Water Heater Replacement Basics: Things To Think About

Posted on: 10 June 2021

Most major home appliances, such as your furnace and your hot water heater, are made to last for decades. As a result, many homeowners have never dealt with needing to replace these items. In fact, a lot of homeowners don't even know how to recognize the early signs that these appliances need to be replaced and will face complete failures and emergency replacement instead of proactive installation. Are you wondering if it might be time to replace your home's hot water heater? Here's a look at some things you should consider.

Has Your Family Structure Changed?

If you bought your house as a couple without children, a smaller hot water heater was likely sufficient for the two of you. However, as your family grows, you may find that the hot water demand of having children or even aging parents in your home has left your hot water heater struggling to keep up. If your hot water demand has changed due to a growing household, it may be time to consider replacing your hot water heater with one that has a larger capacity, faster recovery time, or works on-demand. This can help to ensure that you always have hot water when you need it, even as your household expands.

Is Your Hot Water Heater Failing?

Sometimes, the cost of ongoing repairs becomes such that it's often financially more reasonable to replace the hot water heater than to try to maintain the existing one. If your hot water heater has been failing more frequently and leaving you with increasing repair bills, that may be a sign that it's time to replace the unit altogether. The cost you'll incur to replace it will be offset by the fact that you won't be facing the repair expenses on an aging water tank that may be approaching impending failure anyway.

Do You Have Hard Water?

Hot water heaters are one of the first appliances to suffer damage from hard water. If you've recently moved into a home that has hard water, and you're getting ready to install a water softener for the house, you might want to consider replacing your hot water heater as well. Talk with a water heater replacement technician about the condition of the existing water heater to find out if there are mineral deposits in the tank. If there are, it may be more cost-effective for you to replace the tank when you install the water softener.

These are a few of the things to think about when you're deciding if it's time to replace your hot water heater. Talk with a technician near you today for more help and information about water heater replacement.

Share