kimel Posted April 27, 2007 Share Posted April 27, 2007 I hate water heaters. Okay, so my current, soon to be ex-water heater is 31 years old (it actually has a "Bicentennial 1776-1976 sticker on it!) and is 11 years into it's 3rd set of elements. Okay, it probably had a right to corrode through and split (this is old/cheap enough it doesn't have the sacrificial anode). But I still hate water heaters. Wife called plumber. They want $700 plus the water heater to replace it. So, like, no way dudes. If it was a gas unit, probably. But not an electric. Checked into on-demand units but no one has them in stock around here and they are wayyyyy spendy. Maybe I will get lucky and it will go fast enough I can take the rest of the day tomorrow and hit the range. But knowing my luck I'll get it finished sometime late Sunday night. Ugh. I hate water heaters. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AlamoShooter Posted April 27, 2007 Share Posted April 27, 2007 Dude buy me a plain ticket = I wil put it in for free. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
.40AET Posted April 27, 2007 Share Posted April 27, 2007 I hate water heaters.Wife called plumber. They want $700 plus the water heater to replace it. So, like, no way dudes. If it was a gas unit, probably. But not an electric. That's absolutely ridiculous!! It's a one hour job that should get billed for 2 hours at the most. I'm not a plumber and I've done 2 push pulls on electric heaters in an hour. Gas might take 2 hours at the most. Do it yourself. PM me if you need help. Yes they suck!!! I've done 4 or 5 and only the last 2 went well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Larry White Posted April 27, 2007 Share Posted April 27, 2007 Merlin and I replaced mine in about an hour, and that included a extra trip to the hardware store. But you are right, they suck.---------Larry Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jman Posted April 27, 2007 Share Posted April 27, 2007 Check with The Home Depot. Just a suggestion. They charged me around $550 for the gas heater including install. Good luck! Jim Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
George Posted April 27, 2007 Share Posted April 27, 2007 Thats too high a price Kev. DIY, or call around some more. I paid just over 7 hunnert for a new WH including install into a very difficult location in my basement last year and I'm right near a high priced urban area that has now replaced NYC as the costliest place to live in the US. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
swede Posted April 27, 2007 Share Posted April 27, 2007 Hi Kimel, I just replaced my SEIDELHUBER brand hot water heater last winter. It was 60+ years old, and I know this because the company is still in business making decorative iron works and hasn't made hot water heaters since the 1940's. I spoke with the woman whose family owns the company and was actually working there at that time, and still is (nice lady). I tried to find a replacement element, but it's very different than today's heaters (Solid copper element, 1/2" thick x 4" wide and about 12" long with a 2 bolt flange mounting arrangement). My best friend is a plumber, and after removing the old unit, it was about 2 hours of work including new piping (the old one had the inlet/outlet at the bottom instead of the top), and me doing the rewiring. Sounds like someones trying to put one over on you. I bought the heater from Sears and they offered to install it for about $200, including removal of the old one. I'm sure they would have charged more if they knew about the replumb, but I know it would have been now where near what you were quoted. It only cost me a large bottle of Jack Daniels which I got to help drink. Good times!!! Swede Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sargenv Posted April 27, 2007 Share Posted April 27, 2007 My wife and I replaced our water heater but it took all day for us. There is a closet where we had to mount it and well, never having done it before, we were careful. We replaced our very old, possibly original split, leaking, uninsulated 40 gallon, with the biggest, most insulated, 12 year guarantee, 50 gallon one. It is probably 3 ft thick, and weighed a ton (to us). It was kind of ingenious the way we lifted the thing into place, we had to lift it about 2 ft off the floor. We used, get this, paving bricks.. We'd rock it one way and put a brick under, then the other side till it was 2 ft off the ground. We were lucky to have about 2 dozen of these things. I think the unit cost about $400 and misc stuff was like $30 bucks. I hated doing the job, but I'm glad we got the one we did, cut the gas bill in half and we didn't have to add insulation as even at temp, the outside of the unit is cold to the touch. I hope it'll be easier for you, good luck! Vince Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HSMITH Posted April 27, 2007 Share Posted April 27, 2007 In my old house I had to replace the hot water heater, this was about 3 years ago. It died on Easter Sunday, and I was leaving to go out of town on Monday so it HAD to be fixed right now!! The Home Depot was open, so I bought a nice replacement there. About $350 for the goods, including the trip to go get it I spent about 4 hours on the job. Carrying the old one up out of the basement by myself and getting the new one down the steps was the only real trouble. Both were gas, gas is easier than electric IMO. Even made it to church on time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kimel Posted April 27, 2007 Author Share Posted April 27, 2007 This one goes in a closet which, I swear, was custom built around the damn thing. I already have figured out which wall will be easiest to demo and replace if necessary. The plumbing was then, of course, placed between the water heater and the door. Just bought a brand new pack of blades for the sawzall last week. I shall prevail...dammit. I replaced the water heater in a double-wide I was renting about 10 years ago. The hardest part was getting the old one out. I figure that they are all rip-off artists in the first place. This is a college town. I know someone who paid a carpenter over $1K to replace a front door. No jamb work or anything. Just buy the door, cut/plane to size, mortise in the locks and hinges and hang. About a 4 hour job. I am out of Home Depot and Lowe's range (they only go 50 miles around here). There will be a Lowe's 17 miles from me in about a year...can't wait. I told the wife I would do it if I could spend some of the left-over on a new toy. She didn't say no. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
George Posted April 27, 2007 Share Posted April 27, 2007 I told the wife I would do it if I could spend some of the left-over on a new toy. She didn't say no I'd get on it before she thinks that one through again ;-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flexmoney Posted April 27, 2007 Share Posted April 27, 2007 Bourbon, sawzall, and a BFH...sound like gunsmithing to me. Throw in the Mapp gas torch I light my cigars with, along with some head scratching...we can do some plumbing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kimel Posted April 27, 2007 Author Share Posted April 27, 2007 Bourbon. Check! Sawzall. Check! BFH. Check! Torch. Check! Cigars. Check! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Singlestack Posted April 27, 2007 Share Posted April 27, 2007 Hot goes on the left, cold on the right and s$it rolls down hill. You are now a plumber Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Round_Gun_Shooter Posted April 27, 2007 Share Posted April 27, 2007 (edited) I hate water heaters.Okay, so my current, soon to be ex-water heater is 31 years old (it actually has a "Bicentennial 1776-1976 sticker on it!) and is 11 years into it's 3rd set of elements. Okay, it probably had a right to corrode through and split (this is old/cheap enough it doesn't have the sacrificial anode). But I still hate water heaters. Wife called plumber. They want $700 plus the water heater to replace it. So, like, no way dudes. If it was a gas unit, probably. But not an electric. Checked into on-demand units but no one has them in stock around here and they are wayyyyy spendy. Maybe I will get lucky and it will go fast enough I can take the rest of the day tomorrow and hit the range. But knowing my luck I'll get it finished sometime late Sunday night. Ugh. I hate water heaters. I am a plumber (so shoot me) The install price is ridiculous unless they are painting your house too. As for water heaters, on demand are the biggest PITA you will find. I service them but will not install them. Here is the heater that will last http://www.vaughncorp.com/html/electric.html They weigh as much as a gun safe but will heat the water for less than the glass lined tanks. As for tools needed: Beer, bodies to move the heater, beer, cutter, beer, and Shark Bite fittings so you don't have to use the beer to put out the fire. http://www.cashacme.com/sharkbite.php Did I mention you need beer????? Edited April 27, 2007 by Round_Gun_Shooter Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mattbeck Posted April 27, 2007 Share Posted April 27, 2007 Hot goes on the left, cold on the right and s$it rolls down hill. You are now a plumber and payday is Friday. Now you're a plumber Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LadyinBlue Posted April 27, 2007 Share Posted April 27, 2007 I hate water heaters.Okay, so my current, soon to be ex-water heater is 31 years old I hate water heaters. I think you got your monies worth. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bgary Posted April 27, 2007 Share Posted April 27, 2007 BFH ??? B Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Larry White Posted April 27, 2007 Share Posted April 27, 2007 BFH ??? B Big fu#*ing hammer.--------------Larry Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dan Sierpina Posted April 27, 2007 Share Posted April 27, 2007 BFH ??? B Big Freakin' Hammer.....Freakin' can be interchanged with other words starting with F Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bgary Posted April 27, 2007 Share Posted April 27, 2007 Big Freakin' Hammer Ahhh.... Was trying to figure out how my ex-wife (aka "the B*tch from H*ll") fit into the process of replacing Kevin's water heater. B (in my best Emily LaTella voice.... "never mind") Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Middle Man Posted April 27, 2007 Share Posted April 27, 2007 Big Freakin' Hammer Ahhh.... Was trying to figure out how my ex-wife (aka "the B*tch from H*ll") fit into the process of replacing Kevin's water heater. Now that's comedy! I hate replacing water heaters too! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SiG Lady Posted April 27, 2007 Share Posted April 27, 2007 Well, I realize that owning a home places equity into your hands, but I'm convinced there's a price to pay for that... total responsibility for maintenance!!! I still live in an apartment and if ANYTHING utilitarian manages to dysfunction, the management replaces it instantly. That's why I pay rent. Interestingly, the water heater, the stove and the fridge are all original equipment here (15+ years old) and still going strong. But every time I wonder about all this, I remind myself inparticular of the cost of water heaters. Yes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flexmoney Posted April 27, 2007 Share Posted April 27, 2007 Bruce, Sorry for the technical terminology. I used to work Avionics (Instruments, Auto-pilot, Navigation Systems) for the USAF...where BFH is common. And, right now I am on the "old" computer. Every once in a while it's monitor needs a nice 'technical tap' to keep it running right. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Middle Man Posted April 27, 2007 Share Posted April 27, 2007 Every once in a while it's monitor needs a nice 'technical tap' to keep it running right. Archie Bunker would approve Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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