At a loss as to best course of action to take to replace Water Heater

[NealC]

I don't have much experience with plumbing in general, or water heaters in specific. Any advice would be appreciated. Maybe someone can fill in the role for me that an experienced dad would offer!

First, the current situation: I just went out into my garage and saw that my water heater is leaking. It's not a gush, but it concerns me, and I know that there are some possible dangers that come with leaking water heaters. I'm hoping to try to deal with this situation on Monday or Tuesday, and hopefully the impending holidays do not throw a wrench in the effort.

The water heater is a State Industries serial number L01401009, which to my understanding suggests the water heater was manufactured in November 2001, per this link:
https://www.waterheaterhub.com/water-heater-age-lookup/
The model number is State PR6-40-NOCT 42W

Because the model is about 20 years old, it seems like it makes sense to just replace the unit, rather than try to repair it. While I like the idea of a tankless heater for some reasons, it seems like it makes sense financially to just install a new 50-gallon tank (slightly larger to avoid the infrequent cold water as my daughter showers at the same time we do). SoCalGas appears to offer a substantial rebate for a tankless heater, but even with that, I think the 50 gallon tank still make more sense for a tight budget? https://www.socalgas.com/save-money-and-energy/rebates-and-incentives/natural-gas-appliance-rebates

This is where I could use the most advice:

1. For an inexperienced dude who can follow directions in youtube videos but has little experience or confidence in working with plumbing/gas lines, what course of action makes the most sense for an expedited replacement effort, at a minimum cost?

2. Would the simplest and (hopefully not too expensive) solution just be to order a 50 gallon heater from Home Depot that satisfies CA's ULN requirement, and purchase "expert installation" at the same time? For instance: Rheem Performance 50 Gal. Tall 6 Year 38,000 BTU Ultra Low NOx (ULN) Natural Gas Tank Water Heater-XG50T06EN38U1 - The Home Depot

3. I don't mind hauling things. I have a mini-van and can fold down seats if it is ok to transport a water heater laying down. Does it sound like a simple thing to get HomeDepot to load the heater into my van, and then I can have a friend help me get it out of the van and into my garage, in preparation for an expert to install? If this really saved me $80, I'd probably do it.

4. What kind of turnaround time does it make sense to plan for this? I know it will depend on the provider, but does it seem reasonable that this could all be completed on Monday? Or does this seem like a several-day process?

Thanks for any insight or advice!

 

[bud16415]

Well I’m the helpful dad type and at 67 years old I changed my own last year and it was in the basement. We went to Home Depot and had no one offer any assistance so we found one we wanted and loaded it on a cart and paid for it. The two of us tipped it up onto the tailgate of her Honda Element and slid it in. Got it home and loaded it on my Harbor Freight $40 dolly and brought it into the house and found the new tanks are very hard to lift and carry as the bottom edges are rounded and have no feet. So I put a couple cam straps around it so we had something to grab and we took it down one step at a time.



Shut off the gas at the valve for the tank and shut off the water and drain the old tank as best you can. You don’t show us the top of yours and it may be soldered or it may have modern screw on connections that flex. The plumbing may be PVC or copper or PEX. The best way to make the connections is with the Flex connectors that can be added to any of the above plumbing easily as they come with Shark Bite connections.



If the new tank is a different height the exhaust height may need to be altered and if you are going with a fatter tank make sure the safety strap will work and the stand is large enough.



Mine was ready to go and the total swap out only took 30 minutes and I was lighting the pilot.



My old tank is sitting in the corner still as I’m waiting on someone stronger than me to help get it out. It can sit there for 100 years as far as I’m concerned as we don’t use the basement.



I think you should give it a try. The only way to learn is by doing.

Welcome to the forum.

 

[Guzzle]

A tank heater may lose 260 BTU/hr of your 38,000 BTU/hr input.
We pay $1.60 per 100,000 BTU so we'd lose $0.10 per day, $37/yr, with a tank heater of that size. I guess tankless loses almost no heat.

 

[bud16415]

For a tankless you may need a heavier elec. service to your house.

Assume a WH tank loses 75W continuously unless you add insulation, so depending on your elec. cost per kWh you can figure a breakeven point for a tankless/tank heater.

Looks like he has gas in the photo.

 

[Guzzle]

I must have made 3 or 4 edits to that post, plus pencil/paper/calculator stuff.

Note to self: B4 I post, figure out what I'm thinking, then translate into normal-human-speak.
This last two parts can be difficult for me.

 

[Snoonyb]

In your area, you have several alternatives, and while this is a DIY forum, which we encourage, you hadn't mentioned having asked HD if any of their vendors are available, that fit your time frame.

Most of their "contracted vendors" will purchase products, or have another source for products, as demanded.

Generally, when you check-out at HD, someone will ask you if need assistance for bulky Items.

Also, the seismic strapping is outdated. Now both upper and lower are required, and when I was doing them I would install a couple of short A point, hex drive screws through the strap into the metal heater wrap.

 

[NealC]

Thanks everyone for your replies! I admit I have some trepidation about connecting gas lines myself, but I suppose that is something youtube can give me ample instruction on.

Happily, the route from my driveway to the location in my garage is pretty direct, no stairs involved. I think I can borrow a dolly from someone to transport.

Yes, my current tank is a gas tank. My main concern with tankless is that I think I see explanations online saying that plumbing or electric would likely need to be retrofitted. They also suggest it would take quite some time to break even.

I will include a photo of the top of the tank. It looks like things are pretty corroded up at the top; is that typical?

I think my next step would be to call Home Depot as Snoonyb mentioned, and just see if they can tell me a possible time frame their contractors might be available. I'm mulling over the possibility of doing it myself, but then I also have to figure out a way to get rid of the old tank, and my wife won't be able to help lift much, as she has some chronic illness.

 

[NealC]

Here is (I think) a closer look at the corroded lines coming into the top.

 

[maxdad118]

If it’s just the connections up top, I’d repair those. The older tanks last longer, everything these days could last a few years before something fails. I work in the gas industry so that’s how I know. When I come across an older tank with an open burner compartment I tell them to hold onto it as long as possible. Until your tank develops a pinhole leak or worse, hang onto it. Thermocouples are cheap to replace, and easy. Most common failure.

 

[NealC]

It may be hard to see from the photos, but it's not up top where it is currently leaking, as far as I know. It's hard to see in pictures, but it seems there is water/moisture inside the burner compartment itself. I don't really know what's inside there besides the pilot light, but I think there is some kind of leak going on in there.

 

[maxdad118]

It may be hard to see from the photos, but it's not up top where it is currently leaking, as far as I know. It's hard to see in pictures, but it seems there is water/moisture inside the burner compartment itself. I don't really know what's inside there besides the pilot light, but I think there is some kind of leak going on in there.

Yeah, I can’t see it but that’s probably end of life then. Time for new one, unfortunately.

 

[Snoonyb]

Thanks for the expanded photo array.

This is a DIY's dream and easily accomplished.

You just need a helper to lift.

Check with you waste management, the may have bulk pick-up or deposit facilities.

You'll also need a pair of dielectric nipples.

When strapping was first required, heavy plumbers tape was often used, then the straps evolved and now it's recommended and corrected that short 2x blocks are placed between the heater and the wall, to prevent the heater from displacing, in a seismic event.

 

[NealC]

So, just an update: on the advice of some friends, and also Guzzle's comment, I did a little more research on tankless heaters. In CA, it looks like this model qualifies for rebates that exceed the cost of the unit itself ($1000 from my utility, and $300 from the Federal government): https://www.lowes.com/pd/A-O-Smith-...-Natural-Gas-Tankless-Water-Heater/1003011790

It seems like it would make sense financially to go down this route, although installation costs may end up being significant. I don't know if anyone here has any experience installing a tankless water heater?

 

[homerowner]

This is a DIY's dream and easily accomplished.

Judging from the pics this is indeed a DIY dream. Flex connectors everywhere.

And that you may have gotten 20 years out of a water heater is a bonus.

If I were you I'd go a bit overboard and replace all the connections, minor cost to ensure a correct install.

And lots of bubble water....take your time to check the fittings on the gas line.

 

[maxdad118]

I did a tankless install about 3+ years ago, I did an external unit to keep it simple. No vent pipe to run. I still have my tank unit plumbed just in case there is an outage. In CA it seems to be more common than the past with these psps events. The main reason I went to the tankless was to give me endless hot water- my jacuzzi tub in the master bedroom was using all the tanks hot water, now it’s not a problem. Would I recommend, yes. Install was simple, just had to get gas, electricity, and hot and cold plumbed to it.

 

[Guzzle]

I am as risk-seeking as the next person but I don't work on gas lines.

A guy nearby worked on a gas dryer & so at 3AM the house blew up & his wife landed on the lawn saying she couldn't breathe.
Pieces of that house went everywhere.

The ins. didn't cover this so the neighbors took up a collection.

Yes, this is
"The availability heuristic describes our tendency to use information that comes to mind quickly and easily when making decisions about the future."

Even knowing this, I still won't work on gas lines.

 

[Snoonyb]

I began installing these, LA Basin, as they were the first locally available; noritz tankless water heater

The gas supply needed to be sized, the venting is stainless and I used a timer on a recirc. system, because the primary bath was 60' from the heater.
There are recommended maintenance, primarily based upon water conditions and usage.
It's over 15yrs and still operating.

 

[NealC]

I'm waiting to hear back from an installer at Lowes, but in the meantime I am dithering between all three water heater options: tank, tankless gas, and tankless electric. It's not clear to me just how much work would be involved with going the tankless heater routes. I like the idea of tankless (especially the big rebate on the gas tankless), but maybe a traditional tank heater still makes the most sense?

I climbed into the attic and mapped out where all the gas lines go underneath the insulation, and while the main gas line is pretty thick (about 5 inches around), the line that splits off and runs down into the garage is significantly smaller (about 2.75 inches in circumference). I'm assuming a new gas line would need to be run to the water heater location in the garage. I don't really know how expensive that would be, so I started considering an electric tankless.

The electric tankless heaters are less expensive, but don't really have rebates. However, they are probably less expensive than a tank heater, minus the installation. My garage is already wired with 220 electrical (the previous owner used a large air compressor and other car maintenance tools in the garage), although I don't use it for anything and I don't know if it might still not be enough for an electric tankless heater. Maybe the breaker box would need additions.

I'm including a rough schematic of my home's gas lines and my home's layout.

 

[user 4883]

The manufacturer does not recommend laying the heater down for transport.
Does your locale require a permit?
Will you be adding an expansion tank?

 

[NealC]

Hi kok328. I think a permit is required to install or replace a water heater. I just googled it. I don't know what a expansion tank is.

I just spoke to the installer through Lowes, and they quoted me about $2500 just for the installation of a tankless gas water heater. The thing that I don't love is he didn't ask me much about my system, and he said the only tankless water heaters his team is trained on are Rinnai waterheaters that have no rebates. His quote to install a tank water heater was around $1000, so I can see why people choose to try to do it themselves.