[somerset72]

Has anyone replaced their hot water tank? Who did you go through? I'm thinking about having "Pat the Plumber" come over and take a look at it but I think we need a new tank. It's been popping alot and I read online that the hard water corrodes it terribly.

[njbchbum]

if you do a search for pat the plumber you will find numerous opinions re their work - not all of them favorable.

we used kiley for one of our dilemmas and were most pleased with their promptness and professionalism.

[Lou Card]

Let me get this straight. HOT WATER HEATER.

If the Water is hot why would you want to heat it?

Now a cold water heater would come in handy for showers and dish washing and the like.

[REDCART]

Lou Card makes a point! When a hot water tank goes, it doesn't make popping sounds which could either be air or the normal sound of expansion during the heating cycle. You'll know when a hot water tank "goes" because it will begin leaking! Not sure how long the warranty is on hot water tanks installed in TV but I'll bet it's 10 years. If so, it will go just before or just after the ten year mark. The manufacturers have it down to a science. Some homes are installed with a small expansion tank on top of the hot water tank. These small expansion tanks have a rubber bladder and are beginning to fail for some at the 5 year mark. If these expansion tanks are not replaced normal pressure in the system will force water to pass from the pressure relief valve on the side of the hot water tank.

[Patty]

We had to replace our water heater (leaking) last year and went with TECO - they have a program that is no interest for 5 years and it bills on your monthly gas bill. It was also $125.00 less than the lowest plumber estimate we received and also through lowes or hd.

[redwitch]

I would definitely not go with Pat the Plumber -- have not heard one good thing about them.

I've found Frederick's (352/750-1782) to be pretty good, reliable and reasonable in their work and I know they do hot water heaters. If it doesn't need replacing, I believe they're honest enough to tell you that.

[batman911]

The popping you hear from the water heater is caused by sediment build up in the bottom of the tank. This causes the bottom to overheat to get the water to the set temperature. You can prevent this situation by draining water from the water tank (be careful) by connecting a hose to the drain plug. If you do this maintenance routinely, along with changing the zinc anode (look on top of the water heater for a plug you can remove with a wrench), your water heater will last much longer.

You must turn off the water heater and water supply before you perform this maintenance.

[inda50]

I use Robert Isherwood for my plumbing needs. Found him to be reliable and reasonable. In the back page of the Daily Sun .Tel. 352-259-9331

[floridafun]

I've always used and am happy to recommend Patrick of Paramount Plumbing and Gas. He's clean-cut, friendly, and very reasonable. His number is 352-330-7233. Many of my neighbors have used him and have been very pleased.

[Pturner]

We were very pleased with Fredrick's.

[mfp509]

My hot water heater was popping and it was sediment that had collected at the bottom. The plumber came, drained it and I couldn't believe all the white "rocks" that came out. That was a couple of years ago and it is still as good as new.

[grayesun]

We had our water heater replaced a few weeks ago under warranty coverage, it was only 3 years old and had 6 years of coverage. Tank was leaking out of freeze plug on top of unit, piping installation was poor (all hard piped, no unions) and a lot of corrosion around NPT connections on tank.

We used service man highly recommended here in TOTV...no name to be mentioned.

New installation comments:
The good:
Done on-time as scheduled, quickly, cleanly and at reasonable cost.
Upgraded plumbing to include union joints (swivel connectors on flex hoses).

The not so good:
Leaks at swivel connection days after installation; easy tightening fix.
Poor hot water service to house; worse than before changing plumbing - it appears the new flex hoses are too small as it takes a long time for hot water to reach house. Correcting this problem now.

Lesson: Be careful if you need to change plumbing on new installation.

[zcaveman]

Hopefully my water softener will keep those sediments and deposits from building up. A plus for a water softener.

A water softener is not all about taste but about the hard water and the damage it causes.

[gregs238]

is your water heater electric or gas?