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On-line advice says residential gas water heaters last about 8 to 12 years. I have lived here for 12 years and my neighbor says my water heater was 5 to 10 years old when I bought the house. So the water heater may be 20 years old. It still works fine but I wonder if I should get it replaced while I have time to find a good plumber rather than waiting for it to fail and have to use the first available plumber? Thanks for any advice, especially from plumbers.

On-line advice says residential gas water heaters last about 8 to 12 years. I have lived here for 12 years and my neighbor says my water heater was 5 to 10 years old when I bought the house. So the water heater may be 20 years old. It still works fine but I wonder if I should get it replaced while I have time to find a good plumber rather than waiting for it to fail and have to use the first available plumber? Thanks for any advice, especially from plumbers.

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[–] • 7 pts

give it a solid clean and drain all that sediment and shit out of it. And replace the sacrificial rod. Boom. Like new.

[–] • 0 pt (edited )

This is the right answer. If the sacrificial rod is stuck then replace whole unit. But the new one will take up more space than the old one so be sure to measure.

Also get an ro water filter because the inside of the copper pipes in your home are leeching into your water supply.

Happens when you don't maintain anode rod, which , nobody really does. So the inside of your tank is rusting and corroded and as is all your copper pipes, which you drink out of. Think about that.

[–] • 1 pt

Why would you drink water from the water heater? Use the cold tap which never has water from the heater.

[–] • 0 pt

Would you bath in Flint Michigan water?