Most homeowners wait to replace their water heater until they have a hot water emergency. Either the water heater quits working or worse, water starts leaking from the water heater. For some reason, these water heater emergencies seem to happen at the worst possible time: when you are getting ready for work, at night, and on weekends and holidays.
You can avoid the added expense of an emergency plumbing visit and schedule the interruption in your hot water supply by scheduling your water heater replacement when it is convenient for you. You can also avoid the damage that can be caused by a leaky water heater. Most water heaters only last about 10 to 15 years before they rust through and start leaking so if your water heater is getting old, now might be a good time to call your plumber about installing a new water heater.
If you are replacing a conventional storage type water heater, keep in mind that you have other options such as a tankless or on-demand water heater. There are advantages and disadvantages of each type so be sure to get as much information as you can before making a switch.
If you decide to stick with a storage type water heater, choose a size that fits your hot water usage pattern. There is no need to move up to a larger water heater if you have not had any problems with running out of hot water. In fact, choosing too large of a water heater not only wastes money on the appliance, but also wastes energy by needlessly keeping unused water hot.
