1509 State Hwy 102 | Bar Harbor, ME 04609 | Phone (207) 288-3163 | Fax (207) 288-8061

Getting In Hot Water

     I am prompted to write this article, after replacing four electric water heaters in one week. Good for business, maybe, but not how I want to make a living.

      All four were glass lined steel tanks with five year warranties. Why does it only have a five year warranty, because that’s all the manufacturer expects it to last!

 I hate replacing products I have sold!! What’s a person to do?

Inform, educate, and make suggestions

     I could write a book on water heaters, but since I don’t have the time, and probably you don’t have the time to read it, I will just hit the high points.

 Steel Tanks are the least expensive to make so they are the most common. Water is highly corrosive to Steel, so steel tanks need to be protected, Glass lining is the most common, again because this is the least expensive system. The Glass lining is never perfect and so the steel gets extra protection from an anode rod, which deteriorates over time instead of allowing the steel of the tank to corrode. Now what’s the difference between a five year tank and a ten year tank (besides the price), not the tank. It’s the anode rod, the bigger the rod the longer the tank will last. If a person was to be diligent and replace the rod every 3 years a tank might last a long time. A couple problems with this are; who will remember and who will do it (the pro will cost about $125). Three visits and you’ve paid for a new tank.

      Another method of protection is stone lining. This is an old system, which many of the 50+ year old tanks that are still in service have. The stone (cement) traps a layer of water between itself and the steel tank, the oxygen will migrate out of this water, making it non corrosive. Fresh oxygenated water does not reach the steel, so life expectancy goes up.

       Stainless steel tanks are also available, but be aware all stainless steel is not created equal, also though the stainless will last, wherever the tank is welded it is weakened, and will fail.

      Another tank option is polyethylene; it is not subject to corrosion. State Water Heater Company developed a Poly tank a few years ago, it looked like the best thing since sliced bread, but it did not last. It suffered from delamination from the outer steel shell (causing improper temperature control), also some leakage at fittings caused water to get between the poly and the outer steel shell causing very dramatic ruptures. A new poly tank has hit the market and looks quite promising. The Rheem/Ruud water heater company has a lifetime warranty on its poly electric tank. The price tag is about 3 times more than a five year tank, and if you’re looking at that kind of investment, you should probably consider a different type of heater (not electric).

      Copper tanks would probably be excellent but are cost prohibitive to build.

     The steel and stainless steel tanks are also available in gas fired and oil fired. Both of these options are more energy efficient but suffer the same failure rate and the initial cost and replacement costs can be high.

      Tankless Gas Fired Instantaneous Water Heaters are fastly becoming an option. The initial cost is high but the life expectancy may be as good as 15 years, and operating costs can be 1/3 of electric.

       Poor quality water can affect performance and life.

 Tank type indirect fired water heaters are also an excellent choice if you have oil or gas fired boiler as your home heating source. These tanks are available in all of the above mentioned materials, but generally have a better warranty. Coil Size in these types of tanks should be noted for efficiency, a larger coil equals better heat transfer.

       Other factors arise in replacement of water heaters that we must make customers aware of. First; the permit, The State of Maine requires that a plumbing permit be taken out for the install or replacement of water heaters. The cost of permits varies from town to town. Bar Harbor is $45.

    Second; Thermal Expansion, uncontrolled thermal expansion can shorten the life of water heaters and cause Relief valves to leak. When water is heated it expands, in a closed system this causes pressure increases, this not only can create a mess from leaking relief valves, but deadly explosions. Thus enters the State of Maine plumbing Code. It is required that all installations that have a backflow preventer, on the plumbing system, must have a device to control thermal expansion ($$).