That 'vintage' water heater cost me $800 in lost time

Bought a 15 year old tank off Craigslist for $50. Thought I was smart. Guy said it worked fine. Installed it myself in the basement. Worked for 3 days then flooded the laundry room. Took me 6 hours to clean up and replace. Ended up buying a new Rheem for $750. Don't mess with old water heaters. Anyone else get burned by a 'deal' like this?

3 comments

3 Comments

robert_bell18d ago

Man that stinks! I can totally see why you'd think a $50 heater was a steal. But honestly, did you check the anode rod or drain any sediment before you installed it? I'm wondering if there was some clue you missed that would've saved you the headache.

mila_murphy2118d ago

Ugh that's brutal, I feel your pain on trying to save a buck only to pay way more later...

the_richard18d ago

Double check that anode rod before you install anything, that's always the first thing to go on an old tank... @robert_bell is right on the money about checking for sediment too. Did you happen to look inside the tank at all before hooking it up? I'm curious if there was rust or corrosion around the drain valve that you might have missed. That's usually a dead giveaway that the tank is about to blow.