The enemy of all steel tank water heaters isrust. Eventually all of them develop a leak somewhere.

1) Flush the water heater

Debris collects at the bottom of your water heater. Impuritiesin the water, rust from the tank walls, and particles carried infrom the piping system all settle at the bottom.

If left in heater for years, this debris can cause your heaterto fail prematurely. To ensure your heater reaches it's maximumservice life, you have to flush the debris from the water heateronce a year.

All water heaters eventually develop a leak.It's just a matter of time. A well maintained water heater can lastdecades, but it too will succumb to rust. Water heater companies,the kind that specialize in just replacing heaters, often recommendreplacing a perfectly functioning tank after its warranty has runout. It's hard to fault them for their logic. The damage apotential leak would cause is many times the cost of a newheater.

For the homeowner and the environment replacing a functioningheater is a waste of resources. A drip pan

A water heater is an appliance you do not knowyou have until it breaks. You probably found this site searchingfor help how to get a warm shower tonight. Your kids are probablycomplaining already. Because of this time pressure people oftentimes overpay companies to install sub standard units at a veryhigh cost. A water heater is an appliance like your dishwasher. Whywould you allow a contractor to install a "name brand" unit youhave never seen before?

Take a step back and breath. Having only cold water for a fewdays is not the end