Pre-emptive replacement
 

Our house is 9 yrs old--planing in replacing the a/c & hot water heater @ the 10 yr mark

When we do the a/c --we will install a/c in the lanai & the garage

And the new hot water heater will be a 50 gal model vs the 40 gal one we currently have

Wondering has anyone here done anything similar

why replace water heater so early we have had them go well over 15 years.

Because in an emergency you can negotiate & our 40 gal water heater is marginal for taking a bath

peace of mind & 1 generally has difficulty negotiating in a crisis,,, probably need a larger a/c unit
50gal's a good choice & won't cost much more,,, expansion tank will handle both sizes,,, flush wtr htr every month ( 20min ) & it'll last much longer than 10yrs,,, while you're at it, recommend whole house water filter too,,, they're cheap & well worth the addl exp impo

It's probably a good idea to upsize your water heater. In my previous house, I had a 75 gallon water heater because I had a spa type bath tub. I think both the water heater and the HVAC unit will last about 15 years. 10 years seems a little too soon to replace. I don't think the ability to "negotiate" the price before something fails is worth much at all. The replacement prices are actually pretty much fixed. And, there are plenty of reputable contractors who can replace these items within a day or so. Also, if you have not been flushing your old water heater regularly, I would highly recommend that you don't start doing it now. You could create a leak in the drain valve and will have a plumbing emergency. Most people never flush their water heater. Also, if you plan to heat and cool your lanai and garage, it is very important that you plan to insulate the ceilings in these areas, which will probably involve a second contractor.

why flush your water heater?? to flush out what, we have clean city water. you may get some grit from the main water line,maybe 1/4 cup after 5-8 years. if you open the drain valve it may not reseal.

I agree. But, there will be sediment coating the bottom of the water heater over time. The problem is that, when you open the valve, the opening is very small, and most of the sediment will remain in the tank because it is stuck to the bottom. And, yes, there is a good possibility that the valve will leak when you try to close it. Rheem, a company that makes water heaters only "suggests" that you drain a small amount of water from the tank every month. And, I think they realize that almost no one actually ever does this.

The reason he is talking about flushing the hwh is he is referring to a tankless hwh. That flushing is done annually, not monthly.

go tankless on the water heater

Tankless only works if you have natural gas--we drained our 40 gal for the first time after 9 yrs very little sediment--we have a whole house water filter and an electronic descaler--they're doing a fine job

I'll take the old a/c ours is 15 years and just fine. Sounds like your money is burning a hole in your pockets. Please remember to donate.

We had the Lanai converted into a sun room and had the AC extended. If your Lanai is a birdcage type the AC will probably be less than efficient. If you enclose the lanai it requires a permit and your property taxes will rise, if your AC is extended. (It’s then classed as a Cat 5 improvement). If you want to avoid the higher taxes for an enclosed lanai you need a stand alone AC. That is probably a better option if you want to have a bird cage air cooled. We used Epic builders who gave great advice on our conversion.

Obviously it is your house and you are free to replace things as you see fit, but why? I just sold a house in which the air conditioner was over 15 years old and operating perfectly. Whenever I have an appliance repaired, invariably the repairman says "keep it running because the new products aren't as good."

Our house is 17 years old. We bought last year. Within 2 days the water heater had to be replaced, it was about to explode- rock hard. We opted for the 50 gal.
That being said we had the HVAC evaluated. It’s good for a few more years. The people dumped vinegar in the lines and caused rusting, cleaned that up, not too extensive. It’s all still within parameters for cooling and heat. We figure within 5 years for the HVAC. Note: professionals say only Run HOT water once a month thru your HVAC.
We also got a whole house system water softener. We already see the damage reversing at the sinks.

ac in garage and lanai
 

My understanding is that your RET will increase if you add the extra ac in those places