[N/A] Should I Replace ?

[ARFlyer]

While looking over the parts I'll need to replace my water softener system I came across my water heater for the rear baths.

This electric water heater is 33 YEARS OLD!!!

Should I go ahead and swap it out and if so Gas or electric?

 

[FormerHangie]

Yes. There's probably a lot of scale inside it.

If you can get gas there and install a flue somewhat conveniently, do so, it's much less expensive to run than is electric.

 

[ARFlyer]

Yes. There's probably a lot of scale inside it.

If you can get gas there and install a flue somewhat conveniently, do so, it's much less expensive to run than is electric.

The tank is located in the basement crawl space on a rock ledge. So would I need to pull it out and place in my well room for it to be gas?

The well water has never been filtered and the showers smell like heavy metal when they're running. The water is EXTREMELY hard.

 

[Clark1961]

While looking over the parts I'll need to replace my water softener system I came across my water heater for the rear baths.

This electric water heater is 33 YEARS OLD!!!

Should I go ahead and swap it out and if so Gas or electric?

33 years is a pretty good run for a water heater...I replaced mine at 22 as part of a heating system upgrade. You are on a well so your system runs about 35 psi or so IIRC.

Couple questions: does it get much use and will a leak potentially cause significant damage?
If the rear baths don’t get much use then I’d look at it as tach time vs Hobbs time. Bonus points if it’s got containment with drainage.

Gas vs electric? Gas is more efficient and usually cheaper. Running a gas line can cost as much as a water heater so have to look at that cost.

 

[ARFlyer]

Couple questions: does it get much use and will a leak potentially cause significant damage?
If the rear baths don’t get much use then I’d look at it as tach time vs Hobbs time. Bonus points if it’s got containment with drainage.

Gas vs electric? Gas is more efficient and usually cheaper. Running a gas line can cost as much as a water heater so have to look at that cost.

It will cause ZERO water damage if it busts. It's sitting on a bedrock ledge with a water sump pit downhill from it.

I was thinking maybe gas because I'll be adding a standby gen in the near future and running standby heater lines to several closets.

The main issue would be a flue as it's under the house.

 

[Clark1961]

It will cause ZERO water damage if it busts. It's sitting on a bedrock ledge with a water sump pit downhill from it.

I was thinking maybe gas because I'll be adding a standby gen in the near future and running standby heater lines to several closets.

The main issue would be a flue as it's under the house.

If failure causes no damage and a short term operational loss is not a problem then run it until it breaks. You can always stub in the gas line for future conversion when other lines are run.

 

[ARFlyer]

If failure causes no damage and a short term operational loss is not a problem then run it until it breaks. You can always stub in the gas line for future conversion when other lines are run.

Yeah when ever I run bleach I'll drain the heater by opening the drain and walk away for a while.

 

[FormerHangie]

The tank is located in the basement crawl space on a rock ledge. So would I need to pull it out and place in my well room for it to be gas?

The well water has never been filtered and the showers smell like heavy metal when they're running. The water is EXTREMELY hard.

It may very well be a lot of work to install a flue from there, although it sounds like you could run it on the exterior of the house. Running a gas line through a crawl space shouldn't be too big of an issue.

Personally, I don't mess with gas, I've always hired a pro for that, so it may be kind of pricey.

 

[Salty]

if it ain't broke don't fix it. At best you might save some money from higher efficiency if you use a lot of hot water from it. If you don't, I'd let it go until it gives you a reason.

 

[Clark1961]

It may very well be a lot of work to install a flue from there, although it sounds like you could run it on the exterior of the house. Running a gas line through a crawl space shouldn't be too big of an issue.

Personally, I don't mess with gas, I've always hired a pro for that, so it may be kind of pricey.

Agree that crawlspace may be easy as long as there is sufficient vertical space for the tank of a gas fired unit.

Just a comment on gas. Residential systems are very low pressure and the sizing calcs are simple. If you can cut n thread black pipe and make up a connection yer pretty much golden. Pressurizing to test is almost always more of a pain for me than running pipe just because I don’t keep the fittings handy. On the other hand some of the stuff I’ve found that was done by licensed contractors is a little scary. Yup it passed the test but connections aren’t always mechanically sound which is what will matter over the long term. There’s good reason to bury the threads from a mechanical standpoint.

 

[chartbundle]

I replaced the electric water heater for my second bathroom with a line to the main water heater. I have no idea how old it was, but the galvanized pipes disintegrated when I removed it and it bled rust all over the truck on the way to the dump. Eventually that bathroom will get a little 6 gallon unit to provide immediate hot water until the hot water from the main shows up.

 

[jsstevens]

Agree that crawlspace may be easy as long as there is sufficient vertical space for the tank of a gas fired unit.

Just a comment on gas. Residential systems are very low pressure and the sizing calcs are simple. If you can cut n thread black pipe and make up a connection yer pretty much golden. Pressurizing to test is almost always more of a pain for me than running pipe just because I don’t keep the fittings handy. On the other hand some of the stuff I’ve found that was done by licensed contractors is a little scary. Yup it passed the test but connections aren’t always mechanically sound which is what will matter over the long term. There’s good reason to bury the threads from a mechanical standpoint.

If you do your own, don't use teflon tape to seal the joints. Use pipe dope. I never got a good explanation as to why but all the installers I talked to were adamant about it. So I followed their advice and it worked very well.

 

[mscard88]

If you do your own, don't use teflon tape to seal the joints. Use pipe dope. I never got a good explanation as to why but all the installers I talked to were adamant about it. So I followed their advice and it worked very well.

Or run copper lines w/ soldered fittings. That's how I always did it, but on pipe it would make sense what you wrote because there's probably a chemical reaction or something where the gas could "eat" the Teflon, I dunno just a guess. Clark's right in that it's low pressure.
We weren't supposed to do it but I'd use a match to find leaks instead of the soapy solution.

 

[James331]

Id go tankless if you're going to replace it

 

[Clark1961]

If you do your own, don't use teflon tape to seal the joints. Use pipe dope. I never got a good explanation as to why but all the installers I talked to were adamant about it. So I followed their advice and it worked very well.

Tape fragments can do a couple things. Perhaps the most important is cause a leak in a control valve. Another possibility is blocking a pilot in a burner.

At any rate I think it is a really good idea to keep any fuel system clean so no tape or other sealant which may cause blockage. Pipe dope can cause problems also so leave the first two threads dry and use it sparingly. If a specialty thread is used follow the manufacturer’s instructions for lube, sealant, make-up, and torque.

And if we are talking in general about making good threaded connections always start with clean, inspected threads. By clean I mean shiny clean using appropriate brush, solvent, and rag. Damaged or contaminated threads can prevent a seal or prevent proper make-up so that full mechanical strength isn’t developed. With clean threads in good conditions, an acceptable lubricant/sealant is usually applied and then the connection can be made-up and torqued to spec. Metal threads nearly always benefit from a lubricant/sealant. Plastic threads can be made-up dry. The only acceptable use of plastic in fuel systems is underground and all that stuff is joined by fusing it. I just threw in the comment on plastic because it’s an oddball thing and sometimes you’ll run across threaded transitions to plastic in water systems.

 

[FormerHangie]

Id go tankless if you're going to replace it

A tankless unit is considerably more expensive to buy, and will need to be descaled frequently since he has very hard water. He'd also need to run an 120 volt line to it, and provide a drain for the condensate it produces. We have one, which we need because my wife and daughters bathe/shower in the evening, pretty much all in a sequence.

 

[jsstevens]

Or run copper lines w/ soldered fittings. That's how I always did it, but on pipe it would make sense what you wrote because there's probably a chemical reaction or something where the gas could "eat" the Teflon, I dunno just a guess. Clark's right in that it's low pressure.
We weren't supposed to do it but I'd use a match to find leaks instead of the soapy solution.

I'm old enough to have actually seen the gas company tech use a match to find a leak. If they couldn't smell anything they assumed it was small enough to be safe. I've done a couple of leak checks on my grill that way as well.

 

[mscard88]

I'm old enough to have actually seen the gas company tech use a match to find a leak. If they couldn't smell anything they assumed it was small enough to be safe. I've done a couple of leak checks on my grill that way as well.

Guess I was lazy and didn't use the soap solution, or it was back in the truck. So a match worked too. Low pressure so nothing to sweat.

 

[Clark1961]

I'm old enough to have actually seen the gas company tech use a match to find a leak. If they couldn't smell anything they assumed it was small enough to be safe. I've done a couple of leak checks on my grill that way as well.

I’m thinkin’ @jsstevens and @mscard88 are due to have their genes checked...

Side note to the rest of the world. Mercaptans (the rotten egg odor stuff in natural gas or propane delivered by a utility company) can be detected by many/most folks at very low levels. We’re talking parts per million. Sniffing is good. Bubbles are better. New or repaired gas systems are supposed to be checked with air so bubbles are the only acceptable method. Gas piping standards have quite a history so if you follow them you’ll be pretty safe. As usual don’t take shortcuts with building code/standards even if some of them seem silly.

 

[mscard88]

I’m thinkin’ @jsstevens and @mscard88 are due to have their genes checked...
.

Still here Clark, and I survived!

 

[jsstevens]

I’m thinkin’ @jsstevens and @mscard88 are due to have their genes checked...

Side note to the rest of the world. Mercaptans (the rotten egg odor stuff in natural gas or propane delivered by a utility company) can be detected by many/most folks at very low levels. We’re talking parts per million. Sniffing is good. Bubbles are better. New or repaired gas systems are supposed to be checked with air so bubbles are the only acceptable method. Gas piping standards have quite a history so if you follow them you’ll be pretty safe. As usual don’t take shortcuts with building code/standards even if some of them seem silly.

I don't endorse using a match. Sniffing is good to determine if ther's leak and if you can smell it, DO NOT LIGHT A MATCH-get help and/or get out. Soap bubbles are better for finding the source of the leak. But I have see the gas company employee use a match. A very long time ago.

I've done only a few things with gas lines and I am very, very careful. I strongly recommend everybody else do the same. Hire a professional if you don't have the skills. If you do have the skills, be very, very methodical and careful.

John