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    Water heater replacement question!

    So we have a 50 gallon electric water heater that needs to be replaced (its original to the 15 year old house we recently bought. The height of the heater is 54”, and all the ones at the hardware stores are either 48” or 60” high.

    Any advice for which size to buy? Thanks in advance!

    #2
    If the 48 is 50 gallon or larger and fits the available space I would go that route should make it easier to plumb

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      #3
      The 60 is probably skinnier than the 48.
      Different areas require different sizes. Some places have height restrictions. Mine is in the garage and so I went with the tallest skinniest one available.

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        #4
        Ummm, how much space is above your old heater?

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          #5
          The water lines come out of the wall 12” above the top of the heater, so if i went 60”, I’d need much shorter lines. I’m afraid if i went with the 48” that the existing 24” lines won’t reach the shorter heater...I haven’t seen lines longer than 24”...

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            #6
            So the water heater is 15 years old? And in good working order? So why replace it?


            The one I've got has a born on date of 1974 (NG). I know they don't make them like they used to. And read a discussion on here a couple years ago about them being replaced every 5 years or so with the new models. Being the new models are not designed to last. Just don't' see why not wait a bit if it's in good shape and working properly.

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              #7
              It’s starting to trip the reset button so it’ll go sometime soon.
              I’m a bit gun-shy because i had one fail a few years ago...split at the seam and flooded the house...woke up to 3” water in the house. It was also 15 years old

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                #8
                Mine was 15 years old when I replaced the thermostat, It started to leak about a year later.

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                  #9
                  Originally posted by Buck Shot View Post
                  It’s starting to trip the reset button so it’ll go sometime soon.
                  I’m a bit gun-shy because i had one fail a few years ago...split at the seam and flooded the house...woke up to 3” water in the house. It was also 15 years old
                  Heating elements are probably starting to "lime" up and cause hot spots in the cal-rod. You might could just replace the element(s) and get by for a few more years. Most plumbing supply houses would have replacement elements. Just need heater MFG and nomenclature.

                  Gas heaters build up calcium carbonate in the bottom and then burn thru from the flame against the tank bottom because the water is no longer in contact with the inside due to the build up. The "lime" or calcium carbonate build up acts as an insulator and keep the heat from transferring to the water. Similar happens to elect. elements. The heat is trapped underneath the buildup and causes the element to have hot spots and burn thru or short out.

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                    #10
                    Is it hard pipe or flex pipe to the hot water tank?

                    Assuming you have CPVC (usually gray plastic) I’d simply cut the CPVC back, use a plastic to threaded copper adapter, and connect to my water heater using flexible copper pipe/tubing.

                    Then it doesn’t matter which height you get as long as it fits in the space. Just remember there is a limit to how much flex a flexible copper can tolerate. Post a picture and you’d get more help.

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                      #11



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                        #12



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                          #13



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                            #14



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                              #15
                              The supply lines are flex copper. The relief line is a combination of both

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