I hate making decisions. How did we ever even buy this house?

Also, by way of update, I've been reading a lot about tankless and we definitely don't want one. So now I have two companies, and just need to choose I think. One company is a bit cheaper but has fewer recs and reviews... so I'm trying to figure that out.

I definitely plan to go this route when it is time to install our next water heater (which is probably soon -- I bet ours is pushing 10-12 years old now). I guess it would only make sense if your current water heater is electric though - I think gas water heaters are a lot more efficient and you wouldn't need to add extra wiring and stuff. If you do have an electric water heater, I'd look into it though!

Ugh, reading reddit (the homeimprovement subreddit) is just very discouraging.

The current water heater is 23 years old. As the saying goes "they don't make 'em like they used to."

Repair costs on tankless are a lot more.

Yes, I'm getting that impression

Unfortunately, the tanked water heaters don't get much good press either. I'm trying to look at different brands, and every site I look at says basically "they don't make 'em like they used to"

The company I want to use sells, installs, and services AO Smith. Which is a brand I've never heard of, but it has it's share of reviews along the lines of "this thing came with a 6 year warranty, and it started leaking at 6 years and 2 months"

I think Nina's water damage was because of a tankless water heater that spewed hot water and steam into her house for days, so not sure it's superior if you're away from home for extended periods.

I had forgotten that, thanks for the reminder!!!

There are short tanks that are slightly wider. Let the plumber look at the space and tell you what they can fit in there.

Thanks, I will ask. Mr SK is at the house right now and I had him measure the current unit.

There are short tanks that are slightly wider. Let the plumber look at the space and tell you what they can fit in there.

Yes, it's a bigger cost upfront, but their life span is twice as long as a traditional WH, for one thing....

And tankless seems like the better option if you're going to be traveling, for example... Also they take up more space.

One of my concerns with switching to the 50 gallon is that it will be taller and the current location doesn't have a lot of vertical wiggle room....
Still lots more to think about...

Oh and Al, our water heater is gas.

We have a 50 gallon hot water heater. We've never run out of hot water, even with someone showering while the dishwasher or laundry washer is running.

Big Al