Hot Water Heater Price Shock

[Zee09]

Houses don't use water people do Install two smaller ones. Two Electric 30 gallon units are under $900- If that ain't enough People need schooling. I have a Tankless coil in my Oil fired Boiler. Endless hot water; Even with 45 degrees drilled well water feed !
You don't know how to solder pipes? Plumbers and contractors are nuts with their fees typically$ 300/ hour.
I will ignore them at that cost.

I just read you got it done at a reasonable cost. I glad you weren't a sucker for the "Housewife" quote

The plumbers helper was complaining he can't live on $1400. a week. He was age 30.
He told me I didn't ask..

Then he said he will retire at 40...lol. True story

 

[dishdude]

The plumbers helper was complaining he can't live on $1400. a week. He was age 30.
He told me I didn't ask..

Then he said he will retire at 40...lol. True story

I hope you gave him a tip, stop huffing the PVC cement.

 

[Zee09]

I hope you gave him a tip, stop huffing the PVC cement.

I did give him a tip.
I told him he was lucky he was young. He smiled....

 

[Zee09]

Home Depot contractors are ripping too.

Don't worry, it is because of transitory inflation. Situation won't last more than ten years.

View attachment 69328

Yeah neither will the water heater.
I'm hearing many are lasting only 6 years...yikes

 

[Wolf359]

Home Depot contractors are ripping too.

Yeah neither will the water heater.
I'm hearing many are lasting only 6 years...yikes

You have to replace the anode rod. I got these last year, $13.45 at the time. Now it's $28.99. They were always in that $12-$13 range for years, I think that's about what I paid for them 9 years ago. I guess inflation is real although that's a .9 inch thick rod and you can get a slightly thinner rod at .84 inches for $17.68. You should ask that plumber how much they charge to change out the anode rod. They don't do it too often as most people don't know they should change it out after 4-5 years. I think the factory ones are only .625-.75 inches thick so even at .84, the replacement rod should last longer than the factory one.

https://www.supplyhouse.com/Rheem-SP11526C-900-x-44-3-8-Magnesium-R-Tech-Anode-Rod
https://www.supplyhouse.com/Rheem-SP11524C-Rheem-Magnesium-Anode-Rod-44-long

 

[Ws6]

I have only been out of the HW heater game for 4 years...
Sticker shock.....
80 gallon Hybrid electric installed
Only $4500.
Even LP and small 40-50 gallon ones are crazy..installed.
Thankless are bad but cheaper than the hybrid.

Wow. I had a $700 50 gallon installed in my house the other day. Wild! My home owner warranty paid for all but the $125 service fee. It works fine. Why are you paying $2K for a hot water heater?

 

[Zee09]

Wow. I had a $700 50 gallon installed in my house the other day. Wild! My home owner warranty paid for all but the $125 service fee. It works fine. Why are you paying $2K for a hot water heater?

I have a home warranty but mine did not fail. It was very old and well rusted. My home warranty fee is only $65 but the contractors stink and their reimbursement deal is a fiasco if you get your own guys.

I ended up getting a very good deal.
Shopped hard though.
But I will tell you here in MD. They are ripping everyone off.

Call Lowes or home depot in your area. Ask for a installed 50 gallon electric and they will tell you $2000 to $2400 and local plumbers are worse. Crazy...

Sears was king here. Super inexpensive and quick installs.
But they disappeared.

Cheap tankless...???
Here they want near $4400 for a Bosch unit. Not just one place but most. I'm not a Bosch fan. Other brands they want like $3800.
Installed that is.

Hot water is now gold

 

[Ws6]

I have a home warranty but mine did not fail. It was very old and well rusted. My home warranty fee is only $65 but the contractors stink and their reimbursement deal is a fiasco if you get your own guys.

I ended up getting a very good deal.
Shopped hard though.
But I will tell you here in MD. They are ripping everyone off.

Call Lowes or home depot in your area. Ask for a installed 50 gallon electric and they will tell you $2000 to $2400 and local plumbers are worse. Crazy...

Sears was king here. Super inexpensive and quick installs.
But they disappeared.

Cheap tankless...???
Here they want near $4400 for a Bosch unit. Not just one place but most. I'm not a Bosch fan. Other brands they want like $3800.
Installed that is.

Hot water is now gold

Mine didn't fail either, it was just old. The element burned out in it (it was about 15 years old or so), and being as it was so old, they just replaced the hot water heater vs. replacing the element. This is the one I had installed:
https://www.supplyhouse.com/Bradfor...-Saver-Electric-Residential-Water-Heater-240V

also, I registered it just now under warranty with BW. Wild. I didn't do that at the time. Thank-you!

 

[Zee09]

Mine didn't fail either, it was just old. The element burned out in it (it was about 15 years old or so), and being as it was so old, they just replaced the hot water heater vs. replacing the element. This is the one I had installed:
https://www.supplyhouse.com/Bradfor...-Saver-Electric-Residential-Water-Heater-240V

also, I registered it just now under warranty with BW. Wild. I didn't do that at the time. Thank-you!

I have the same exact wh. you have in my shop. Mine is about a year old.
You might like this video.
Same goes for electric units.

 

[benjamming]

Yep, just got a lesson this crazy pricing scheme as well. Large plumbing outfit for this area quoted $900 to install a LP heater located in the garage with no permits, etc. required. Basically half of what he quoted for the water heater which is itself crazy.
We went with a local plumber for $175 to install.
Replacing a 15-year old Bradford White 65-gal 65k BTU input. Bought Bradford White high input from SupplyHouse.com and saved ~$700 & that's after shopping around to many different local supply houses.
Lead times are even more insane than the pricing at least for high BTU input models from all of the suppliers, 8-9 weeks.

 

[alarmguy]

A couple years ago I paid $900 for a 50 gallon gas installed and he was a plumber from our community, came on Christmas Eve no less. I have no problem paying him what we did, excellent professional job and of course he had his helper to pay as well. I see prices are up on the water heaters themselves about 25%, actually that goes for all home appliances. It will take a year or two for supply to catch up.

As far as plumbers and tradesman. Well, its supply and demand, free country, don't like their price go someplace else or do it yourself.
Some people have no clue of all the expenses running your own business which is irrelevant anyway as people can charge whatever they like and no one is forced to use them, just as no one can force them to do the work at a different price. We dont have forced labor here and these people took a risk starting their own business and certainly are entitled to reap their rewards.

We live in a country where people who pack out paper towels on store shelves or grocery shop for other people make $15 to $20 an hour Min.
Min pay for any employee at Bank of America is $20 an hour going up to $25 an hour and lets not forget all the paid benefits including time off and health ins. Put this in perspective and look at the cost of running your own business and making it worthwhile to even bother.

Think about that plumber who has to pay his helper $1,400 a week just to get his help. Never mind all the costs associated with it and the fact that the government takes 15%+ of the money people pay him right off the top in mandatory self employment tax AKA Social Security never mind the boatload of other taxes and insurance he has to pay.
Then lets think about who is paying the plumbers and his helpers health insurance at a price of at least $12,000 a year that's over $200 a week. Then lets try to figure out how many water heaters he can install in a day to make if worth while to even be in business, if he can even stay in business.
(ok Im rambling *L*)

 

[Zee09]

A couple years ago I paid $900 for a 50 gallon gas installed and he was a plumber from our community, came on Christmas Eve no less. I have no problem paying him what we did, excellent professional job and of course he had his helper to pay as well. I see prices are up on the water heaters themselves about 25%, actually that goes for all home appliances. It will take a year or two for supply to catch up.

As far as plumbers and tradesman. Well, its supply and demand, free country, don't like their price go someplace else or do it yourself.
Some people have no clue of all the expenses running your own business which is irrelevant anyway as people can charge whatever they like and no one is forced to use them, just as no one can force them to do the work at a different price. We dont have forced labor here and these people took a risk starting their own business and certainly are entitled to reap their rewards.

We live in a country where people who pack out paper towels on store shelves or grocery shop for other people make $15 to $20 an hour Min.
Min pay for any employee at Bank of America is $20 an hour going up to $25 an hour and lets not forget all the paid benefits including time off and health ins. Put this in perspective and look at the cost of running your own business and making it worthwhile to even bother.

Think about that plumber who has to pay his helper $1,400 a week just to get his help. Never mind all the costs associated with it and the fact that the government takes 15%+ of the money people pay him right off the top in mandatory self employment tax AKA Social Security never mind the boatload of other taxes and insurance he has to pay.
Then lets think about who is paying the plumbers and his helpers health insurance at a price of at least $12,000 a year that's over $200 a week. Then lets try to figure out how many water heaters he can install in a day to make if worth while to even be in business, if he can even stay in business.
(ok Im rambling *L*)

Being in business since the late 70's I get it. However quoting to install
a $2300. Retail wh. Which they marked up as well and quoting $4500. is a serious joke.
I had three bids like that.

I understand business but understand most in this country live paycheck to paycheck. So I ain't buying the poor contractor drama.

My costs go up and up but my prices keep going down because of increased foreign competition. Oh and by the way my competitors stole my products.

I have sympathy for all sides but one younger man can do it all easily
in a few hours and that is cruising along. I get your points but the prices I am seeing is borderline criminal.

 

[alarmguy]

Being in business since the late 70's I get it. However quoting to install
a $2300. Retail wh. Which they marked up as well and quoting $4500. is a serious joke.
I had three bids like that.

I understand business but understand most in this country live paycheck to paycheck. So I ain't buying the poor contractor drama.

My costs go up and up but my prices keep going down because of increased foreign competition. Oh and by the way my competitors stole my products.

I have sympathy for all sides but one younger man can do it all easily
in a few hours and that is cruising along. I get your points but the prices I am seeing is borderline criminal.

I dont disagree with you being upset and can see you understand business.
You had three quotes like that and got lucky to find someone to do it for less. As for the other 3 quotes that is certainly their right to charge whatever they want and yes, our right to complain.
Clearly they dont want the business unless it is worth it to them..

 

[Zee09]

I dont disagree with you being upset and can see you understand business.
You had three quotes like that and got lucky to find someone to do it for less. As for the other 3 quotes that is certainly their right to charge whatever they want and yes, our right to complain.
Clearly they dont want the business unless it is worth it to them..

Agreed...thanks...
Here I find most don't want to work and look to score big. Do 2-3 water heaters a month and party the rest of the time. You can't do that making $175. to $300.per install.
But $2000 plus 3 or 4 suckers a month sounds good..lol
Oh well...

 

[Dennywires]

Your money isn’t worth jack these days. I definitely wouldn’t go hybrid however, I don’t see a savings in the initial investment vs the life expectancy of modern household appliances.

 

[JTK]

I have sympathy for all sides but one younger man can do it all easily
in a few hours and that is cruising along. I get your points but the prices I am seeing is borderline criminal.

I dread having to contract out any trade work because of what you describe. 20+ years ago, I had estimates done for a basic asphalt shingle roof job range anywhere from $6K to $20K. Same job, same materials, warranty, etc. Wound up having a friend of a friend who works for one of the big boys do the job on a weekend for $5500.

Same with septic systems. Had estimates anywhere from $7K to $24K for the same system. If you don't have "a guy" it's tough.

 

[Rand]

I got my AO smith 50gal hybrid for 200$+79 delivery to my basement.(-18% cashback/gas perks). then installed it myself for less than 60$ including ez fittings, and drain.

Did get the 300 federal tax rebate but nothing else here.. from electric company etc.

Plumber quoted 3600$ for same model. Retail on the hot water tank was 1200


looks like they have 80gal models at menards for $1717

For anyone suggesting regular electric.. the payback is 2-5 years on hybrid.. for me its about $20-$25 /month savings.

If gas is available and gas water heater was previously installed it is still usually cheaper and faster to recover, but hybrid blows away regular electric or propane on the cost.

I guess technically it is heating hot water most of the time

 

[Dennywires]

I got my AO smith 50gal hybrid for 200$+79 delivery to my basement.(-18% cashback/gas perks). then installed it myself for less than 60$ including ez fittings, and drain.

Did get the 300 federal tax rebate but nothing else here.. from electric company etc.

Plumber quoted 3600$ for same model. Retail on the hot water tank was 1200


looks like they have 80gal models at menards for $1717

For anyone suggesting regular electric.. the payback is 2-5 years on hybrid.. for me its about $20-$25 /month savings.

If gas is available and gas water heater was previously installed it is still usually cheaper and faster to recover, but hybrid blows away regular electric or propane on the cost.

I guess technically it is heating hot water most of the time

You’re brave using “homeowner special fittings” so many times I’ve seen shark bite now only bites the homeowner in the rear-end later.

 

[Rand]

You’re brave using “homeowner special fittings” so many times I’ve seen shark bite now only bites the homeowner in the rear-end later.

I'm glad you know what I have in my basement.
I have pex water lines and the water heater fittings are the flex line type then clamp ring.

I didnt really "need" them. I turned the water tank 30degrees so I didnt have to extend the electrical. and the flex lines made that easier.
top electric on old tank, side electric hookup on new tank.
I also have a water leak alarm so not much "bravery" needed for self install.

Pex is like installing legos and I didnt cheap out on my crimper. Not claiming to be any sort of plumbing expert but this install didnt need one.

 

[Zee09]

Did you guys notice how light weight these new electric water heaters are like the 50 gallon models. They weigh about nothing compared to just 10 years ago.