Yesterday we replaced our two year old propane water heater, State brand. Its tank has been leaking for almost 1 year. Two questions- was this caused because of our high-lime well water? And, Is there anyplace that I can take the old one to that would recycle it? I'm not into throwing old appliances into the ditch.

-- Debbie in Mo (risingwind@socket.net), December 19, 2001

Answers

Debbie,

There is a place near where we live that for a fee of $10 will take your old appliance. They then rebuild them and sell them at greatly reduced prices to the public.($50-$200) They even have a 90 day warranty, which isn't a lot, but is better than nothing. At least your water heater ends up being re-used if possible. If it is not possible to repair or rebuild the appliance at least the materials are recycled and not discarded in the dump or in the ditch.

Look on the yellow pages under recycling. That is where our appliance recycler is located.

Talk to you later.

-- Bob in WI (bjwick@hotmail.com), December 19, 2001.

We have propane hot water and I don't ever remember getting a leak in it. Watch...I'll get one tonight..right ?? Well, anyways...must be 10 years old or older now. We too have the hard water and should clean it out more than we do...can't remember when we last did it to get the sediment out of the bottom. Suppose to help cut down on the cost of heating the water and all. You could always make a solar hot water shower out of your old tank !! Good Luck !! Happy Holidays!!

-- Helena (windyacs@npacc.net), December 19, 2001.

Dont think its your water. Even cheapest waterheater tank should last at least 5 years and better ones usually 10 or even more. High lime should just cause mineral build up in tank so it rumbles when it fires up and starts heating water. If I were your neighbor, I'd take whole heater just for the 2 year old thermostat/regulator valve assembly. Had to buy one once and it was expensive. Usually they last life of tank though. Old tanks, even leaky ones can be cut lengthwise to make feed trough.

-- HermitJohn (hermit@hilltop_homestead.zzn.com), December 20, 2001.

Our regular trash pick up guys took our old water heater, no extra charge!!! I guess we are lucky that way, they will take ANYTHING that we can haul out to the road and that they can put in the truck, including old junk windows.

Try a different brand of water heater, they should at least last 5 to 6 years even with high lime content water.

-- Annie Miller in SE OH (annie@1st.net), December 20, 2001.

Most water heaters have a "sacrificial anode", which is designed to prevent the tank from corroding and getting a leak. They can, and probably should be, replaced periodically. Ask a plumber.

-- joj (jump@off.c), December 20, 2001.

No, don't ask a plumber. They're too easy to replace yourself. Ask an oldtimer from your neighborhood, if you can't figure it out yourself. They generally screw right out of the top of the tank, I'm told. I've never even looked for one, as my water heaters seem to last forever here.

-- joj (jump@off.c), December 20, 2001.

Before you have it hauled away, consider if you have a place that needs watering where there's no water available. I have a small garden spot across the road that has no water close by and it's so dry I have to haul water to it. I used to haul water in my wheel barrow in 5 gal. buckets but then my husband put the old 50 gal. hot water heater in the back of his pickup and used tarp straps to keep it steady. I close the bottom nozzle and fill the tank from the top with a hose. When it's full I drive the pickup to the flowers. I open the nozzle and use the old piece of hose attached to it and sprinkle the flowers. Makes such an easy job out of it. We also had calves once at a place where the elec/water was turned off. We did the same thing and filled their waterer every day or so.

-- Anna in Iowa (countryanna54@hotmail.com), December 20, 2001.

OK, finally a time I can ask this question. We, too, have a propane water heater. And for three years I have looked for the spigot on the bottom that is used to let some water out. I used to do that every year and drained the sediment out of the tank. Usually there wasn't much but I felt I was making it last longer. Now, on this one, I can't find it. It is something they are doing away with or something parculiar with propane heaters.

-- Chris in PA (CLMngs@aol.com), December 23, 2001.

Thanks everyone for all your responses! My new one does have a spigot on the bottom so I will try to remember to draw some off the bottom from time to time, and my old one will find a new home at a rebuilders! Thanks!

-- Debbie in Mo (risingwind@socket.net), December 23, 2001.