# How Long Will a New Water Heater Last?

- Link: https://alpscomfortair.com/how-long-will-a-new-water-heater-last/
- Published: 2022-12-19T01:59:49+00:00
- Author: alpscomfortEditor

If you’re in the market for a new [water heater](https://alpscomfortair.com/water-heater-installation-anaheim-ca/),
one of the first things you’ll probably want to know is how long you can expect 
the new unit to last. The answer to this question depends on the type of water heater
and also whether it is gas or electric. We’ll now look at the average lifespan for
different types of water heaters and how maintenance can help ensure you get the
most out of your new unit.

## Average Lifespan for Traditional Water Heaters

Traditional water heaters store hot water inside a large tank. These units can use
either gas or electricity to heat, and the lifespan differs depending on the energy
source. Traditional gas water heaters have an average lifespan of around eight years;
some units may last up to 12 years. Traditional electric units have a slightly longer
lifespan and usually last between 12 and 15 years.

The main reasons that traditional water heaters fail is due to corrosion and issues
caused by sediment build-up inside the tank. Sediment will always build up inside
a traditional water heater as heating the water causes some minerals to solidify
and settle at the bottom of the tank. In gas units, sediment build-up can create
hot spots at the bottom of the tank, which can weaken the metal and speed up the
rate of corrosion. In electric units, sediment can damage the lower heating element
and cause it to fail.

All traditional water heaters have an anode rod that helps to prevent the tank from
corroding. This works by interacting with minerals in the water so that they corrode
the anode rod instead of the metal tank. However, the anode rod only has a limited
lifespan. If the rod isn’t inspected regularly and replaced as needed, the tank 
will begin to corrode and the unit will only last for a short time.

## Tankless Water Heater Life Expectancy

Although tankless water heaters are more expensive than traditional units, the fact
that tankless heaters have a much longer lifespan will more than offset the higher
initial cost. Most tankless units should easily last for 15 to 20 years, and some
units can potentially last for 30 years or more. This means that you would typically
end up going through two or even three traditional units in the same period as you
would just one tankless water heater.

There are two main reasons that tankless water heaters last so much longer. First,
they only heat when hot water is currently needed. This means that tankless units
undergo much less wear and tear than traditional units which will continue to heat
frequently even if no hot water is being used. The other reason is that tankless
units don’t store hot water, which means that corrosion, leaking and other issues
caused by sediment build-up aren’t an issue like they are with traditional units.

## How Regular Maintenance Can Help Extend the Life of Your Water Heater

The best thing you can do to protect your water heater’s lifespan is to have it 
maintained annually. Tankless water heaters are definitely much lower maintenance,
but they should still be inspected regularly to make sure that the unit is working
correctly and doesn’t have any issues that need to be repaired. Even though sediment
isn’t really an issue with tankless units, they should still be drained, flushed
and descaled regularly to prevent limescale from building up. The inline water filter
should also be cleaned or replaced every year or so.

Traditional water heaters need quite a bit more maintenance and should definitely
always be fully inspected and maintained at least once a year. One of the most important
maintenance tasks is flushing the unit, which helps remove all the sediment from
the tank. If the unit is never flushed, the sediment will quickly build up to the
point that it leads to numerous other issues. Without regular flushing and maintenance,
a traditional water heater will often only last for half as long as it would if 
it were taken care of properly.

In addition to flushing, it is also important to check the condition of the anode
rod and the burners on a gas unit or the electric heating elements. It is also important
that the exhaust flue be inspected on gas units to ensure that carbon monoxide and
other harmful fumes can’t leak out.

If you need any water heater service in Anaheim or the Orange County area, Alps 
Heating & Air Conditioning, Inc. has you covered. We install both tankless and traditional
units, and our team can also help with water heater maintenance and repairs. We 
also specialize in [heating and cooling installation](https://alpscomfortair.com/heating-installation-anaheim-ca/),
maintenance and repairs, and [indoor air quality services](https://alpscomfortair.com/indoor-air-quality/).
For more information on our services or to schedule an appointment, give us a call
today.