Your water heater and furnace are big investments that should work well for many years. But it’s important to remember that they don’t last forever. When a water heater fails, it costs homeowners an average of $4,444 to repair the damage — on top of the cost to replace the unit.
That’s why smart homeowners replace their water heater when it starts showing signs that it will go out soon.
Here are the most common signs that it’s time to replace your water heater:
- Your unit is more than 10 years old
- The hot water (but not cold water) runs brown or has a metallic taste/smell
- Water leaking from the water heater
- Rumbling, popping, or knocking sounds
Kramer & Company Mechanical recently replaced the furnace and water heater for a customer in Rogers, AR. This customer had an old Lennox Brand high-efficiency HM30/AM30 Space Heating/Water Heating System that was installed in 2005 — about 13 years ago.
At the time, this was a cutting edge system. It was one of the first all-in-one units with the ability to heat both your home and your water.
He started having trouble with his unit between 1-2 years ago. The problem with that particular system is that after the warranty has expired, the replacement parts can be very expensive. Because it was an all-in-one unit, it’s also a more complicated system. So it was more cost-efficient to replace the old system with a new separate furnace and water heater.
Cost Savings of Installing New Water Heater and Furnace
Having a separate water heater and furnace that are each dedicated to a single purpose will result in more efficient heating for both.
The Champion brand furnace we installed has a 96% AFUE (Annualized Fuel Utilization Rating), which means it is very energy efficient. Also, because this customer qualified for our 2018 Fall Promotion, he can take advantage of the extended warranty, covering labor and parts for 10 years (standard warranty 1 year labor/10 year parts).
For the greatest cost savings, and if your home allows it, we recommend tankless water heaters for new installations and replacements. A tankless water heater only heats water as it’s needed, so it spends less energy compared to a traditional tank. Tankless water heaters also take up significantly less space and can be mounted directly on the wall.
The model that we installed (Navien NPE-2405) is designed to last 5-10 years longer than a traditional tank — another win for our customers!
As founder Mike Kramer always says, “Kramer & Company Mechanical is built on service with integrity. We serve our customers honestly and stand behind our work.”
