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Our Water Heater is Dead, Alas
Mar. 8th, 2016 01:36 amSpeaking of annoying holdovers from before we owned our house ...
When we first moved in, our water heater was in the backyard atop a rickety wooden structure that appeared ready to go right over. We replaced the water heater and had a rickety aluminum shed built for the new one, which at least had the benefit of not being on the edge of falling over. Then that "new" water heater died within 15 months or so (right around Thanksgiving weekend, as I recall).
Our second water heater has been good for 13 or 14 years, which I suppose I can't complain about. That stupid aluminum shed has been an eyesore though, and I've never been too happy about how it largely blocks access to our side yard, or how ivy gets into the shed (or in recent years how trees that our neighbors aren't dealing with loom over it).
So, this morning. No hot water. No shower (which is my quiet, meditative way to start the morning). After really, certainly assuring myself that something was wrong, and the water wasn't just going to heat up, I let K. know, and blessedly she jump right in to calling a plumber.
Water heater #2 is indeed leaking and generally toast. Worse, plumber-guy doesn't really feel that he can reinstall in the narrow space where the old heater was. And I don't blame him. I agree with his statement that the current setup probably decreases the value of the house. So, he proposes a tankless water heater. I've investigated this possibility before, and it's something I thought might be a good option for us, so I'm good with it. But it's almost $5,000.
So it goes. I'm sure it'll increase the value of the house by at least that much as long as they're able to do a nice job and leave something much more good-looking. I wish it weren't right before tax season, when I've got property tax and some notable taxes on Designers & Dragons earnings; and I wish it weren't in a year when our stock accounts are down, meaning I'll have to take a loss to free up the money.
But, as I said, so it goes.
No hot water for at least a few days though.
When we first moved in, our water heater was in the backyard atop a rickety wooden structure that appeared ready to go right over. We replaced the water heater and had a rickety aluminum shed built for the new one, which at least had the benefit of not being on the edge of falling over. Then that "new" water heater died within 15 months or so (right around Thanksgiving weekend, as I recall).
Our second water heater has been good for 13 or 14 years, which I suppose I can't complain about. That stupid aluminum shed has been an eyesore though, and I've never been too happy about how it largely blocks access to our side yard, or how ivy gets into the shed (or in recent years how trees that our neighbors aren't dealing with loom over it).
So, this morning. No hot water. No shower (which is my quiet, meditative way to start the morning). After really, certainly assuring myself that something was wrong, and the water wasn't just going to heat up, I let K. know, and blessedly she jump right in to calling a plumber.
Water heater #2 is indeed leaking and generally toast. Worse, plumber-guy doesn't really feel that he can reinstall in the narrow space where the old heater was. And I don't blame him. I agree with his statement that the current setup probably decreases the value of the house. So, he proposes a tankless water heater. I've investigated this possibility before, and it's something I thought might be a good option for us, so I'm good with it. But it's almost $5,000.
So it goes. I'm sure it'll increase the value of the house by at least that much as long as they're able to do a nice job and leave something much more good-looking. I wish it weren't right before tax season, when I've got property tax and some notable taxes on Designers & Dragons earnings; and I wish it weren't in a year when our stock accounts are down, meaning I'll have to take a loss to free up the money.
But, as I said, so it goes.
No hot water for at least a few days though.