"But honestly, if you're seeing rust-colored water, your heater's probably giving you its two-week notice."
I get why you'd think rusty water means game over, but it might be worth pausing before jumping straight to replacement. A couple years back, I had a similar issue—rusty water, weird noises, the whole deal—and was ready to haul in a new heater. But after some digging around online, I decided to flush the tank first (not hard, just messy). Turns out sediment buildup was causing the discoloration. Once flushed, the water cleared right up and the heater lasted another solid two years.
Not saying it'll fix every situation, but flushing can buy you some time and save resources. Plus, fewer heaters in landfills is always a win in my book. Of course, if it's leaking or really old, replacement might be unavoidable. But it's worth at least trying the simpler fix first...you might be pleasantly surprised.
