"The wiring was ancient—like cloth-covered ancient—and the electrician said we'd basically have to redo half the panel..."
Yeah, been there myself. Older homes always seem to have surprises lurking behind the walls. When we replaced ours, I thought it'd be a quick weekend job...turned into two weeks and multiple trips to the hardware store. Still, once you're past the initial headache, it's nice knowing you won't have to deal with rusty water or sudden leaks anytime soon. Hang in there, it'll be worth it eventually.
Did you notice if it was just the wiring or was the tank itself starting to rust out too? Sometimes if it's just surface rust, a good flush and swapping out the anode rod can buy you a few more years...
Agree, anode rod swap can help if it's just surface rust. Did you check around the fittings and relief valve area? If there's rust or moisture there, tank might already be compromised... better to replace sooner than later.
Yeah, good point about checking the fittings and relief valve—I hadn't thought of that. But even if it's just surface rust, isn't there still a risk of internal corrosion we can't see? I'm a bit paranoid about leaks after hearing my neighbor's horror story... woke up to a flooded basement because their tank gave out overnight. Maybe replacing it sooner is worth the peace of mind?
"Maybe replacing it sooner is worth the peace of mind?"
I get why you'd feel that way after hearing about your neighbor's basement disaster—definitely a nightmare scenario. But honestly, I've seen water heaters with some surface rust last years without any internal issues. My dad's old heater looked terrible on the outside, and we worried about leaks constantly, but when we finally replaced it (mostly out of paranoia), the inside was surprisingly clean. Might be worth getting a plumber to inspect internally before shelling out for a new one prematurely...
