theas28•2d agoProlific Poster

My water heater died at the worst possible time.

Last Tuesday morning I went to take a shower and got nothing but cold water. Checked the pilot light on my water heater and it was out. Tried relighting it a few times but it wouldn't stay lit. Called a plumber who came out and said the thermocouple was shot and the tank had a small crack too. He quoted me $1,800 for a new 50 gallon unit installed. I ended up having to borrow money from my brother because I didn't have that kind of cash sitting around. Took two days to get it replaced so we were taking cold sponge baths like animals. Anyone else had an appliance completely fail without warning?

3 comments

3 Comments

val_shah2d ago

...and of course it happens on a Tuesday morning when you're already running late. I had my furnace go out in January a few years back, same kind of thing - no warning, just dead. Sounds like your plumber gave you a fair price though, I paid almost that much just for a basic 40 gallon install last year. Pro tip if you ever get a chance to prevent this stuff: set up a small emergency fund just for appliance failures, even if it's only fifty bucks a month. Those cold sponge baths bring back memories I could've done without too, sorry you had to deal with that.

the_alex2d ago

One thing about water heaters nobody mentions is if you've got hard water, that's what really eats them from the inside out. I had to replace mine at five years because the mineral buildup was insane, way faster than the typical lifespan you see quoted online.

emma962d ago

And the universe just picks the worst possible time to hit you with it. Like appliances have some kind of calendar that syncs with your morning rush. That emergency fund tip is solid though. I started throwing fifty bucks a month into a "something's gonna break" envelope after my water heater quit on Thanksgiving morning. Nothing like explaining cold showers to your relatives while you wait for the plumber.