Had a similar issue myself, but I gotta say, patching isn't always a lost cause. Couple years back, my heater started leaking—rusty water everywhere, total mess. Everyone said replace it ASAP, but I figured I'd roll the dice and patched it up with some epoxy stuff from the hardware store. Surprisingly, it's still holding strong (knock on wood...). Maybe I'm just lucky or delaying the inevitable, but hey, sometimes the gamble pays off.
"Maybe I'm just lucky or delaying the inevitable, but hey, sometimes the gamble pays off."
True, sometimes you get lucky—but honestly, patching a rusty water heater is usually just kicking the can down the road. I've seen plenty of cases where a quick fix bought someone a few extra months (or even years), but when it eventually fails—and it almost always does—the mess and damage can be way worse. We're talking flooded basements, ruined carpets, and even mold issues.
Not trying to rain on anyone's parade here, but seriously...rust isn't just a surface issue. It's structural. Once corrosion sets in deeply enough to cause leaks, you're on borrowed time. Sure, epoxy might hold for now, but you gotta ask yourself if it's worth risking bigger headaches later.
Personally, I'd bite the bullet and replace it sooner rather than later. It's not fun spending the money upfront, but trust me: a planned replacement beats an emergency call at 2 AM any day of the week.
Yeah, I get the hesitation—no one likes shelling out cash for a new heater if the old one's still limping along. Had a similar situation myself a couple years back, patched it up and thought I'd won...until it leaked all over the laundry room floor. Lesson learned the hard way. But hey, maybe you'll squeeze some extra life out of yours. Just keep an eye on it and have a backup plan ready.
Have you checked how bad the rust actually is inside the tank? Sometimes surface rust looks worse than it really is...but if it's deep corrosion, you're probably on borrowed time. Either way, sounds like you're staying alert, which is smart.
"Sometimes surface rust looks worse than it really is...but if it's deep corrosion, you're probably on borrowed time."
That's a fair point. Surface rust can indeed be deceptive, but I'd caution against assuming it's superficial without a thorough inspection. From personal experience, once rust starts showing externally, internal corrosion often isn't far behind. If your heater is nearing the 10-year mark or beyond, investing in repairs might just delay the inevitable. Consider the cost-benefit carefully—sometimes replacement is the more economical long-term choice.
