Did I just break the record for world's oldest water heater?

[McLovin]

I just replaced my water heater. It caused me to research them, and I saw they typically last 8-12 years or something like that.

The one I just took out was made in . . . 1981! It's in a house I own that was built around that time.

So yeah, it went 36 years.

That, of course, without any of that mamby pamby stuff like replacing the anode rod every few years, occasionally draining it, etc. Nope, it just sat there heating water since the opening days of the Reagan Administration.

[kach22i]

Good luck with the new one, most of them are junk from what I've read. It's the electronics, they suck.

Ours was old when we replaced it, but I'm guessing you beat us by at least a decade.

[sammyg2]

Pretty sure it's called a hot water heater.

I heard that somewhere

[pwd72s]

Submit to Guinness...

[stevej37]

I'm guessing that you either have soft water in that area...or the house has a water softener installed.

[manbridge 74]

Recently replaced mine from 1991. Pretty hard water around here. No anode replacement.

[CurtEgerer]

Was it a Lochinvar? I've seen several of those go 40-50 years. Not sure about current quality or if they're even around anymore.

[tcar]

Originally Posted by sammyg2

Pretty sure it's called a hot water heater.

I heard that somewhere

Nope. Water heater.

[Evans, Marv]

That's got to be a record of some kind. The most I got out of one was a hundred gallon Rheem in a six unit apartment building. It lasted for 17 years. I think I jinxed it when I started worrying it was getting old & realized how long it had been in there. Naturally it started leaking not too long after that.

[Heel n Toe]

Originally Posted by tcar

Nope. Water heater.

Yup... sez so right on the sticker.

[sc_rufctr]

I just replaced mine. 9 years old and it failed with no warning!

[Porsche-O-Phile]

Hot water heaters used to be designed to make hot water. Now they're designed to sell more hot water heaters.

[T77911S]

mine went close to that. it was original for the house and I am sure it was built in the 70's.

it said something about "fiberglass" on the outside. fiberglass tank instead of I assume copper.
the one I replaced it with has a lifetime guarantee. only one I have ever seen.

now a days the tanks literally last as long as the warranty.

[Wetwork]

Had a hot water guy show me one time the higher on the tank the anode is the longer they last..
So if at all possible you are money ahead to find one with the highest one up the side of the tank. Even with routine flushing the instant the anode touches some sediment it's toast. If you look you can see the extra ports where the factory can weld in the anode higher or lower depending on how long the warranty is for. It's a con job for sure.-WW

[GH85Carrera]

My parents had once last about as long. They had a deep freeze that lasted through two moves to and from Hawaii, as well as 15 moves to different houses by Air Force contract movers. It still went over 40 years. It was the ONLY appliance that survived a power line to the house having a tree fall on it and cause the neutral to become a hot and all the devices plugged in got 220 volts. It fried everything in the house, except that old freezer.

Yea, water heaters are like many appliances now, disposable. Our washing machine is an old top loader and over 25 as is the matching dryer. New fridges are the worst for short life. Our is 20 years old.

[Geoz1]

The 2 AO Smiths were installed in my house in 1977. I replaced one 4 years ago, the other 3 years ago. The house was on a well until 1984 or 1985. There is no visible cues that a water softener was ever installed. I try and drain the tanks once a year. Sometimes I forget.

If I would have changed both at the same time, I would have saved a few hundred dollars. The price went up, as the water heater became "smarter".