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Hot Water Tanks

pmcplumber • Aug 01, 2019

Hot Water Heaters – What should I consider when buying or replacing?

It’s time to replace an aging or defective hot water heater.  This sounds expensive!  First, consider:   

1) Can it be repaired rather than replaced?  A qualified Plumber/Gas fitter can answer that question for you quite quickly. 

2)  How old is my current tank?  It may still be under warranty .  If it is, you can potentially avoid the cost of a new tank and just pay for the installation of a replacement.  This can potentially save you $100’s of dollars. Most water heater manufacturers have warranty checking available on their websites.  You will need the serial # off your tank to check the age and warranty remaining on your tank.   Don’t pay for a new tank if yours is still under warranty!   

3) If a new one is required,  what type of fuel does my tank require?   Natural gas is the most common in Alberta.  Some may have electric, propane or oil fired heaters.  

4) What size of tank do you have currently or require going forward?  Typical household tanks come in 40g, 50g or 60g sizes. Something else to keep in mind is new tanks won’t necessarily fit where the old one was because new ones have increased insulation and efficiency improvements that may make them wider or taller. 

5) Consider the efficiency of your prospective new tank.  Hot water heating will consume approximately 20% of all the energy used in our homes.  Efficiency will save you money! Look for the Energy Star certified water heaters to save money and cut your carbon footprint!

6) When you get a price on replacement, make sure you ask about the venting.  So many times the estimate is for the tank installation only, then extra charges are added to bring old venting up to code.  If your plumber can get in to look at the job he/she should be able to tell you if the venting will require upgrading and what this will cost.

As always, give Paul a call at PMC Plumbing for any help you need with your water heater!  587-583-5495

#PMCPlumber #waterheaters #energystar #warranty #carbonfootprint #efficiency

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