Water heaters give you warning signs before they fail outright. The trick is recognizing them. If any of these are happening, give us a call - it does not mean you need a replacement, but it means somebody should look at it before you wake up to a flooded basement:
Honest answer: most water heaters older than 10 years are not worth a major repair. The tank itself is usually what is failing, and the tank cannot be patched. If your unit is 12+ years old, leaking from the bottom, or has a rusted-through burner assembly, replacement is the cheaper move when you do the math over the next 5 years.
But plenty of issues are real repairs we will happily make: thermocouples, gas valves, pilot assemblies, dip tubes, anode rods, expansion tanks, and pressure-reducing valves all wear out and can be swapped without replacing the heater. We will tell you straight which one you are looking at - we are not going to push a $2,000 install on a unit that has good years left.
We carry Bradford White 40 and 50 gallon gas tank units (the residential workhorses) on the truck most days. Rinnai and Navien tankless units we order in for the specific install but can usually have on hand within 48 hours. For heat pump water heaters, we install the Rheem ProTerra series.
We do not have a "brand X only" rule. If you bought a water heater yourself or have a strong preference, we will install whatever you want. The unit warranty stays with the manufacturer either way, but our installation work comes with our 2-year guarantee.
Tankless is great for the right house. The right house usually has at least one of these going on: hot water runs out during long showers, the kitchen and the bathrooms are far apart and the wait is annoying, the family wants to free up the closet space the tank takes up, or the gas line can support the bigger draw without an upgrade.
The wrong house has a small family, an electric service that cannot easily handle the upgrade, and a perfectly fine 10-year-old tank that has not given them any trouble. We will tell you which one you are. Tankless conversions usually run $3,200 to $5,400 depending on gas line work, venting, and the size unit you need.
Standard 40-50 gallon gas tank replacement runs $1,550 to $2,300 for the unit, install, permit, and haul-away. Electric units run about the same. Heat pump units are $2,750 to $4,100 installed, and they can pay themselves back in 4-7 years on energy savings. Tankless conversions are $3,200 to $5,400.
Final price is quoted in writing once we look at where the unit is going. No surprises, no day-of upcharges, no "diagnostic fee" tacked on at the end.
We install whatever you want, but here's what we put in our own family's houses. These are the brands we keep on the truck or can have in 48 hours.
A look at the kind of installs and repairs that come through the shop most days.
Old unit was 14 years old and leaking from the bottom seam. Same-day swap, new shutoff valve, new flex lines, hauled the old one away. Hot water back on by 2pm.
Family of five was running out of hot water in the second shower every morning. Converted to a Rinnai tankless, ran new gas line, new venting through the side wall. Endless hot water now.
Homeowner wanted to take advantage of the federal rebate before year-end. We sized it, installed it in the basement, ran the condensate line, and walked them through the rebate paperwork.
Tank units in our area average 10-13 years. Tankless units can run 18-22 with annual flushing. Vermont well water is hard on the inside of a tank - if you have well water and no softener, knock 2-3 years off either number. We can test your water for free on a service call.
Sediment on the bottom of the tank flashing to steam when the burner kicks on. Annoying but not dangerous in the short term. Long term it cooks the bottom of the tank and shortens its life. A flush will help if caught early. If the unit is 8+ years old, the popping is the tank telling you it is on borrowed time.
Maybe. They are great if you run out of hot water during long showers or if you have a long run from the tank to the bathrooms. They are not magically more efficient if your old tank was working fine. We will give you the honest answer for your specific house, not a sales pitch.
Yes. We charge install-only labor on customer-supplied units. The catch is that the manufacturer warranty on the unit goes through you and the store, not through us. We still warranty our installation work either way.
Yes, the Rheem ProTerra mostly. They cost more up front but they cut your water heating bill by 60-70% in our climate, and there are decent state and federal rebates right now. We will help you do the math before you decide whether the payback works for your situation.
Call before noon for same-day standard tank install. The truck shows up with the new unit, the parts, the permit, and a written quote before any work starts.