Yeah, flushing and inspection can definitely help, but honestly, once rust starts showing up in the water, it's usually a sign things are already pretty far gone. I had a similar issue a couple years back—did the flush, replaced the anode rod, the whole nine yards. It bought me maybe another year tops before I ended up replacing the whole thing anyway.
I guess it depends on how much hassle you're willing to put up with. If you're handy and don't mind tinkering every now and then, you might squeeze some extra life out of it. But if you're like me and prefer not to worry about waking up to a flooded basement one day... might be better off biting the bullet sooner rather than later.
How old is your heater anyway? If it's pushing past 10-12 years, I'd probably lean toward replacement myself.
If your heater is already showing rust, I'd probably start budgeting for a replacement. Sure, you can flush it and swap out the anode rod to squeeze a bit more life out of it—but that's usually just delaying the inevitable. If you're comfortable doing it yourself, replacing isn't too terrible: drain the tank, disconnect gas/electricity, unhook plumbing fittings, remove old unit, install new one in reverse order... takes a few hours but totally doable. But yeah, if it's past 10 years or so, I'd lean toward replacement too.
Yeah, that 10-year mark is usually when I start keeping an eye on mine too. Last year, mine started showing some rust spots around the base, and I briefly considered doing the whole flush-and-anode-rod routine myself. But honestly, after factoring in the hassle and the reality that I'd probably need a replacement soon anyway...I decided to just bite the bullet and upgrade to a tankless unit. Not gonna lie, the upfront cost stung a bit, but now I'm kicking myself for not doing it earlier—lower energy bills, endless hot water, smaller footprint...it's been great.
If you're into eco-friendly options at all, you might wanna look into tankless or hybrid models. Over time they can save you quite a bit on energy costs and they're generally built to last longer than traditional tanks. Just something else to consider while you're weighing your options!
Tankless sounds tempting, but honestly, I'm not convinced the upfront cost balances out for everyone. My neighbor switched last year and mentioned needing pricey electrical upgrades. Sometimes sticking with a decent traditional tank and regular maintenance might actually be more practical...just depends on your setup.
"Sometimes sticking with a decent traditional tank and regular maintenance might actually be more practical...just depends on your setup."
That's a solid point. A few years back, I had a similar dilemma when one of my rental properties had a water heater rusting out. I considered tankless, but after getting quotes, the electrical upgrades alone made me pause. The electrician pointed out that older homes often need significant rewiring to handle the increased load, and that can really add up. In the end, I opted for a quality traditional tank with a good warranty and scheduled regular flushes and inspections. It's been running smoothly ever since, and my tenants haven't had any complaints about hot water supply or efficiency.
Tankless definitely has its perks, but it's not always the most cost-effective or practical solution—especially if your current setup isn't already geared for it. Every property is different, so it's worth carefully weighing the pros and cons before jumping in.
