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Summary of water heater replacement recommendations and info (Nov 2015) collected by Linda & Pat:

Thank you to everyone who replied to our query! For the convenience of anyone who is also concerned about their water heater, I'm going to summarize the recommendations we got.

First, we had our leaking water heater replaced by Gladiator Repipe (408-444-2696). They charged us $1495 for everything. We found them very pleasant to work with and helpful. We especially appreciate that they squeezed us into an already full schedule so we could have hot water back the same day we called them.

Other companies that were recommended:

• J&R Plumbing, http://www.jandrplumbing.com/
• Palo Alto Plumbing/Dahls, behind the Jiffy Lube at the corner of Middlefield and San Antonio
• EJ Plumbing, Palo Alto - Very fast, clean service, and they use Rheem hot water heaters, which are very good quality.

Antonio Lipp Hydronics was also recommended but it seems no has been able to get through to them lately. We left a message but have gotten no response.

And one recommendation against:

• All Valley Plumbing, recommended by OSH

Our new water heater is a 40-gallon Bradford White with a 6-year warranty. The previous water heater was about 16 years old.

When we called services, they just told us what they would use. The only choice we were given was buying an extended warranty. We asked about a bigger tank but, after sending them pictures of our Eichler utility closet, they said that there did not appear to be room.

If you want better, you may have to take the time to shop on your own and then hire a plumber. We were just anxious to get hot water back.

Everything you wanted to know, but were afraid to ask….. tanks and tank-less

Added to WIKI by Debbie August 2007 
(See also Tankless Hot Water Heaters.)

1: I have a tankless water heater and would be happy to discuss the pros and cons. I love it, and would never go back.

Here's the company that did our installation"

Atlas Heating & Air Conditioning 
408.286.8931 Skip 
155 San Lazaro Avenue 
Sunnyvale, CA 94806 
www.atlasheating-air.com 
Ask for skip, he's a nice guy.

The out the door price was $3250 which was paid after the unit passed inspection with the city. This included new copper water pipe from outside the house to the unit in the garage and a new (dedicated) gas line from the meter (outside the garage) to the unit. Our original heater was solar with electric assist and we were not plumbed for gas. The installation included a fair amount of demo and remove. Our original tank was massive; 125 gal.

The benefits of a tankless unit are easily understood. However, there are a couple of drawbacks. It takes slightly longer to get hot water to the tap. The reason is, the water and the unit start out cold and both need to be heated. The colder the water, the longer it takes. Naturally, once it's hot, you never run out. With a tank, the water starts out blazing hot and heats the pipes on it's way to the tap.

The solution would be to install solar hot water panels on the roof and collect/store the heated water in an insulated tank situated near the tankless. Defeats some to the purpose (space efficiency), but this would be very energy efficient.

The only other drawback I can see is that the Takagi (TK2) is electric start. If you lose electricity, you lose hot water. Unless there's a light-by-match bypass I don't know about! The unit itself runs $1,000, but no one I talked to would break out the price. In other words, they probably mark them up. So, the best you can do is get an out the door estimate.

Palo Alto hardware sells them and works with a number of contractors on installation.

2: I don't know your feelings about Home Depot ( I sell HVAC in San Mateo and Colma HD's), but I know that they will deliver and install a water heater for $275.00. This is on top of the price for the actual Water Heater. They can range from $340 (approximate) to $5 something, depending on the size and warranty. 30 gallon, 40 gallon, or 50 gallon and with warranties ranging from 6 years to 12 years.

If you need to have a stand and/or water heater belt, it is cheaper to buy it there (instead of them selling one out of the truck). If you don't need it (after you buy it), save the receipt and return it.

The other solution is to hire a plumber that you trust (this is what we did years ago).

3: Ironically we did ours this week after it flooded the living room. We used Lipp Hydronics and they took care of everything (we replaced a 50 gallon heater with a Rheem waterh heater). Total cost for us $1304. Hope this helps. 
Lipp's labor rate is $120/hr which you can probably find cheaper. Jeff didn't mention that they did some extra work for the $1300 that was more than just replacing the water heater. They found a few leaky pipes that they replaced, too. They also had to raise it up on block, install a drip pan and a drain. And they did some gas testing on the radiant heat boiler right next to it.

4: I got one recommendation from [a neighbor], and 3 others via a web-site called ServiceMagic (you describe the service you are seeking and they steer 
people to you). All prices are rounded off to the nearest $10.

• Palo Alto Plumbing quoted $920 over the phone, but said there could be up to $200 worth of extras they'd assess when they came out. 

• Rescue Rooter came out and quoted $990, but would only tell me the brand but not the model they would install, even after a couple of call backs. 

• Allstar Plumbing quoted $1200 (including $150 for the EQ strap, which others quoted at ~$50). Again they said what brand they'd install, but did not list the model number on the quote. 

• Better Water Heaters quoted $890, discussed with me the brand/model they'd install, and agreed to bring it along when he came to review the situation and give me a final quote.

All of them included replacing the H20 supply lines, inlet valve and pressure relief valve.

I went with D based on his attitude, and willingness to give me specifics about the unit he would install. To top it off, his was the best price. I had him do it immediately after he gave me the quote. They like this and his price includes a discount for saving them and extra trip. He had it installed in under 3 hours, and I am happy with the work he did. I'd not hesitate to recommend him (insert disclaimer here about how your experience may vary, etc.).

5: Here's a clever idea that I wish we had known about when we changed out our water heater. I've seen it at another neighbor's house though I can't describe the technical how-to. It works like this:

Save your old water tank; find a place for it in the garden or side yard. Connect it to your water source so it can recirculate (not heat) water. Voila, you will have an ongoing 40gal supply of clean water in case of emergency. How cool is that?? And, means one less water tank in the landfill.

A brilliant idea from ML neighbor

6: We put in a 40gal tank, 12yr. (ie get the maximum size and the maximum yr guarantee, if you can). If we gone w/ a 50gal, we would have had to get less insulation... decisions, decisions!

Get as much insulation as you can, which will help cut back on heating. I was told there was little appreciable difference between 99% and the next tier (90%?) insulation. You can get a PGE rebate but only on the maximum 99% insulation. See www.smartenergy.com (I think that's it).

I THINK we paid about $800-900(?) a few years ago from Palo Alto Plumbing, which is actually located on Middlefield in MV. They were fine and I would use them again.

I had called around to Sears and Dahl's, but PA had the tank I wanted. Sears was cheaper, but only if I got a lesser tank (9yr); didn't have the one I wanted in stock. Dahl's is more exp. by a couple hundred.

You may have to pay addtl. to get it to code... like a water heater pan, but we didn't need one since we have a water heater closet. They will tell you if you need one,

Good luck!

7: I bought a new water heater two years ago when I discovered that mine was almost 20 years old. (The life expectancy is 10 years, so I knew I was overdue for a failure.)

I did it all by phone with Sears (917-6042). The salesman described them and I chose the mid-price model (9 year guarantee, $280). It wasn't on sale that week, but he told me to call back each week until it was, then bring in my receipt for a refund on the difference, which I did for a $50 rebate.

Sears does not install them but recommended plumber Dan Alford, whom they use all the time and never have any complaints. His number is 650/964-0684 (cell 408-393-6383). He had to do extensive work due to the upgrades in the building code since the last one was installed. (It now requires a leak pan and a pipe from the leak pan to the outdoors.)

My total bill was $575, which included the water heater, plumber, and building permit ($42) which Alford arranges for. Fortunately, my water heater is in a closet off the garage with an outside door; it would have been much more expensive if inside the house.

8: we had to replace ours a year ago - it was a weekend emergency unfortunately. I can't particularly recommend the place we used, they did an OK job but weren't especially cheap (we were desperate), but did want to tell you that we found those water heater replacement companies (as opposed to a larger store like HD) to be a little slimy. One even called us back and offered to slash the price if we were willing to install it not to code (umm, no thanks). if you are going thru one of those guys, ask a LOT of questions and put pressure on them about price because they will haggle. Can't remember exactly what we paid, but I want to say it was around $900 installed.

9: pros/cons of tankless water heaters— It was around $4000 installed, a Japanese brand name (I think most of them are, and there're only a few to choose from).

10: I found myself in a similar situation a few years ago. The short 
version is that I purchased a modern 50 gallon tank hot water heater 
from Sears. I installed it myself, but I'm sure that Sears can 
install it. We formally had a 40 gallon tank but I discovered that 
the 50 gallon tank was roughly the same size as our old 40 gallon, 
was a lot more efficient and had the same efficiency as the new 40 
gallon tank. I think I paid under $400 for the tank.

I looked into the tankless hot water heaters but didn't go that way 
for several reasons.

• A multi-zone tankless heater (allows you to run a shower and a sink at the same time, or 2 showers at the same time) was roughly $1,800. 

• It requires 6" diameter stainless exhaust tubing (this was several hundred dollars and requires the opening in the roof to be enlarged). 

• It requires a dedicated gas line so you can't use your existing gas line (I have no idea how much that would cost to be installed) 

• I looked at my monthly gas bill and I wasn't spending that much on gas.

I think what finally convinced me that a tank version was the right 
way to go was I think that the real benefit of the tankless hot water 
heater is for people that have an empty house during the day (both 
people work and no kids). I good portion of the day we have the dish 
washer going, clothes washer going, showers, etc. With near constant 
use, I'm guessing that the tankless doesn't save any money (or at 
least not much money).

Good luck and sorry to hear about your wet floors!

11:DISRECOMMENDATION: Last but not least, my own experience, we came home from being out of town to a wet hallway and the water heater alarm sounding. Knew it was overdue. Took the chance. After a few calls, two visits and several conversations about tanks vs tankless we went with bonanza air and heating. The owner was a friend of a neighbor who actually knew him when he lived on our street He was able to underbid the previous quote by $350.00 so we waited the additional 24 hrs and had him do the job. We are pleased. (Dan Alford came out immediately and would have done the job that afternoon, but was a bit pricey. Lipp Appliance was also scheduled to come out with a bid within a couple of hours of being called, but we cancelled them when we got the lowest bid.) So we have pulled up the carpet, cut out the wet pad, replaced the buckled hard wood planks and are ready to repad and reinstall the carpet now. The total price was $930.00 for a 40 gallon tank with a 12 year warranty. Installation took about 4 1/2 hours. PRICE: Our $930.00 spent was versus the $4,000K and up quotes for tankless. 
THE RUB!!! BAD BAD BAD CUSTOMER SERVICE AND FOLLOW UP! ed didn't return my calls, wouldn't stand behind his work when the tank gave out within 12 months, we've had trouble on and off with it since it was a BAD decision made because we knew someone who knew his family and knew him as a kid, but didn't give recent recommendation of their work :(!!! don't do it.

Here is the contact info for bonanza:

Bonanza Heating and Air Conditioning 
Owner: Ed Soetje 
lic# 647616 
948-4727 
126 San Antonio Cir. Ste. 5B, Mtn. View CA 94040 
I appreciate everyones input, it was so valuable, and I got educated on water heaters overnight!!! Thanks all, Debbie on palmer.

Eggi 8/10/06

See the How to section for water heater flush

turns out mine is 23 years old! The year is hidden in the serial number. 
So it was "over" time to replace it!

• Called A&A plumbing because we had a coupon for $100 off in the mail. They were not able to come until 8/19 and I wanted it done as soon as possible.

Found following email from Wylie and Vickie on Jane Lane (not on wiki) dated 12/18/05

Hello neighbors. I just wanted to share our good experience 
with "Water Heaters Only" (1-800-835-5946) as they promptly replaced 
our water heater yesterday.

The short story is our leaking 12 year old 40-gallon water heater 
was replaced with a new 30-gallon unit on Saturday between 3pm and 
7:30pm after calling "Water Heaters Only" at 1:30 pm for a total 
cost of $859.

The long story: Well, we were on our way out the door to do some X- 
mas shopping on Saturday until we discovered water flowing out from 
the wall onto the bathroom floor! Sure enough, I opened the heater 
closet door which is adjacent to our bathroom and saw that the 
secondary container underneath the water heater was full and 
overflowing. Good thing it was leaking onto the bathroom floor and 
not the carpet!

Anyway, the reason we had to get a smaller heater is that all of the 
new heaters are 22-inches wide and the furnace(in the same closet) 
sits too close to the water heater to allow a wider unit to fit in 
the existing space. So our only other options were to move the 
furnace (looked to be pretty difficult) or install the waterheater 
in the garage or outside.

The later options I will probably consider in the future, especially 
if the heater ever leaks again (not if, but when I guess?) the 
flooding will occur in the garage or outside.

The installation took about 4.5 hours - probably longer than usual 
as he had to relocate a 2x4 brace to accomadate the shorter tank and 
install new 3/4" flex lines along with replacing a corroded shut off- 
valve. The new unit looks much nicer as it has internal insulation 
(styrofoam) versus the old one with fiberglass wrapping which didn't 
cover the tank as well.

I did not run out of hot water while taking my shower this morning, 
so the smaller 30-gallon tank seems to be enough.

The water pan, or secondary conatainer is also suppose to have a 
drain to the outside. Aanyone have any tips for this installation?

Thanks, 
Wylie and Vickie on Jane Lane

• I can only add to the great experience with "Water Heaters Only"

• I called around 1p and the guy was here less then an hour later and left at 3p.

• I replaced a 50 gallon with a 50 gallon water tank and he replaced all the piping/bracing... Cost $1,048

• I would have loved to install an on-demand heater and "Water Heaters Only" can do it, but he assessed the cost to be about $3,000-5,000.

May 2008 - Thank you to everyone who recommended Water Heaters Only - I called them on a Friday night at 8:00pm, surprisingly someone answered the phone at that time, plus they showed up to give me an estimate and install the new water heater first thing on Saturday morning. We replaced our 16 year old 40 gal unit with a new one of the same size, they replaced all the plumbing incl gas line, and installed a drain pan with overflow to under the house (instead of onto the hardwood floors!). Great service, nice technician, left everything very clean, done in two hours - total cost $1,025.

Joan 
Ruth Avenue 

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Gregory Glazman replaced water heater in our house on Mardell. He is extremely hard working, punctual, and his prices are good. He gets the job done and guides you through your selection process explaining pros and cons of the options. He can be reached at 415-269-0477.