Replacing Water Heater, Cost?

[Cal166]

Our water heater started leaking pretty badly from the T&P, half of my basement was in water but got that cleaned up.

Calling a few companies now to get some quotes. Just want to get an idea on the ball park numbers to get a Rheem 50 Gallon Gas Water Heater Replaced. Anyone done it through HomeDepot?

Thanks

Moved from OT.
admin allisolm

 

[BoomerD]

Neighbor in CA had Home Depot install a HWH for him. They did a nice professional install. Cost? I don't remember, somewhere around $1500 for a GE 50 gallon gas unit. This was in a garage though.
You don't specify whether it's gas or electric...nor what your location is. (different areas, different laws)

 

[lxskllr]

Neighbor in CA had Home Depot install a HWH for him. They did a nice professional install. Cost? I don't remember, somewhere around $1500 for a GE 50 gallon gas unit. This was in a garage though.
You don't specify whether it's gas or electric...nor what your location is. (different areas, different laws)

This is about what I paid for a 40g gas heater, and included some custom duct work. I probably could have gotten it done cheaper, or even done it myself(never worked with gas before), but money isn't so important when hot water isn't coming from the tap :^D The snower I took when they were done was one of the best showers of my life.

 

[Cal166]

It's in there but a Gas Water Heater and in Maryland.

There are few units on HomeDepot which is around $600, just wondering how much is the labor on top of that.

 

[tynopik]

why do you want to heat hot water?

/oblig

 

[Red Squirrel]

Been toying with this myself, I want to get a condensing water heater that has two pipes going out to replace the old inefficient rental (getting out of that contract is a whole other can of worms, they wanted $800ish last I checked). So that is an extra cost for installation, apparently you need a very special kind of PVC pipe for that and not just the standard ABS that furnaces use. So depends what you want to do, stick with same type of tank you have or go with something more efficient. If I had to guess a straight out swap without any other changes would probably run you about a $1,500 installed. A typical low efficiency tank with chimney runs about $800ish when I noticed them at the hardware store. The condensers are a bit over a grand but are like 90% efficient so you save in the long run. The dual pipe ones don't suck air outside, so are even more efficient (I don't believe that heat loss is typically accounted for in efficiency factors) but even the power vents with a single pipe are better than the ones with a metal chimney. Touch it when it's running, and you burn yourself, that's heat that is being wasted.

Tankless is also an option if your incoming water is not too cold. I've kinda been toying with that. I could then install it myself and only need to hire someone to do the gas line.

This reminds me I should call and get an actual estimate. With all these carbon taxes and other BS increases really been looking into ways to save energy.

 

[NL5]

1500 seems awful high to replace a existing unit. Should be able to convert to a tankless for that much. Once you do, you will never go back to a standard tank heater.

 

[feralkid]

Why not replace the leaking T&P valve?

 

[PianoMan]

Had my 50 gal HWH of 25+ years (!!!) replaced a month ago (gas, Cali). $1300 via a local plumbing shop. HWH itself was $650. Called HD and Lowe's and they gave almost identical quotes.

Ur quote is in the ballpark, if a tad high. I'd continue to shop around.

 

[lxskllr]

Had my 50 gal HWH of 25+ years (!!!)

The heater I had replaced was *serviced* in 1977. I think it was put in around 1974. It was older than one of the guys doing the installation :^D

 

[Cal166]

Why not replace the leaking T&P valve?

It's about time, over 20 years old. Also hear water dripping down to the burners, like the sound it makes when you drip water on fire.

 

[Mandres]

It cost me $450 to replace my electric unit last year. Simple to install, took about an hour. I don't like gas appliances, any efficiency benefits are far outweighed by the extra complexity and cost up front. imho, gas service in a home is long past obsolete.

 

[Red Squirrel]

Just called the HVAC company I normally deal with to get an estimate on one myself, they're suppose to call me back to schedule a time to come by.

 

[NutBucket]

It cost me $450 to replace my electric unit last year. Simple to install, took about an hour. I don't like gas appliances, any efficiency benefits are far outweighed by the extra complexity and cost up front. imho, gas service in a home is long past obsolete.

It'll never be obsolete given the cost difference. Gas will likely always be cheaper.

 

[NetWareHead]

It cost me $450 to replace my electric unit last year. Simple to install, took about an hour. I don't like gas appliances, any efficiency benefits are far outweighed by the extra complexity and cost up front. imho, gas service in a home is long past obsolete.

Your welcome to your opinion but I don't find anything complex about gas piping/fittings, a utility owned meter and a shutoff valve behind the appliance. The cost savings offered by natural gas & the amount of energy delivered by gas vs electric is my motivating factor to look for properties with available natural gas. Plumbing companies around here are making a killing converting propane and oil houses to natural gas and the utility is expanding gas service further and further.

 

[lxskllr]

Your welcome to your opinion but I don't find anything complex about gas piping/fittings, a utility owned meter and a shutoff valve behind the appliance. The cost savings offered by natural gas & the amount of energy delivered by gas vs electric is my motivating factor to look for properties with available natural gas. Plumbing companies around here are making a killing converting propane and oil houses to natural gas and the utility is expanding gas service further and further.

I watched the plumbers do the whole thing, and it looked pretty easy. It was worth the cost just to watch them. That was a valuable lesson, and the next time my heater goes up, I can do it myself if I choose to.

 

[NetWareHead]

OP do have a boiler or hot air furnace for heat? If you have a boiler, consider an indirect water heater. Better cost savings down the road vs a traditional gas fired tank.

 

[Nashemon]

I replaced my gas water heater last year after water started gushing out from the top of it. The tank cost about $500 at Home Depot. They offered installation, and I called them to get a quote, but the call kept disconnecting. So I decided in the store to just do it myself. The employee sold me everything I needed and gave me some tips.

All I remember buying was a pipe cutter, two sharkbite flex connectors, and some adjustable vent pipe (new tank was shorter than my old one). Everything else I reused. I remember I was really happy to find out that I didn't have to adjust the length of the gas pipe. That might be standard, though.

Biggest hassle besides getting it downstairs, was draining it. For some reason I could never get the water to stop coming out of it. Once I cut the copper pipe going upstairs, it continued to pour out from there indefinitely. I literally waited two days, twice filling a garbage can. I either have another water source in my house, or I didn't wait long enough, but impatience got the better of me (I needed a shower), and I just installed it while water was still coming out of it.

Pretty easy overall, and from what I read here, saved me nearly $1000.

 

[Cal166]

OP do have a boiler or hot air furnace for heat? If you have a boiler, consider an indirect water heater. Better cost savings down the road vs a traditional gas fired tank.

Yes ,the hot air furnace is right next to the water heater. We don't plan to stay in this townhouse for a long time, planning to get a single house down the road.

 

[Red Squirrel]

It'll never be obsolete given the cost difference. Gas will likely always be cheaper.

Yeah I can't imagine heating with all electric. Would cost per month what it costs per year with gas.

 

[NutBucket]

Gas is easy once you realize it's (very) low pressure. Liberal use of pipe dope and you're good to go.

 

[Red Squirrel]

Yeah it comes in at around 1 psi I think. Though most places you're not allowed to do it yourself and probably will find it hard to get the fittings and you do need a special threading tool for the pipe. So unless you plan to redo your whole house or add a fire sprinkler system (which could use same type of pipe) then easier to hire it out.

 

[herm0016]

It cost me $450 to replace my electric unit last year. Simple to install, took about an hour. I don't like gas appliances, any efficiency benefits are far outweighed by the extra complexity and cost up front. imho, gas service in a home is long past obsolete.

lol, you must live somewhere warm. I cant imagine the Bill or the size of service we would need to heat 2500 sqfeet when its 20 below 0 outside.

 

[Fanatical Meat]

1500 seems awful high to replace a existing unit. Should be able to convert to a tankless for that much. Once you do, you will never go back to a standard tank heater.

People I know with tank-less seem to all have problems with it taking too long to get hot water and it not staying hot in the shower. Whats the AT opinion on tank-less solutions?

 

[Red Squirrel]

People I know with tank-less seem to all have problems with it taking too long to get hot water and it not staying hot in the shower. Whats the AT opinion on tank-less solutions?

Been reading up a lot on them, I was considering it but from what it seems like, they're probably better for the south where the incoming water is not as cold. Here the incoming water is close to 0 degrees, basically just shy of freezing. A medium flow rate will perhaps be fine but full flow rate it might not be able to bring it up to temp fast enough. Some people end up having a tank to act as a holding tank, so the water can acclimate to room temp. But may as well just get a regular tank heater at that point.

My biggest draw to tankless was that they have high efficiency units that have two pipes going out, an intake and an exhaust. No sucking of indoor air outside. But it looks like they make tank heaters that work like that too now. That's what I'm hoping to get. A tank that is efficient like that can also be used for radiant floor heat. Well any tank or tankless can, but it only makes sense to do it with one that is very efficient.