We had a client who was told that their 80-gallon hot water tank had to be replaced. Upon inspection, we did not observe any distortion, rusting, or external damage to the tank.
The plumbing company wanted to charge our client $1,899 for a 50-gallon tank and an additional $799 for a tank booster to increase the capacity.
Let’s quickly review how a hot water tank operates. Water enters the tank then is heated and then distributed throughout the home. There are no moving parts. The only parts are heating elements and thermostats and normally an expansion tank.
We recommended that our client first buy a hot water tank replacement kit to match the water heater’s specifications which has two replacement elements and two thermostats for about $45. These are available at Home Depot or On-line.
Our client turned off the electrical current to the tank, turned off the water line, then drained the hot water tank, and installed the two heating elements, and the thermostats. The hot water tank is now fully operational.
Heating elements can and will wear out depending on the water quality and the design of the related parts. That is why replacement parts are available!
The moral of the story is to see of you can make these repairs yourself or hire a handyman to complete the installation of the elements and thermostats and SAVE a lot of money! It will take about one hour to drain the tank and install the heating elements and thermostats. Wait about another half hour to allow your hot water tank to fill up then turn on the electrical circuit.