Three months ago, I met with two different clients in the same week: one was planning a dream renovation, the other was dealing with a catastrophic failure. Their needs were different, but the root cause was the same—both had skipped the annual task of learning how to drain hot water heater tanks. The renovator wanted … Read more
The concrete crew was already backing the truck toward the forms when I spotted the 240 V cable draped across the excavation. One quick continuity test with my Fluke 117 confirmed the breaker was feeding the Rheem Performance Platinum we’d hung the day before, yet the slab temp read 42 °F—no way that 4,500 W … Read more
After major storms, contractors are flooded with calls. But the most critical step isn’t the repair itself; it’s the assessment you do before anyone even shows up. I’ve seen homeowners panic when their water turns rusty or smells like rotten eggs—blaming the heater, the pipes, even the water company. Nine times out of ten, it’s … Read more
The biggest mistake I see isn’t ambition; it’s underestimating the prep work. People spend 10% of their time on the project and 90% on fixing the mess from poor preparation. I’ve watched homeowners rush into buying a water heater because it was on sale—only to realize two years later their “great deal” had a 6-year … Read more
Early in my career, my mentor pointed to a seemingly minor detail and said, “If you don’t fix this $100 problem now, it will become a $10,000 problem later.” He was referring to an undersized 80 gallon water heater in a large family home—seemingly sufficient on paper, but plagued by constant sediment buildup and short … Read more
Early in my career, my mentor pointed to a seemingly minor detail and said, “If you don’t fix this $100 problem now, it will become a $10,000 problem later.” He was right. I was installing a 75 gallon water heater in a historic Brooklyn brownstone when I noticed the venting clearance was just 1.5 inches … Read more
My records show that RV owners who ignore a failing camper water heater spend an average of $1,400 on collateral repairs—rotted plywood, mold remediation, and LP regulator replacements—within 18 months. I walked into a 2022 Airstream Flying Cloud last March where a $9 plastic PEX elbow had cracked behind the Atwood GCH6A; the owner had … Read more
We’ve tracked the data, and the water heaters we installed a decade ago are still performing 22% more efficiently than the industry average. That’s not an accident; it’s our method. Last Tuesday at 6:15 AM, Mrs. Chen called—her 50-gallon Rheem Performance Platinum sat in two inches of water. The leak? A 3/4-inch rust hole at … Read more
A client called me last week, their voice full of regret, after trying to follow a tutorial they found online. They’d swapped their 6-gallon Atwood RV hot water heater for a cheap no-name model on Amazon—saved $150 upfront, lost three days of camping because the burner wouldn’t ignite. By the time they called me, the … Read more
Have you ever wondered why some installations last for decades while others fail in just a few years? The difference is rarely the brand name on the box. In Las Vegas, where summer temps routinely hit 115°F and water hardness exceeds 250 ppm, a water heater doesn’t just work—it battles. I’ve seen homes with $1,200 … Read more