New gas hot water heater
 

This is the year to replace my 2004 gas hot water heater. Looking for recommendations.

Prices vary, 12-15 year heater recommended. compare apples to apples. This is one of the biggest rip offs of Villagers over paying..Remember highest price, doesn't mean the best heater.

With gas I wouldn't fool around with any DIYer work or spend a lot of time trying to find the "best" and cheapest installer. Just call Mike Scott or Dove Plumbing. They both do a good job at the right price.

Contact your gas supplier. If it is TECO, they have a program that will get your heater replaced quickly and you can pay over time. We did that and found the price and terms very reasonable.

Just be careful because the "deal" from TECO is good if you can't afford a new heater and need one right away but other than that, you should call Mike Scott or Dove and they will know and be able to help you apply for any TECO credits. Also ask them if you have any choices for the replacement unit. Sometimes an upgraded tank may apply for a TECO credit and cost you less vs a very basic, low end unit that does not.

This sounds like a tank water heater. There are two distinct quality levels.

The plumbing supply house style use brass drain valves and magnesium anodes. Translation fewer problems in the future.

Whereas big box store heaters use aluminium anodes and plastic drain valves.

Name brand manufacturers make both styles

The take away: be sure that your installer uses a plumbing supply sourced heater.

Excellent advice: Very well typed and very good points.

Big box stores primarily sells low cost consumer items, the lifestyle and retirement strategy of most Americans. I had to replace a 20 year old electric hot water heater, and supply house sourced showed no issues in 20 years of age. . . . replaced with another supply house water heater as well. .

Gas On demand is good, but wastes water without a hot recirculation loop. . and water will be getting critical in the future with the continued building and currently hotter temps. . and no more hurricanes in the Atlantic basin. .

good luck to us. .

You also have to remember the mandatory yearly maintenance needed on an On Demand gas hot water system. Many cannot do it themselves so its about hundred per year to get it done.

If you have a whole house filter and softener you don't need maintenance. The filter will remove sediment before it ever gets to the heater and the softener will prevent scale buildup.

Are you indicating TECO installs used water heaters, and not new ones!

I meant yearly flushing is needed on On-Demand systems.

No, I knew someone who went through TECO, recieved financing and got a very low quality/rated unit. It worked but for the money they would have been better off going with a better rated unit.

It isn't needed if you have a whole house filter and softener.

Sorry, to clarify, with a gas On-demand water heater you need to flush and de-scale it once a year or it will eventually stop working. It's about $100 ish to get this done if you don't DIY.

With an electric tank water heater you are right, No need to flush it especially if you have a whole house water filter. With gas tank, I would flush it once a year anyway just to make sure there is no sediment on the bottom pan making it less efficient over time. But in reality, very few do this maintenance.

We will just have to agree to disagree. If you filter out any sediment prior to tank or tankless water heater there won’t be sediment in either. And if you soften the water there won’t be any calcium or magnesium to cause scale in either heater.