I replaced my leaking powervent water heater in November of 2020, and my new one has already started leaking. I blame the water here in Maple Grove. When I inspected the anode rod about six months ago, I found it was entirely gone. How long had it been gone for? Who knows. However, that surely played a significant role in the premature failure of my water heater.
The manufacturer’s warranty covers tank failure for six years, so I was able to return my old water heater to the place of purchase and get a huge credit toward the purchase of a new unit. The price has increased significantly since 2020, so it wasn’t an even swap, but now I have another six years of warranty.
I decided to record the entire process, partly to help others understand it and partly to demonstrate my frustration with some plumbers charging several thousand dollars in labor for this service. Enjoy!
Related Posts:
Nick Welty
July 15, 2025, 12:12 pm
Hey Ruben, long time no talk. I really enjoy all the videos and educational pieces that you put out. Around here we have thermal expansion tanks that are code required and installed but probably 999% of them (even installed by master plumbers in new construction) are installed incorrectly with the precharge air not being added to equal the water pressure resulting in almost immediate failure of the thermal expansion tank within a year, resulting in thermal expansion damage on water tanks. Have you experienced any of that in your area?
Reuben Saltzman
July 15, 2025, 1:21 pm
Hi Nick! The vast majority of our homes don’t need expansion tanks, because we don’t have backcheck valves on our water supplies. I’ve only seen a handful of expansion tanks on potable water systems in my entire inspection career.