Tank water heaters
A tank is still the simple answer for many houses.
A tank keeps 40 to 75 gallons hot and ready. It is the heater most plumbers can repair on the spot, and when it fails you know how: a leak. The size on the label is only half the story. The first-hour rating beside it says how much hot water the tank can give you in the first hour, and that is the number we match to your morning.
Gas, with a vent, or electric, with a circuit
Sizes from 40 to 75 gallons
The old tank hauled away
Signs a tank is tired
What an old tank tells you
A puddle at the base
Water on the floor under the tank, not at a pipe.
Rust-colored hot water
Brown water from the hot tap only.
Rumbling or popping
Scale on the bottom of the tank, heated until it pops.
Lukewarm sooner than before
Showers run out of hot water sooner than they used to.
Tank questions
How long does a tank last?
Many last about ten years, and hard water and a worn anode rod shorten that. The label's date code tells us its age.
Repair or replace?
If the tank is sound and the part is cheap to fit, repair. If the tank itself is leaking, or it is old and a repair would be the second this year, we say replace and show you why.
Can I switch from electric to gas?
Sometimes. It takes a gas line to the heater and a vent. We look at both before we say yes.
What does a flush do?
It drains the scale off the bottom of the tank so the heater does not work through it. We do it at the same visit as an anode check.
Want a tank sized to your house?
Tell us how many people and how many baths. We write back with a size, a fuel and a price plan.