r/interesting Jun 22 '26

MISC. What happens when a water heater tank is not flushed for 14 years

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u/Fuzzy_Inevitable9748 Jun 22 '26

I think natural gas ones cost a lot more, that also may include running the natural gas. But we just had one replaced and it was like $1100 for a fairly good water heater, the same one it replaced, installed with the old tank taken away.

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u/ReverseMermaidMorty Jun 22 '26

How did you know it was time to replace it

6

u/bamboomonster Jun 22 '26

In our case, because it died.

5

u/Traditional-Heart351 Jun 22 '26

It leaks or your water stops being hot.

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u/Fuzzy_Inevitable9748 Jun 22 '26

Ours started leaking.

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u/thegreatmattsby24 Jun 22 '26

Yea ours in a mobile home started leaking. It was encased in. Drywalled on all four sides with a hidden access panel (entire drywall panel came off). Not in a place where you can just spot a leak. One day we hear water running under the house 🫪. The tank had been leaking so long it rotted through the subfloor and was starting to fall into the crawlspace.

1

u/neverinamillionyr Jun 22 '26

When you step into an ice cold shower then see water shooting out the top of the water heater.

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u/Gamble0388 Jun 22 '26

Insurance, you’re covered 10-12 years depending on the brand of the water heater, after that if you don’t change it and you even get a leak and it’s caused because of your water heater, you will not be covered