Homeowner’s Academy
This is your guide to interesting facts, tips and general homeowner information. We hope you find the information useful – and feel free to share with friends!

What’s the Life Expectancy of a Water Heater in Florida?

Spring cleaning often comes with a fresh coat of paint. Painting can be a great way to change the feel of a room or give your home some great curb appeal. Painting also plays a role in home repair by protecting the wood of your home against the elements, essential here in Florida.

If you decide to try your hand at painting this spring, People’s Trust has some tips that can keep the experience enjoyable and safe for everyone in your family.

Try Some Eco-friendly Paint

Spring conjures up the sniffles for many people in the great outdoors, but paint may do the same thing inside of your home. Household paints have previously contained up to 300 toxic chemicals, including the hazardous volatile organic compounds (VOCs) that release particles into the air for years after you paint.

Try a low-VOC paint, which tends to be water-based, for any home interior painting. These have taken off in recent years and come in every shade and finish imaginable. Some brands also create no-VOC paints by replacing chemicals with more natural ingredients. These no-VOC paints are often pet-safe, but always check the label and never leave your pet unattended in a room where paint cans are open.

Home Repair Supervision

If you have children, never let them be in a room with open paint cans by themselves. If children are under the age of 10, they should never be in a room with any open painting materials. Even eco-friendly paints are extremely dangerous if ingested. If you believe your child has ingested any paint, immediately call poison control at 1-800-222-1222.

Try Cloth Catchers for Indoor and Outdoor Painting

You can pick up plastic sheets to protect your floors and lawn, but these often move and tear as you walk around painting. Turn to cloth or canvas drop cloths that will stay in place easier and can be weighed down with objects without the risk of tearing.

For painting the outside of your home, try a tarp with tie-holes. These can be staked into the ground to provide a steadier surface for a ladder.

Ventilate: Make Room to Breathe

If you’re painting inside, open the doors and windows. If your room has a fan, turn it on. You want proper ventilation for any space you’re painting to help air out the room and not breathe in paint fumes. If you can’t ventilate where you’re working, get a respirator and only paint in short stints.

Ventilation is essential to most common home repair improvements.

Stick to the Shade

If painting outside, you know that you need to take a break in the shade, but what about your materials? Paint, paint thinner and lacquer all need to stay in the shade as much as possible when painting outdoors.

Not only can heat and sun alter some of these items when they’re sitting in the can, but heat can also be a big problem for these flammable items. The city of Las Vegas actually warns its citizens to be careful when painting their homes or canvases outside because paint thinner has been ignited by the sun and started home fires.

Clean Up after Home Repairs

When you finish painting for the day, clean up the entire space. This will prevent spills and any accidental exposure.

Latex paints can typically be cleaned from surfaces and your skin with soap and water. Oil-based paints will have specific cleaning instructions located on the paint can itself. Take a look at your can before you start painting and write down what it says, because paint often spills on the outside of the can during the painting process.

Gasoline was once used to clean paint off of brushes, but this should never be used. Gasoline is extremely dangerous and should never be used as a cleaner for any object.

It’s always a smart practice to clean up and watch your space clearly when doing any home repair project.

Florida homeowners count on water heaters for just about everything at home – taking a hot shower, doing the laundry, washing dishes – the list goes on.

In fact, heating water is one of the leading expenses in a home, accounting for as much as 18% of utility bills. And while it may seem as though your water heater can withstand the test of time, it’s not made to last forever.

It’s not a matter of if, but when your water heater will eventually stop working.

The Problem with Aging Water Heaters

Water heaters typically contain an anode rod, which is a steel core wire that’s screwed to the top of the unit to prevent rusting. Over time, these rods begin to corrode, causing the water heater to rust from the inside.

The problem? You can’t see these signs of deterioration. Your water heater could still function properly and look OK when in reality, it’s an accident waiting to happen.

According to the Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety, water heater failure is one of the top five sources of residential water damage, costing an average of $4,444 per incident after the deductible was paid.

As a result, most home insurance companies require a four-point inspection for older homes – and if the water heater is over 25 years old, they will request that it be replaced for the owner to obtain or renew coverage.

How Long Do Water Heaters Last?

Unfortunately, there’s no simple answer to this question. In addition to factors like water quality and general maintenance, water heater life expectancy depends a lot on the type of unit you have.

Conventional Storage Water Heater

Conventional storage water heaters are the most popular type of water heating system for the home. They operate by releasing hot water from the top of the tank when you turn on the hot water tap. Meanwhile, cold water is replaced through the bottom of the tank, to eventually heat up.

Water Heater Life Expectancy: 10-15 years

Tankless Water Heater

Tankless water heaters heat water directly without the use of a storage tank, and provide hot water on an as-needed basis. When you turn on the hot water tap, cold water travels through a pipe into the unit, where it is then heated and released.

Water Heater Life Expectancy: 20+ years

Heat Pump Water Heater

Working like a refrigerator in reverse, a heat pump water heater uses electricity to transfer heat instead of generating heat directly, making it more energy efficient than a conventional water heater.

Water Heater Life Expectancy: 10-15 years

Solar Water Heater

Solar water heaters use the sun’s heat to provide hot water in a home. They are a cost-effective way to generate hot water since the fuel they use – sunshine – is free.

Water Heater Life Expectancy: ~ 20 years

Tankless Coil and Indirect Water Heater

Tankless coil and indirect water heaters use a home’s space heating system to heat water. A tankless coil water heater provides hot water on demand without a tank, while an indirect water heater requires a storage tank.

Water Heater Life Expectancy: 10-11 years

Is It Time to Replace Your Water Heater?

Here are six ways to detect if you need to replace your water heater:

  • The water is a rusty or non-clear color
  • The water isn’t getting hot enough, or isn’t getting hot at all
  • The water has a strange odor or metallic taste
  • You hear loud popping noises while the water heater is operating
  • There are leaks surrounding the water heater, which could indicate a serious problem
  • The water heater is more than 10 years old or nearing the end of its life expectancy

If you need to replace your water heater, we recommend hiring a professional to install it. This will ensure that the equipment is installed properly and to code.

Preventing Water Heater Failures

While there are steps you can take to improve the overall health of your water heater, like draining it twice a year and testing the pressure-relief valve, the best way to prevent a water heater failure and subsequent water damage is to replace it when it has neared its life expectancy or if it has continuous issues.

Now that you understand water heater life expectancy, enjoy the peace of mind that comes from knowing you aren’t likely to come home to a broken water heater, or worse, a flooded garage.