The mess from a sudden tank failure is almost always more expensive and stressful than just swapping out the heater on your own terms.
Ain’t that the truth. I’ve seen more than a few folks try to squeeze another year out of a rusty tank, only to end up with a mini indoor pool at 2am. Curious—has anyone here actually had a patch job last more than a year? Or is that just urban legend at this point?
Honestly, I’ve never seen a patch job on a rusty tank last more than a few months, tops. Once that corrosion gets going, it’s just a matter of time before it finds another weak spot. I get the temptation to try and squeeze some extra life out of it, but the risk just doesn’t seem worth it. Has anyone actually tried using those epoxy kits or is that just throwing money at a lost cause?
Patch jobs on rusty tanks always make me nervous, honestly. I’ve seen those epoxy kits used a couple times—once on an old electric heater my uncle was determined to keep alive. It held for maybe two months, then started leaking again, but this time in a different spot. The thing with rust is, it’s like playing whack-a-mole... you fix one hole, and another pops up before long.
I get wanting to save a few bucks, but with water heaters, the risk of a full-on burst or flooding just isn’t worth it, in my opinion. Plus, if the tank’s already rusting through, the inside’s probably not looking much better. Sometimes you just have to call it and swap it out. Not the answer anyone wants when money’s tight, but it beats waking up to a basement full of water.
The thing with rust is, it’s like playing whack-a-mole... you fix one hole, and another pops up before long.
Man, you nailed it with that whack-a-mole comparison. I’ve seen folks try everything from duct tape (yep, really) to those epoxy patches, and it’s almost always a short-term fix. One time I got called out because someone had patched their tank three times—by the fourth leak, the thing looked like Frankenstein’s monster. At that point, you’re just delaying the inevitable.
I get wanting to squeeze every last drop out of an old heater, especially with how prices are these days. But once rust is through the tank wall, it’s pretty much game over. Even if you patch, the inside’s usually a mess of rust flakes just waiting to clog up faucets or worse. I’ve seen tanks split overnight—one minute fine, next minute you’re wading through ankle-deep water at 3am. Sometimes biting the bullet and swapping it out saves a lot of headache down the road.
Couldn’t agree more about the “Frankenstein’s monster” look—once you’re patching a tank that much, it’s really just a ticking time bomb. I’ve seen people try everything under the sun to squeeze a few more months out of a rusty heater, but honestly, once rust gets through the wall, it’s not just about leaks. The structural integrity is shot, and you’re risking a full-on rupture.
One thing I’d add: even if you’re not seeing water on the floor yet, rust inside the tank can start clogging up valves and lines. I’ve had calls where folks thought it was just a slow leak, but their hot water pressure was dropping because the dip tube or outlet was packed with rust flakes. That’s a headache to clean up, and sometimes it means replacing more than just the tank.
I get that budgets are tight, but in my experience, patching is just buying time—and not much of it. If you’re seeing rust on the outside, chances are the inside’s already worse. At that point, replacement’s usually the safer bet.
