants to go to the expense of ripping out and replacing doors to get rid of it.

+ The third is appealing in an engineering sense and is what I have on the boat. A calorifier that takes hot space heating water from the furnace and circulates it through a tank to heat the service water. But new technology to American plumbers. And still leaves me with the problem of what to do with the old heater...

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So how to avoid this angst?

Start with a healthy dose of RTFM:

+ ITOT tank heaters have anodes to counter-effect water chemistry. The anodes are designed to be replaced periodically, like every year. We, of course, have never touched them.

+ They also have drains and are designed to be flushed out every six months preferably, but at least annually. Again, we, of course, have never done this.

Had I done these things, maybe it would have lasted longer.

Does anyone remember Marley?

     http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jacob_Marley
     http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Christmas_Carol

No "if-onlies"...
 
But in any case, you can check the manufacturer date with the serial number:

http://www.inspectorsjournal.com/Forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=2542
http://www.hotwater.com/
http://www.stateind.com/

ITOT there are very few true manufacturers, and AO Smith is a big one. Mine was State Industries, subsequently acquired by AO Smith.

So check out the date of your unit and get prepared, either by saving up or at least having a plumber come by and check things out.

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Clearly, after all this, the TANK solution is off my 'scope. Haven't yet decide between options #2 and #3.

But for you, my friends, as with my cancer bouts (get your colonscopies and stay out of the sun), I hope this little Screwtape venture may spare you further misery.

Check your anodes, purge the tank. Every six months.