What to Consider When Water Heater Replacement
When considering a water heater replacement, there are several factors to keep in mind to ensure you make an informed decision. Here are some important aspects to consider:
- Age of the current water heater: Most water heaters have 8-12 years of life. If your existing unit is approaching or has exceeded this age range, it’s likely time for a replacement.
- Energy efficiency: Newer water heaters are generally more energy-efficient than older models. Replacing an outdated unit with a more efficient one can save you money on energy bills and reduce your environmental impact.
- Capacity: Choose a water heater with the appropriate accommodation for your household’s needs. Consider the number of people in your home, daily hot water usage, and peak usage times. This will help you avoid running out of hot water or oversizing the unit.
- Fuel type: Water heaters can be powered by electricity, natural gas, propane, or solar energy. Consider the availability and cost of each fuel type in your area and any potential environmental concerns.
- Type of water heater: There are various water heaters, including storage tanks, tankless, heat pumps, and solar. Research the advantages and disadvantages of each type to determine which best suits your needs.
- Installation costs: Water heater installation costs can vary based on factors such as the job’s complexity, labor rates in your area, and whether any modifications are needed to accommodate the new unit. Be sure to factor these costs into your budget.
- Warranty: Look for a water heater with a strong warranty. A more extended warranty period typically indicates a higher-quality product that the manufacturer is willing to stand behind.
- Local regulations and codes: Check with your local building department or a licensed professional to ensure your new water heater meets all applicable building codes and regulations. This may include requirements for proper venting, earthquake strapping, and expansion tanks.
- Rebates and incentives: Some utility companies and government programs offer subsidies for installing energy-efficient water heaters. Research these options to save on your new unit’s cost potentially.
Professional installation: Hiring a licensed plumber to install your new water heater ensures proper installation and compliance with local codes. This can help avoid potential safety hazards and costly issues down the road.
By carefully considering these factors, you can decide when and how to replace your water heater, ensuring that you choose the right unit for your needs and budget.
We often bring up water heater replacements in our online and Facebook posts. Some readers might assume it’s not just sound advice. Today we will go a little deeper into why hot water heaters must be replaced. Like any other home appliance, it can be a surprising hit to your budget. Like your refrigerator, microwave, or car, replacing the water heater will result in one less headache you can count on for several years. Consider that neglecting to replace your water heater before it fails costs far more in repairs and operational costs. So here are some additional points why it’s important to recognize the signs that you are ready to need a replacement:
Your current water heater no longer meets your needs.
Whether you have a tank or tankless water heater, every water heater is meant to be installed according to power and capacity. Simply put, if your family has grown by adding children or parents, you may need one of the more giant storage tank heaters 50-75 gallons. Alternatively, empty nesters likely will only need a 40-gallon or perhaps a tankless water heater. Muccia Plumbing, Heating & AC techs will guide you on the best choice based on a discussion rather than merely a one-for-one replacement. Muccia Plumbing, Heating & AC guidance and the family changes you provide ensure the right size, type, and installation capacity. We’ll recommend the right size water heater to keep your heating bill low while maintaining both comfort and convenience.
Loss of Efficiency
In water heating, “efficiency” means how much you must spend on average. Efficiency and utility bills are some of the first indicators that your water heater needs replacing. If you do not see your water heater usage suddenly double or triple, there should be no reason for your water heater costs to rise.
More frequent calls for repairs
Have you found yourself calling in for water heater services in #BergenCounty more than once in the same year? That is a huge clue a complete failure is close. More than any other home appliance, water heaters should never require more than one repair. If you have needed to call a plumber twice or once every year, it is a sign that your water heater needs replacing. Here’s the “but”. If your water heater is eight years old or less and giving you these signs of a problem, call Muccia Plumbing, Heating & AC. One of the frequent early failures is the purchase of a new water heater from a home improvement center. If it’s a plumbing-supply-only brand like Bradford White, it may be eligible for replacement under the manufacturer’s warranty. Of course, using a general “handyman” instead of an NJ licensed master plumber such as Muccia Plumbing, Heating & AC may prove unqualified repairs to generate revenue or simply incompetence.
Age is still the #1 reason to replace a water heater.
As we have stated, age is usually the most frequent reason for water heater replacement. A quality brand water heater, still under 7-8 years old, can be solved with a maintenance check or a repair. Leaking water, high fuel costs, and poor efficiency on a 10-year or older unit require replacement. Imagine having guests on a holiday stay-over and suddenly, there is no hot water. The table to the left is Bradford White’s guide to determining the manufactured date of one of their hot water tanks. It’s tough to read here, so please visit https://www.bradfordwhite.com/find-your-model-and-serial-number#.
However, regardless of the brand, it’s usually easier to read your town’s inspection and approval sticker. If you look at the data row, the bottom is dated 08/22/16 and signed by the inspector.
Bottom Line: How long should a tank or tankless last?
The life expectancy of water heaters varies between each type. Tank water heaters: 8 to 12 years. Tankless water heaters: Over 20 years. While there is no hard rule, where your water heater lands on the scale depends on 1) the quality and brand of the water heater 2) installation and right-sizing by a master plumber, 3) proper maintenance such as draining the tank to remove the scale or sediment—Muccia Plumbing, Heating & AC features Made in USA Water Heaters, both tank and tankless, from Bradford White. Our techs are trained by the manufacturers of all products we service to ensure proper installation and use. The choice is simple. Now that we’ve given you a detailed lesson on water heaters, there’s only one thing left to say “I call Muccia Plumbing, Heating & AC” and schedule an appointment at 201-343-1414
About Muccia Plumbing, Heating & AC
Exclusively Serving Bergen County, New Jersey
Michael Muccia is a Master Plumber and the owner and operator of Muccia Plumbing, Heating & AC. Muccia Plumbing, Heating & AC is a full-service Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning (HVAC) service company based in and serving Bergen County, NJ, since 1978. The Muccia Plumbing, Heating & AC team of trained and certified service technicians offers various services, including general plumbing and heating maintenance, for residential and commercial clients.
Whatever your plumbing, heating, air conditioning, or ventilation needs are, it’s easier with Muccia Plumbing, Heating & AC. We treat our customers, large and small, with the best service in the industry. We know you have a choice when considering an HVAC company, and no matter what we do for you, we treat it as the most crucial job in our history. Our experience proves that we know how to work efficiently, which keeps costs low, uses only the best components within budget, and stands behind the work we do.
Muccia Plumbing, Heating & AC has locations in the following areas:
Hackensack | Hillside | Ramsey | Waldwick | Maywood | Tenafly
