[kwlug-disc] (off topic) Water heater recommendation

[Chris Irwin]

On Mon, Mar 02, 2026 at 06:38:55PM +0000, CrankyOldBugger wrote:
>For the most part, getting a repair guy out to fix something was usually
>seamless.  Not always, but usually.  It was the bureaucracy in the front
>office that drove us up the wall.  Getting any changes made to your account
>was frustrating, and actually dropping the account was a nightmare.  We
>finally ended up driving to Cambridge (I think it was Cambridge), dropping
>the water heater in the parking lot and telling them that it was their
>problem now.  That finally got their attention.

I'm also dealing with the water heater, but that's of a lower priority 
currently.

We've been renting the water heater for years. The unit is >15 years 
old. After chatting with the furnace sales guy, he said it should be 
replaced after 10-12 years. Fine, so it's EOL, right?

So can I stop paying for the rental? No, I'd have to return the water 
heater, and I'll be billed if there's any damage. Fine, I get that I 
don't own it, but don't pretend a 15-year old water heater is going to 
be re-used.

How much to just buy it out? (So that I can have somebody else replace 
it and toss it out on my own without having to deal with a return)? That 
simple question required multiple sales people on a 33 minute call to 
give me a number, while dealing with up-sells (to water heaters that 
won't physically fit in the crawl-space) and warnings about how 
dangerous it is to own your own water heater.

>And overall, having paid rent on something for years when it would have
>ultimately been cheaper to buy outright was starting to grate on me...

Ditto.

My bad on not doing the math before this, but I've been paying $20/mo 
for 13 years on a 20-gallon water heater. That's $3k for a $750 water 
heater.

But you're paying for the service, so you at least get the pro-active 
support of them swapping out your EOL water heater before it ruptures in 
your basement. Oh, wait, no. You don't.

They do at least offer to replace it "at no further charge" if you ask 
to quit.

Unfortunately, this is priority #3 on my list (I was also rear-ended a 
few weeks ago, so I'm also dealing with insurance and getting my car 
repaired. I've been having a great 2026!)

-- 
Chris Irwin

email:   chris at chrisirwin.ca
   web: https://chrisirwin.ca