Appreciation post: finally swapped out my 15-year-old water heater last Tuesday

I used to just ignore the rumbling sounds from the basement until it leaked all over my laundry room floor in Lakewood... now I actually pay attention to the maintenance dates stamped on the tank. Has anyone else dealt with a surprise flood from an old unit?

3 comments

3 Comments

kellyjones28d ago

Oh man, that rumbling sound is such a classic sign. I had an old water heater that groaned for months and I just figured it was normal, but then it dumped a whole tank full of rusty water across my garage floor. Now I check my unit every few months instead of hoping for the best and it's saved me from another nasty mess.

the_faith28d ago

My water heater did that same rumbling thing for about a week before it just gave up and flooded half my basement last spring. Honestly I had to learn the hard way too, now I drain a few gallons out every six months just to be safe. Ngl the worst part was explaining to my wife why I spent a Saturday mopping up rusty water instead of watching football.

adamr1428d ago

Man I read somewhere that water heaters actually sound different depending on what stage of failure they're at. Like the rumbling means sediment is baking on the bottom and making steam pockets. I forget where I saw it but apparently if you ignore it long enough the tank will just let go and drown your floor. Your story is exactly why I now set a calendar reminder every 4 months to flush mine. Saved my basement and my sunday football access haha.