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Water Heater Leak - Replacement Options
Posted on 7/29/24 at 7:03 am
Posted on 7/29/24 at 7:03 am
Hot water heater is slowly leaking around the bottom seam and filling up the pan. It's a 2011 50 gal natural gas heated, so I assume it's toast.
What is most cost effective replacement/installation option? Home Depot & a Plumber?
Anyone have local (Mandeville/Covington area) rec?
What is most cost effective replacement/installation option? Home Depot & a Plumber?
Anyone have local (Mandeville/Covington area) rec?
5
Posted on 7/29/24 at 8:58 am to SwampCollie
Buy one at Home Depot and install it yourself.
Posted on 7/29/24 at 9:05 am to SwampCollie
Where are you located? Local Plumbing suppliers maybe cheaper it all depends on what you need.
FYI 80 gallon tanks are now ‘commercial’ and upwards of $2,000 or more. Shop online at hardware stores and call a local plumbing supplier, something’s you can save a lot with a plumbing supplier other times not so much.
ETA: ha missed the 50 gal part so don’t worry about the above.
If it’s leaking and in your house you need to do that asap.
FYI 80 gallon tanks are now ‘commercial’ and upwards of $2,000 or more. Shop online at hardware stores and call a local plumbing supplier, something’s you can save a lot with a plumbing supplier other times not so much.
ETA: ha missed the 50 gal part so don’t worry about the above.
If it’s leaking and in your house you need to do that asap.
This post was edited on 7/29/24 at 9:06 am
Posted on 7/29/24 at 9:42 am to kbmaverick
quote:
Buy one at Home Depot and install it yourself.
Nah. I'm mechanically inclined but since it's in the attic the cost of "oops" is high
Posted on 7/29/24 at 9:43 am to kbmaverick
quote:
If it’s leaking and in your house you need to do that asap
100%.... leaving for Italy in 2 wks and can't leave this bomb ticking
This post was edited on 7/29/24 at 9:46 am
Posted on 7/29/24 at 10:35 am to SwampCollie
quote:
100%.... leaving for Italy in 2 wks and can't leave this bomb ticking
Sure you can if so inclined. Turn off the cold water supply in the attic since the incoming line should have a shut-off on the water pipe entering the water heater and then shut off the gas supply at the water heater controls.
You can deal with it when you return if that suits your needs better.
Posted on 7/29/24 at 10:44 am to gumbo2176
quote:
Turn off the cold water supply then shut off the gas supply at the water heater
That was backup plan but have a guy coming out to replace on Wed.
$1,600 total for parts, labor & removal
Posted on 7/29/24 at 12:41 pm to SwampCollie
I swapped out one a little over a year ago. So simple to do. I bought the shark bite water heater connection kit. It was ~$50 and all you had to do was make sure the lines were free of burr and clean by sanding lightly.
Took longer to drain the old one and it moved out of the way than it did to get the new one hooked up.
ETA: Had a 17yr old son helping me get the old one and new moved.
Took longer to drain the old one and it moved out of the way than it did to get the new one hooked up.
ETA: Had a 17yr old son helping me get the old one and new moved.
This post was edited on 7/29/24 at 12:42 pm
Posted on 7/29/24 at 12:49 pm to bbvdd
quote:
I swapped out one a little over a year ago. So simple to do
Was it in an attic in the middle of summer? If not, yes, it is simple to do, but doing that in 125+ degree heat of an attic in the summer in S.E. La. could get to be a real chore.
Luckily, mine is in my ground floor shop, is electric and when the time comes to replace it, it's going to be a snap since I know how to solder copper pipe and do the simple wiring to get the thing up and running.
Plus, being on the ground floor on a slab, I can just put the old heater on a dolly and roll it out to the street where it would likely be picked up before days end by those guys with pickup trucks that go around picking up appliances off the curb. I would hate to wrestle a water heater in and out of an attic.
Posted on 7/29/24 at 12:49 pm to SwampCollie
quote:
and filling up the pan
PSA given to me by my plumber BIL. Check your water heater drip plans, if in the attic, from time to time to make sure no insulation or other debris has found its way into the drip pan. In his career he’s seen on more than one occasion where a water heater leak overflowed the drip pan and damaged the ceiling when the drip pan drain plugged up from debris, usually attic insulation.
Posted on 7/29/24 at 1:23 pm to CrawDude
Yeah you’d think they’d put a larger drain with a mesh filter to stop that. I can’t tell you the amount of times I’ve seen those pan drains in terrible places or not even connected back to the drain lines.
Posted on 7/29/24 at 2:54 pm to SwampCollie
DIY it’s not difficult plus what people charge to do this is insane. If you can go buy the wh and have it on site you haul the old one off and can find a plumber that will come hook it up you can prob do ok that route but having a plumber bring the WH out install and haul the old one off you get screwed for a simple task
Posted on 7/29/24 at 6:36 pm to Cracker
quote:
DIY it’s not difficult plus what people charge to do this is insane.
Totally agree. I've never had a plumber install a water heater any time I've needed to replace one, and in 71 years and being in the 3rd house I've bought, I've changed my share of them.
The hardest part is how awkward they can be depending on the size of the unit and where they need to be installed.
Don't know about other areas in La., but in N.O. plumbers are $100 an hr. and up minimum, and if they have a helper, tack on another $75 an hour.
Posted on 7/30/24 at 8:13 am to SwampCollie
In Mandeville. Got quotes from all local businesses. 5 in total.
Ended up buying 2 50 gal AO Smiths from Lowes. Hired a local plumber Randy Serpas who was highly recommended. Great guy.
He checked supply houses as well for best deal.
Saved $2500. Seriously.
Ended up buying 2 50 gal AO Smiths from Lowes. Hired a local plumber Randy Serpas who was highly recommended. Great guy.
He checked supply houses as well for best deal.
Saved $2500. Seriously.
This post was edited on 7/30/24 at 8:14 am
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