The Top 5 reasons you should hire a professional to install your water heater: 1. ... Make sure the water heater specialist or plumber you hire has the proper license or certification in your state. Ben Franklin Plumbing can also assist you with easy financing to keep your initial out-of-pocket expenditures to a minimum. Inspection fee – Aside from the basic install costs mentioned prior, you will also have to pay an inspection fee before the install, usually around $40; however, this fee is waived if you do decide to hire Lowe’s to install your water heater. Contact us online to ask us a plumbing question or set up an appointment. The harder your water is, the more maintenance you need. If your water is really hard you should flush it every two weeks, but for most areas with hard water can do every 1 or 2 months. Also, if I do buy one, should I get the tankless water heater or replace my 30 gallon tank gas water heater. I had the same plumber install a water heater for me at my house. It’s best to have licensed plumbing professionals perform the flushing. It is always best to call a professional plumber before you start renovating a local building or home. I think it’s very telling that every time a plumber has come to my house (not to fix the water heater), they always say something to the effect of “that’s a great choice” or “Rinnai is the best for tankless”. Water heater as an equipment is a difficult machine to handle, specifically when it comes to repairs. You are away from home a lot. Each time I sat down to draft our new annual budget, I had to bump up that water heater rental amount a little more. Chaya Kurtz writes for Networx.com. But if I buy a water heater from a plumber, I just get a total cost including installation, and no information at all about what water heater I'm getting. I could buy it and own it for a cost of $131.08 (including HST). There is no body to regulate unlicensed plumbers, which leaves you with no other means outside of lawsuits to recover … running voltage through heating elements to turn them hot), the water heater draws heat from the ambient air around the water heater … It is inexpensive to do so. It vibrated the whole house. Everything went well until we fired up the unit, and the water heater hummed to beat the band. Even if you have natural soft water you should flush the water heater at least every year. Additional costs to think about. Unfortunately, unless you are a professional, it is dangerous without the proper training and background experience. The first-hour rating tells you the number of gallons a full tank can supply per hour. Or should I hire a plumber to try and fix my current one. I'm confident I could replace any parts as needed should anything go wrong with this heater (short of screwing around with the heat pump anyway lol). A plumber gave me an estimate of $4,500 to install a Rheem tankless gas water heater. Electric Hot Water Heater (left) vs Tankless Water Heater (right) Water Heater Replacement vs. Repair. The Water Heater Vendetta Is Born… When we moved into our new home at the end of June, 2003, our hot water heater rental was a little less than $19/month. A leak in the heating unit may lead to the formation of a pool of water around the base of the device which may lead to serious accidents. Two more morals we take from this story: 1) Sorry to shatter your illusions, but you shouldn't listen to everything you read on the Internet and 2) If you need a helping hand with water heater maintenance, call a licensed plumber. It’s an electric water heater that combines a heat pump system with a storage tank water heater. Since I pay about $17 a month in rental fees, I’ll break even in under a year. A point-of-service unit can be simply plugged in to an outlet, but one providing all hot water to the house could require three 40amp double-breakers (240v) and three lines of heavy-gauge cable from box to heater (e.g., Ecosmart 27). In smaller homes like townhouses, having a smaller water heater will help you get more out of your space. Before you purchase a new water heater, take a few minutes to familiarize yourself with the different water heater types available. The size you buy depends on the number of people living in your home and your peak water usage. The labor cost for the project typically consists of an hourly rate of $65 to $199 per hour (or more). Get free estimates from water heater installers near you. Mr. Plumber can help with all of your metro Atlanta water heater repair, service and replacement needs. A good rule of thumb is that water heater’s life expectancy is 9 years. A 50-gallon water heater for a family of four should be sufficient. Tankless water heaters are also called “on demand” because they don’t run out of hot water. If I buy a Rheem/GE water heater at Home Depot, I can compare a bunch of different water heaters there, and choose which one I like best according to its features, such as how fast it heats the water, how good its warranty is, etc. The cost to install a new water heater ranges from $400 to $900 for a 40 to 50-gallon tank, and between $1,470 and $2,510 for a tankless. One of the most important issues is whether you get your hot water heater repaired or replaced. You can protect your home at an affordable cost by fixing or replacing your water heater. So you should always check with local plumbers and municipalities before you install any kind of water heater to make sure if a gas or electric water heater will be more efficient and also will comply with local ordinances. If your water tank is more than 10 years old, it may be time to consider replacement options. Types of water heaters. My city requires a permit, because it is a gas heater. My current one, which is 15 years old is leaking. I haven't talked to Home Depot about having it installed yet, but do you think they would be cheaper overall? If you have a big family, you will need a lot of hot water. Flushing your water heater means draining it then removing any sediment that’s covering the bottom or sides of the water heater. Rather than use electrical resistance to heat the water in the tank (i.e. There are a number of factors that can determine the cost. No that's a formality, but you do need to know some basic Plumbing before you go in there and realize that you don't have the stuff on hand to replace it. This time a Ruud/Rheem from a different supply house. If you travel or work long hours, you won’t be paying to heat water you aren’t using. Maintenance; A tankless unit does require maintenance. Delivery fee – A delivery fee, which is not waived, will cost about $75 and should be added to the estimates above. The plumber -- I want to say again -- gave me a price on the water heater that was equal to what I found on the web. There are two types of water heaters: Gas water heater- Runs on natural gas. I think Scott (commenter above) is confused or uninformed about the electrical requirements of whole-house electric tankless water heaters. The most expensive Rheem on the Home Depot website is $1.499. I called Direct Energy to ask about my 50-gallon conventional water heater, installed in January 2000. — The tank to your water heater should be flushed on an annual basis. Should I buy a new water heater. Doing so drains the sediment from the tank, which is then able to work more efficiently. Check your warranty for the most accurate timelines. Groundwater temperature maps should be used to verify the groundwater temperature in your area. With proper maintenance, a tank water heater tank should last six to 12 years, while the life expectancy of tankless water heaters can surpass 20 years.. Our experts are prepared to answer your questions and provide professional water heater installation services. Tank water heaters typically hold 40, 50, or 55 gallons or more. Average cost to install a tankless hot water heater: $835.52 to $1,063.38; Note: The cost to install a tankless water heater may be higher that mentioned here since there’s additional plumbing that needs to be done if you’ve never had a tankless water heater. In general, you should get your tank flushed at least 1 to 2 times a year. Corrosion on the water heater; An unusually large pool of water in the drip pan or nearby; Call your plumber if you notice any of these signs. Most water heaters are gas, so even the smallest of mistakes made during installation can cause added expenses, property damage, injury, or even death. The price given whether at the beginning or end of the job factors in their materials/labor. His labor was $78 an hour. I was also able to get the supply house water heater cheaper than the Home Depot water heater. Do you think a plumber … Which Tiny House Water Heater Should I Buy? You should flush a tank based water heater every year too. What Size Water Heater Should I Buy? This costs about $300, and a plumber can usually swap the new unit for the old one in less than an hour, Moore said. To determine whether a heater will be able to meet a household’s needs, a plumber looks at three factors: the temperature of the water coming into the heater, the peak demand for hot water in gallons per minute (gpm), and the heater’s efficiency, as indicated by … A plumber told me to replace it before I have a problem such as a leak … If the plumber is self employed, or is a full blown general contractor, he (or she) as well probably does not expect to get tipped at the end of the job. The fuel source is an important choice, but you should also consider things like efficiency, tank size, long term cost of ownership, as well as the different water heater manufacturers. A water heater is supposed to supply hot water inside the house and should you find hot water anywhere outside your property then it might mean there is a leak in the plumbing lines. Three factors to consider when you do buy and install a tankless water heater. Over the years, however, the rental company regularly raised our rates. Also, most plumbers will charge between $250 and $500 to take the old water heater out and properly dispose of it. Q: My electric water heater had a six-year warranty and is now nine years old. Every inch of room counts. I paid … Should a licensed plumber not complete work to code, they face disciplinary action from either the city or the authorizing body. 2017-08-01T14:36:52+00:00 April 18th, 2016 | Help & Tips, Water Heaters | Share This Story, Choose Your Platform! Learn more about the importance of flushing your water heater. Updated February 14, 2018. Maybe it’s time to take the plunge and buy the water heater you now rent. To choose the right size, establish two things: 1) find the first-hour rating on the heater’s label, and 2) estimate your home’s peak need for hot water. With a yearly tank flush, a water heater is likelier to last for its full life expectancy of roughly ten years. I asked to replace the water heater with another new one, and they just told me to get lost.