Water Heater Replacement Planning

A water heater works daily in every home in Middleton and every other home in Wisconsin. The result is a water heater will need repair or replacement and it is something homeowners should plan for as well as include it in their budget.

In addition to a water heater, all plumbing will need to be repaired or replaced including garbage disposals, water softeners, well pumps and sump pumps.

Keeping this in mind, we suggest homeowners budget what they need to replace the equipment they know will fail sooner or later. Or, if convenient, replace equipment before it fails, allowing the homeowner to control the timing of the work to be done.

Planning Your Water Heater Replacement

Water heaters are an expensive item. And, because of the various types, homeowners will be best served if they do some research before an inconvenient breakdown. Let’s face it, a home without hot water is no fun. Furthermore, no one wants to make this type of decision under the gun.

When your water heater reaches fifteen or more years of service, consider having a qualified plumber assess the condition of your water heater. Being proactive can help inconvenient breakdowns be avoided. In fact, if you do not have a water softener, you are already living on borrowed time since hard water can cut the life of a water heater in half.

Additionally, depending on what type of water heater you are installing, there may be energy efficiency issues you may want to consider. We suggest checking the www.focusonenergy.org website to understand the water heater options available.

Water Heater Facts

When considering water heater replacement, there are traditionally three options (excluding solar). The three water heater types are:

Standard Venting Atmospheric Water Heater

• Least Expensive
• Requires a separate chimney for venting
• 59% efficient
• Life span average of 10+ years
• Minor maintenance required – if ever
• Installed
  • 40 gallons – $700 to $900
  • 50 gallons – $800 to $1000
  • 75  gallons – $1,000 to $1300
• Note: Standard Venting Atmospheric water heater can be replaced by any style water heater. 

Power Vent Water Heater

• 60-64 % efficient
• Vents with PVC pipe from side of house – no chimney required
• Medium cost
• Life span average of 10+ years
• Required maintenance minimal
• Installed
  • 40 gallons – $1,200 to $1400
  • 50 gallons – $1,300 to $1500
  • 75  gallons – $1,800 to $2000
  • 50 gallon high efficient $2,500 to 3,200
• Note: because the Standard Venting Atmospheric water heater requires a separate chimney exhaust, if you replace this type of water heater, it must be with another power vent model or a tankless water heater.
• May qualify for Focus On Energy rebates if replacing a Standard Venting Atmospheric water heater.

Tankless Water Heater

• 82-94 % efficient
• Life span of 20+ years
• Required maintenance minimal
• Unlimited Hot Water – $2,800 to $3,200 Installed
• Water softener required
• Note: When installing Tankless water heaters, each installation is unique because of venting requirements.
• The additional investment can be recovered in 8-10 years, giving 10 + years of savings.
• Qualifies for Federal tax rebate

Whenever plumbing related equipment fails, it’s usually inconvenient and very disruptive to a family’s life. Getting ahead of the process might help with peace of mind and allow you to purchase wisely and save time.

Sauk Plains Plumbing and Pump can help you gain peace of mind and get the best water heater for your needs. Give our expert plumbers a call at 608-798-2121 or email to get the water heater replacement process started.