Home Inspections Should Always Include Water Heater and Other Major Component Information

Home Inspections Should Always Include Water Heater and Other Major Component Information

Home Inspections Should Always Include Water Heater and Other Major Component Information

A home inspector should always perform a general hot water heater check and report on its overall condition during the inspection.

This 100-gallon electric water heater(in picture above) was built in March of 1938 and is still delivering hot water like it was built yesterday! This is one of those RARE treasures you run across every once in awhile.

The average lifespan of today's hot water heater is 9-11 years with a replacement cost of $400-$900 dollars(and rising). Obviously things aren't made like they used to be. They lasted longer and were much easier and cheaper to repair. Not any more, things tear up faster and continue to become harder & more expensive to fix.

Power Check Home Inspections considers all possible defects that could result in a $200 or more repair or replacement cost a significant item to make our clients aware of.

The last thing a client wants is the experience I had when buying my first home. Within the first year I had to replace the furnace($1800), the water heater($600), the dishwasher($300), the disposal($100), the gas fireplace switch and damper($300), the stove exhaust vent($200). and then the AC compressor($900) I didn't think it(-$$$) was ever going to stop. I bought a 27 year old home from a guy who I assume knew that many components were on their last leg. If I would have had a quality home inspection than my purchase price could have been easily negotiated down vs. the added $4200 I paid for over-due repairs.

Obviously you shouldn't always fix was isn't broke. Checking the age of the hot water heater, major appliances, and main housing components while also having a list of average life expectancies is often the best way to make a budget for the home's maintenance.

Many home inspectors include component life expectancies within the report while many others will provide the information upon request.

Please feel free to request a free in-depth list of all home component life expectancies from Power Check Home Inspections.