If you are sure that the leak is coming from the tank and not from a pipe or fitting, the tank body has corroded with age and the whole heater has to be replaced. Often the trickiest part of the job is getting the old heater out of the basement and the new one in. You’re going to need a helper and probably a hand truck. Disposal can also be a nuisance. Call your city solid-waste disposal office and ask where you can recycle your old water heater.

In addition, you may need a permit to install a water heater. Ask your building department; they can issue a homeowner’s permit so you can do the work. For replacement instructions, see Step by Step.
Water heaters are not all alike. Water capacities range from 12 to 100 gallons. A family of four usually needs the 40- or 50-gallon size. Better heaters have glass-lined metal tanks covered by 5- to 10-year warranties. The construction is not different for a longer warranty, but you pay more for the extra five years of protection. The difference between a 5 and 10 year warranty may be a second anode installed in the tank or a replacement shipped with it.

Recovery rates (how fast the heater warms incoming cold water) are fairly consistent among energy-efficient models. Faster recovery rates come at a price—the heater uses more energy.

Step By Step: Water Heater Replacement

If your water heater died of old age, odds are that the building code has changed since the original installation. Consult your local building department about where you may locate the heater, any needed permits and, for gas heaters, how it may be vented.
A new water heater should come with complete installation instructions.

1. Turn off the water supply and electricity or gas to the water heater. Drain the heater. Disconnect the heater from pipes and electricity. For a gas heater, disconnect the draft hood that connects to the flue. If the water pipes do not have unions, saw through the pipes with a hacksaw. Save the old relief valve if it works well and you think it will fit the new heater.

2. Bring in the new water heater on a hand truck. Set it in the place of the old. If it is a gas heater, align it to connect with the flue and the gas supply. For an electric heater, position the heater for an easy connection to electrical power.

3. Reconnect the water supply and hot water outlet with flexible connectors.

4. For an electric heater, reconnect the supply cable. For a gas heater, reconnect the gas supply to the heater—again, you can use threaded flexible connectors made for gas supply. Brush soapy water onto any gas connection you have worked on; if gas is leaking through, you will see bubbles. Tighten the connection until no gas is leaking. If the new heater did not come with a relief valve, install a new one or the one you removed from the old heater.

5. Make sure that the drain valve on the heater is closed, and then open the valve on the hot-water outlet pipe and a hot-water tap at a sink. Open the cold-water inlet valve to fill the heater with water. After it is full, close the tap you opened and check for pipe leaks.

6. For a gas heater, relight the pilot light. For electric heaters, turn the electricity back on.

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