Had a similar experience a couple years back—tried patching up my old heater when rust started showing. Thought I'd bought myself some time, but nope...ended up with a mini flood in the basement at 2 AM. Not fun. Switched to tankless after that, and yeah, it took some tweaking to get the temp just right, but it's been smooth sailing since. Definitely agree on those low-flow fixtures too; small changes really add up over time.
Tankless is definitely a solid upgrade, but I've found it really depends on your setup and usage patterns. Had a rental property where I put in a tankless unit thinking it'd be great, but tenants complained about inconsistent hot water during peak usage times. Ended up having to install a buffer tank to smooth things out—worked like a charm after that. Did you have to do any modifications or upgrades to your gas line or electrical panel when you switched over?
"Did you have to do any modifications or upgrades to your gas line or electrical panel when you switched over?"
Yeah, had to upgrade my gas line—tankless units usually need a higher BTU rating, so the old line wasn't cutting it. Electrical panel was fine though... depends on your existing setup. Did you check your current gas capacity yet?
Had to upgrade my gas line too when we went tankless—like you said, those units are pretty demanding. Luckily our electrical was okay, but I still had an electrician double-check everything just in case... better safe than sorry. Might wanna have someone take a quick look at your panel anyway, older houses can have hidden surprises.
"Might wanna have someone take a quick look at your panel anyway, older houses can have hidden surprises."
Yeah, can't stress this enough—older electrical panels can be tricky. Even if everything seems fine, it's amazing how quickly things can get dicey when you add modern appliances into the mix. I remember when I upgraded to tankless, my electrician found a couple of breakers that were way underrated for the new load. Glad we caught it early; could've been some serious headaches down the line.
As for the gas line upgrade, definitely agree that's often overlooked. Tankless units pull a lot more gas in short bursts compared to traditional tanks, and undersized lines can cause performance issues or even void warranty coverage (learned this the hard way from a friend's experience...). If you're already pulling permits and doing plumbing work anyway, might as well do it right from the start to avoid revisits later.
Bottom line: rusty water heater? I'd lean toward replacement rather than repair—especially if it's older than 10 years. Tankless is great if you're prepared for the upfront setup, but even a high-quality tank replacement will save you grief compared to patching up something that's already failing.