Like every other appliance in your home, the water heater in your North Riverside, IL home comes with a projected lifespan – that is, the number of years its manufacturer expects the unit to last. This means that at some point, the water heater in your home will stop working.
This is a reality you can’t avoid, but not one that should take you by surprise. Just as you would carefully plan for maintenance or upgrades in other areas of your home—like choosing the best Philadelphia rental solutions for your living needs—an unplanned water heater replacement is the worst appliance-purchasing mistake to avoid. In this situation, you are unlikely to buy the right unit, and installation costs may be too high.
But this doesn’t have to happen.
Before a water heater fails, it will give you warning signs, which should be your cue to start planning for a new one. The first step in planning for a new water heater is figuring out what to consider when selecting, buying, and installing the unit, and the total cost.
This helps you budget accurately and also ensures that the water heater you buy is the right fit for your home, while avoiding unpleasant surprises. What are the factors to think of when planning for a new water heater installation, and how much should you expect to pay for the appliance?
This post answers all your questions.
Understanding the cost of a new electric water heater
Equipment cost
The major factors that determine the price of a water heater are size and energy efficiency. On average, you can expect to pay $500 to $1,200, $800 to $1,500, and $1,500 to $2,500+ for a 40-gallon, 50-gallon, and 80-gallon unit, respectively. These are the prices when buying a high-quality, energy-efficient unit. These units have superior insulation, high-efficiency heating elements, and sturdier components.
Labor costs
Calculating the labor costs for your water heater installation is not straightforward. Costs depend on whether you are doing a like-for-like replacement or upgrading to a new unit with considerably different requirements.
For standard replacements where you are replacing the old water heater with a similar one, labor costs start from $800 and go up to $1,800. How much you actually pay depends on local rates and the experience of your installers.
For upgrades and relocations, costs vary widely. If you’re upgrading to a larger unit with higher wattage, the new unit may require new wiring or a breaker. If, on the other hand, you plan to relocate the water heater, building codes may require you to install a new panel altogether. All these can push your installation costs above $2,500.
Permits
In some cities and jurisdictions, you need a permit to install a new water heater. This ensures safety and compliance with relevant building codes. Permit and inspection fees cost $50 to $300. If you do the installation without a permit, you will have problems when trying to sell your home or get insurance.
Haul-away costs
There are strict rules on disposing of old water heaters. You can’t just dump it in the local landfill. In most cases, the cost of disposing of the old unit will be included in the installer’s quote. But sometimes it is not. So check, or you could be left with a rusty old hunk sitting outside your home.
Key factors when planning a water heater replacement
Preemptive replacement
Instead of letting your water heater choose, be the one deciding when to replace it. But if you ignore the giveaway signs that the unit is on its last leg, it will choose the date of its own replacement, and you won’t like it. You should start planning a replacement when the unit is between 10 and 12 years old. This gives you enough time to budget, allowing you to choose the best model and the right installer.
Know the warning signs
In addition to its age, other signs that it is time to replace your water heater are strange, loud noises whenever the unit heats water, rusty or discolored water from the tank, insufficient hot water, and delayed reheating water.
First Hour Rating (FHR)
This is how much hot water a water heater can deliver in its first hour of use. It is the most important measure of its efficiency. A 40-gallon unit with a better FHR will give you more hot water than a 50-gallon unit with weaker heating elements. Make sure you buy a water heater with FHR that matches your home’s peak hot water demand.
Standby heat loss
This is the main downside of storage water heaters. The hot water inside the tank constantly loses heat, forcing the appliance to continuously reheat the water, with a negative impact on your home’s energy bills. Buying a high-efficiency model helps you avoid this problem. Their thick high-R-value foam insulation traps heat better. They can save you hundreds of dollars in energy bills every year.
Finally, you need a reliable plumber in North Riverside, IL, to walk you through the intricacies of selecting a new water heater for your home. A trustworthy plumber ensures that your new water heater will match your home’s hot water needs for now and the near future, while also being cost-effective.
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Need assistance with a water heater replacement in North Riverside, IL? We can help! Call us Today at 708-801-6530!
