Reduce the Risk of a Water Heater Leak by Going Tankless

Posted: Apr 09, 2013
Author: Minyard Plumbing, Inc.

Every year in America, millions of storage tank water heaters rupture, causing major damage in homes. In fact, a water heater leak is now one of the biggest costs covered by insurance companies. Claims for water heater ruptures and failures run into hundreds of millions of dollars.

The truth is that most conventional storage tank water heaters are prone to leaks before the internal components reach the end of their service lives. As such, the only way most homeowners realize that they need a new unit is when they wake up one morning, or come home from work, to find a utility room or basement flooded with water.

Having to deal with the consequences of a water heater leak is bad enough – drying carpets, etc. – but the real cost of a leak often occurs when dealing with insurance companies and contractors. There’s every chance that your home’s drywall, foundation and flooring need repair. And an even more serious matter is preventing mildew or mold growing in places that were difficult to dry out completely – such as crawl spaces.

A tankless water heater is less prone to the typical conditions that lead to a water heater leak in conventional units, including thermal degradation of plumbing connections and mineral scale. Since water in a tankless unit is not subjected to long-term storage, the formation of mineral scale is dramatically reduced.

Most tankless water heaters last for 20 years or more, in contrast to conventional storage water heaters which have a life expectancy of 10 to 15 years.