I have a 5-year-old water heater that heats water initially but only lasts for about 10 minutes. A guy suggested that I could 'rebuild' it, which involves changing the heating elements, anode rod, and flushing it out for $500. That price seems excessive for something I could possibly do myself. How difficult is it to handle this as a DIY project?
3 Answers
Honestly, for $500, you could buy a new water heater. But if you’re set on DIY, it’s not too hard! You’ll need some basic tools and a few supplies. Changing the heating elements and anode rod is pretty straightforward, just make sure to turn off the breaker first. On a difficulty scale, I’d say it’s about a 3 out of 10, unless it’s in a tricky spot like an attic. Just watch some YouTube videos to get a feel for it!
This is definitely a DIY job! It can all be done in an afternoon, and the parts will probably set you back about $100 max. The elements are easy to swap, but the anode rod can sometimes be stubborn. I’d recommend checking the thermostats to see if they’re working properly before you replace the elements, as they might be the real issue here. And yes, definitely check out some YouTube tutorials to guide you along.
Super simple! As long as there’s not a lot of build-up, you should be fine doing this yourself. Just remember to cut the power first! If your water heater isn’t too old, you might not even need to replace the anode yet. It sounds like the thermostats could be your main problem, which is often simpler and cheaper to fix than replacing the heating elements.