Plumbing
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What actually decides how long a tank lasts
When a tank fails early, the brand is rarely the explanation. Four things are.
| Factor | Why it matters more than the brand |
|---|---|
| The anode rod | A sacrificial rod corrodes so the steel tank does not. Once it is consumed the tank rusts from the inside out. Almost nobody replaces one, and that single omission ends more tanks than any manufacturing difference. |
| Water chemistry | Hardness, iron and acidity all attack the tank and the elements. The same heater lasts very different lengths of time on municipal water and on an aggressive private well. |
| Sediment | Scale settles on the bottom and insulates the burner from the water. The burner works harder, the bottom of the tank runs hotter, and the steel fatigues. An annual flush is the fix. |
| The install | Correct expansion control, a properly sized gas line, correct venting and a temperature and pressure discharge line that actually goes somewhere. A good heater installed badly fails like a bad heater. |
What the warranty really covers
A six year or twelve year warranty is a tank warranty, and in most cases it is a replacement tank, not a replacement installation. The labour to drain, disconnect, remove and reinstall, plus any code work the new unit triggers, is usually yours.
That is not a criticism of any particular manufacturer, it is how the category works. It does mean the difference between a six year and a twelve year model is worth less than the number suggests, and that the person who installs it matters more than the warranty length.
Tank, tankless, or heat pump
This is the decision that actually changes your outcome, and the brand question sits underneath it.
- A conventional tank is the simplest swap, the cheapest install, and the least disruptive. If the existing one is a like-for-like replacement and the venting is sound, there is nothing wrong with this answer.
- Tankless gives endless hot water and floor space, and costs more at the appliance and more at the install. It frequently needs a larger gas line, different venting, and in hard water it needs descaling on a schedule or it will scale up and lose output.
- A heat pump water heater is the efficient option and it has conditions: it needs volume of air around it, it cools and dehumidifies the space it sits in, and in an unheated basement in a New Hampshire winter its performance drops. In the right basement it is excellent. In the wrong one it is a noisy disappointment.
What we would ask before buying anything
- Has anyone tested the water? On a private well that answer changes the recommendation more than the brand does.
- How old is the current unit, and has it ever been flushed or had its anode checked?
- Does the quote include the expansion tank, the pan and drain, the discharge line and the permit?
- If this is a fuel or venting change, what happens to anything else on that chimney?
Getting it done
We install and service tank, tankless and heat pump water heaters, and the gas, venting and electrical work are the same licensed team. Water heaters is the main page. If the water itself is the problem, water treatment is the one that changes the outcome, and gas line repair covers the supply side of a tankless conversion.
We cover Manchester and Dover in New Hampshire, and Sparta and Brick Township in New Jersey.