Water heater replacement

Choosing the size

Tank heaters are sized by the first-hour rating, the amount of hot water they can deliver in the first hour of heavy use. A two-bathroom house with two to three people is usually a 40-gallon gas or 50-gallon electric unit. Four or more people, or a soaking tub, push you to 50 or 75 gallons. Bigger is not better: a larger tank costs more to run every day of the year.

Gas recovers faster than electric, which is why gas tanks can be one size smaller for the same household. Most Las Vegas houses built after 1990 have gas in the garage.

Gas, electric, or tankless

If the old unit was gas, replace it with gas. Switching to electric usually means a new circuit from the panel. Tankless is worth a look if the garage wall can take it and you are prepared for annual descaling, which Las Vegas water makes mandatory. The tankless page goes through the trade-offs in detail.

What the install should include

Removal and haul-away of the old tank, new flexible water connectors, a new temperature and pressure relief valve with a discharge line, a drain pan with a drain line where the heater sits over living space, seismic strapping, a new gas flex line and sediment trap on gas units, and a check of the vent. In Clark County a replacement water heater requires a permit and an inspection. Ask the plumber whether the permit is included in the quote and who pulls it.

Hard water protection

The two cheapest things that extend a Las Vegas water heater's life are a flush every year and a replacement anode rod every three to five years. A whole-house softener does the most, but it is a separate decision. Ask the installer to show you where the drain valve is and how to flush the tank.