Replacing water heater

leaking

I have a 16 -17 year old AO Cyclone, 240000 btu 100 gallon that works fine. ( once it needed a gas valve, once a simple valve) Should I wait till it fails? How long do they last?It's in a 12 unit apartment. The unit has been good but I want to research new units before it breaks and get forced into something at the last minute. I need a smaller size unit as just getting that AO into location took me about 8 hours with 4 guys, it's just a tight basement to negotiate and the AO hits the ceiling so the anode rod never was replaced. ( I never flushed it either) I looked at prices for AO and all I can say is wow, I paid maybe 2900 for this Cyclone and put it in myself with pro help. What would you guys do. I don't even think I need a unit this big, it was sized when shower heads were full flowing, maybe 3-5 gpm, I have 1.5 gpm shower heads now, and faucet output reducers at 1 gpm or less. What would you do?

Robert O'Connor_12

Replace it before April 16th. That's when new standards kick in. All heaters are getting wider & taller and alot more expensive.
I don't even want to guess what the price difference would be.

leaking

What new standards, "all heaters are getting wider taller and more expensive" oh , the old ones style can't be sold anymore? It isn't 4-1 yet.

Larry Weingarten

Hello: I'd have a look at the anodes in the existing tank and see what's left. Flexible anodes are available as replacements.

Robert is correct that the rules are changing and the manufacturers will have to change what they make after 4-16. Old stock can be sold for one yer after that. Here is a link: http://aceee.org/blog/2015/02/water-heaters-get-efficiency-makeover .

Yours, Larry

leaking

Wow flexible anodes , I didn't know about that. I only have about 12" above my tank so I couldn't just pull out the old ones to look, but after 15-16 years do you think anything is left? I could raise the existing anode and cut it off as I raise it to remove it, then just slide in a new one ? Is this worthwhile? What about removing the Clean out panel and removing the scale? I've never done it of course, 5 years ago several people said I should not disrupt the unit incase something breaks. Is it to late for a scale removal job? Im using Chicago water, the unit I pulled out was maybe 15 years old and had about 18" Eighteen inches of rocky scale in it. I'm sure this one does also as there is no pre filter ( yea I'm dumb) Should and can this be done on a unit this old? Sure I'd like to keep it 10 more years, it's expensive to replace these things.

JUGHNE

I have noticed cyclones do not give you the audio warning of scale build up. (Old coffee pop percolator or popcorn popping) If your design is what I'm thinking the fire is not under the tank, but in the center fire tube heat exchanger.
There was one running fine after 12 years, the owner was convinced to pop it open for inspection. The drain valve had never been operated. It could be removed/unscrewed without losing any water. Full flow ball valve was installed and opening cleaned by roding out to drain tank.
Inside tank bottom was about 6" deep with white sludge/cottage cheese type sediment. But no hard scale present as no fire to cook the bottom of the tank with this fire tube design (IMO). Anode rods were maybe 30-40% gone. We have pretty tank friendly water with 5 grains hardness.
With mirror or inspection camera you could see the rods without removing them.

Rich_49

Look into HTP Phoenix. PH130 - 160 - 199 , 55 , 80 or 119 gallon .
Modulating , condensing , no anode rods due to 316L SS tank . Will be same or less than cyclone .

http://www.htproducts.com/phoenixwaterheater.html

http://www.htproducts.com/Phoenix-Multi-Fit.html