When did water heaters get so expensive?

[wittsend]

Subject: Gas (natural) 40 gallon water heater.

1990 I replace the hot water heater. It cost around $100.

2003 I replace the hot water heater. It cost around $160. I complain to the wife about how it could have gone up 40%.

2014 my son calls and says his Granny's hot water heater is clogged. I check Home Depot. The cheapest hot water heater is $425!!!

Just to put it into perspective in 1990 I paid $1.20 for a 2 X 4 stud. Today it is about $2.50. A little more than double in price. But the hot water heater went up four and a quarter times!

Granny's current hot water heater stands on the ground, unrestrained and unwrapped. There will be the additional cost to elevate it 18", wrap it with a blanket and strap it to the wall. Code may require a drip pan. Also, this is San Fransisco so they may require a low emissions hot water heater. Did I mention the threaded, galvanized pipe it nearly 100 years old? I told my wife Granny will be fortunate if it doesn't go over $1,500. Crazy.

[Gunslinger]

High efficiency appliances don't come cheap. The technology has to be paid for...plus, being considered durable goods, you don't buy one very often so that is factored in.

[53commander]

About 5 years ago I put in a tankless hot water heater, it cost me $1200 and I installed it myself. At the time I thought it too much too spend however between the lower cost of operation and convenience I'm glad I did it. I can run two showers, the dishwasher, and washer and never lose hot water, priceless with two kids in the house.

[BobWaitz]

My mom's house has the original water heater that was in there when we bought the place in 1966. Many water heaters have a spun glass inner coating and maybe have a sacrificial rod in them. This tank is solid nickel. The scrap value alone is probably worth more than a new water heater.

[JimC]

My hypothesis is that it has at least something to do with the fact that the skilled labor that makes the hot water heaters is getting harder to come by. They have to pay the workers much more than they used to to do that sort of work, as most people would rather get their college degree and hope they get a nice cushy desk job. Those bigger paychecks translate into costlier goods built by skilled labor. The big "everyone belongs in college" kick was only just beginning in the 80's, so when you bought that water heater in '90, there was probably still enough competition for those jobs that they didn't have to shell out the big bucks. But that's just a guess, based on zero research whatsoever.

[hausdok]

You probably just missed the cutoff in 2003 from the old standard tank to the FVIR (flammable vapor ignition resistant) tanks. FVIR water heaters don't have to be elevated 18-inches because they won't cause a home to blow up due to gas fumes like the old days - unless your local code guy isn't up-to-date or he insists on a belt and suspender approach and insists on elevating it anyway. One of the bad things about these is that when they flash due to gas fumes you normally end up replacing the entire water heater. That's preferable to replacing the house of course but some folks insist on raising the tank anyway so that they can avoid the possibility of the tank flashing and requiring replacement.

If you are only paying $425 it will take the entire 10 to 15 year expected service life of that unit to pay you back because it's going to be a cheap contractor-grade tank that isn't very efficient. There is some amazing new technology out there that will pay you back in energy savings in just a few years. AO Smith has a unit that will provide 70 gallon performance with a 50 gallon tank; the Rheem XR90 has an ultra-small profile, fits in a 17-inch space, is only a 29 gallon tank and is a high efficiency unit that can out-perform a 50 gallon unit.

[Andy R.]

If she's in San Francisco, I can recommend Excalibur Water Heaters. The owner/operator is Baron. He's a straight shooter, super professional, prompt and built like a Grizzly - he wrestled that thing through a labyrinth of stairs and doorways and did the reverse with our old one. Our was $875 - which included all new copper lines, blocking, flashing, and everything. The unit he had on hand was $100 more but charged us the original quote so he could get it done for us on a Sunday.

AFAIK, there's no specific emissions requirement in San Francisco.

I know most of us here are DIY, but if you do want to hand it off to someone else in SF, Baron is really good.

http://www.yelp.com/biz/excalibur-water-heaters-san-francisco#query:baron%20water%20heater

[52 Ragtop]

I replaced our water heater with a tankless last year. Ours too was original to the house (1990) And the energy savings along with the space savings AND the fact we never run out of hot water is well worth it.
I got mine from tanklessking.com with free shipping.

Jim

[raoul5788]

Many of you live where natural gas is ubiquitous. That's not the case around here in CT. I would have an on demand gas water heater if I had ng.

[showbizkid]

I live in an area with historically awful hard water, and since I was a kid our houses have had water softeners. Unfortunately, the more high-tech the water heaters have become, the more susceptible they have gotten to the salts used in water softening, to the point where I began having water heaters burst every 3 years.

After the last new heater, which cost me $800 for the unit and $250 for installation, I discontinued my softener service and removed the equipment. My shower doesn't lather up quite as nice, but the water heater is much happier.

[wittsend]

Good news! Granny is starting to "lose it." Thinking she was turning off the garden hose she actually turned off the water to the hot water heater. My son caught this (after having to take a few cold showers). The 25 year old water heater lives on - for now.

[showbizkid]

Good news! Granny is starting to "lose it."

You have an interesting definition of "good news" But taken in context, I under$tand.

[JimsLeadCommander]

I bought mine 'on sale' from Sears a few years ago. The store is less than two miles away but, they don't deliver anymore!
I don't have a truck so, called a 'handy-man' ---- he made lots of $$$$ from me for his trouble: picking it up, bringing it here, installing it with words to the effect .... he "didn't think it would fit in the space." But, it did. Was a 40 gallon, same as the old one.

[SN-60]

I live in an area with historically awful hard water, and since I was a kid our houses have had water softeners. Unfortunately, the more high-tech the water heaters have become, the more susceptible they have gotten to the salts used in water softening, to the point where I began having water heaters burst every 3 years.

After the last new heater, which cost me $800 for the unit and $250 for installation, I discontinued my softener service and removed the equipment. My shower doesn't lather up quite as nice, but the water heater is much happier.

Ditto on the hard water/water softener situation. And I've noticed that the price of the chemical needed for the process to happen (Potassium Carbonate) has gone way up....something about a big demand in China for the stuff.

[Corvanti]

while it's still on your mind, it may be a good time to go to "Granny's" and with a garden hose, drain the tank twice to remove sediments that build up in the tank. turn the gas & water off to the tank. drain then refill (that will stir up more sediments) and drain again. it should help it last a bit longer.