Hot water heater question?

[Kestas]

Why are water heaters so expensive? I replaced mine 17 years ago. It was $199 on sale. I replaced my mother's 9 years ago -- $450 installed. All 40 gallon gas units.

 

[Wolf359]

They're not, you can still get them for around $400. But they're different than they were several years ago, now you've got push button ignition and self diagnostic controls that you didn't have before. But if you can replace the anode and get another 6 years out of the tank, then you've saved $400+, and if you have several of them, it adds up.

 

[JTK]

Originally Posted By: DBMaster
When I replaced my 40 gallon gas heater ten years ago Home Depot quoted $1,000 - installed - by one of their approved contractors...


Wow that's high, but I guess this will vary by area. Outfits by me will install a 40g high today for $600-700 all-in. Like said above, the cost of the water heater alone is ~$400. They sealed up the burner, supposedly added more insulation and basically doubled the price of them over the past few years.

 

[DBMaster]

I noticed the sealed burner housing on the one I installed in 2007. It has a push button igniter, like a gas grill, to start it. It has slightly larger exterior dimensions than the one I replaced, same 40 gallon capacity, 1996 vintage. That's due to the extra insulation. The heater uses an almost insignificant amount of gas. I end up paying the minimum base charge to my gas supplier in the months I don't use heat. I spoke with a plumber earlier today about another topic and the cost for an installed water heater is even higher now.

 

[maverickfhs]

Majority of you might know this, but here's a very useful website:

http://www.waterheaterrescue.com/Longevity/water-heater-basics.html