Filters can help temporarily, sure, but honestly, if you're already seeing rust, I'd lean towards replacing sooner rather than later. When I moved into my place, I tried the filter route first—water tasted better, but pressure didn't really improve much. Eventually, the rust got worse and I ended up replacing the heater anyway. If you're handy, swapping it out isn't too complicated—just drain the tank, disconnect lines, and hook up the new one. Better peace of mind than waiting for a leak...
I get the temptation to hold off and just filter for a while, but honestly, rust is usually a sign your heater's on borrowed time. Had a similar situation at my parents' place last year—dad insisted we could just slap on a filter and ride it out. Sure enough, water looked clearer for a bit, but pressure stayed pretty weak. Then one morning, mom woke up to a flooded basement... total nightmare.
Replacing isn't too complicated if you're comfortable with basic plumbing tasks, but even then, be careful draining the tank—rusty heaters can have sediment buildup that makes draining slow or messy. And make sure you shut off power or gas first (sounds obvious, but you'd be surprised how many folks forget). Better safe than sorry when dealing with water heaters.
Bottom line: filters are band-aids. If you're seeing rust already, I'd bite the bullet and swap it out before you end up with bigger issues down the line.
Yeah, gotta agree here. Filters might buy you a little time, but rust usually means the tank's already compromised. Had to help my uncle swap his out last summer—trust me, better to replace now than mop up later...
"better to replace now than mop up later..."
Yep, seen this play out way too many times. Rust spots usually mean the tank's already on borrowed time. If you're handy and wanna tackle it yourself, here's a quick rundown: shut off power/gas first (obviously), drain the tank completely (careful, water's hot!), disconnect lines, swap tanks, reconnect everything snugly, refill slowly to check for leaks, then fire it back up. Honestly, it's a weekend afternoon job—beats dealing with a flooded basement at 2 AM... ask me how I know.
Yeah, replacing early usually makes sense, but have you checked how bad the rust actually is? Sometimes surface rust can look worse than it really is. Have you tried draining a bit of water into a bucket to see how rusty it comes out? If it's just a little discoloration, you might squeeze another year or two out of it.
But honestly, if you're already seeing visible rust spots on the outside, that's usually a red flag. Ever had one burst on you? Trust me, it's not fun. I once ignored a rusty tank thinking "eh, it'll hold," and ended up ankle-deep in water at midnight... lesson learned the hard way.
Also, are you sure it's something you wanna DIY? Swapping tanks isn't rocket science, but dealing with gas lines and fittings can get tricky if you're not comfortable. Might be worth getting a quote from a plumber just to compare. Could save you some headaches down the road.
