Water heater died in my basement on a Sunday night

Had a 50 gallon Rheem give out at my place near Decatur around 9 PM on a Sunday. Tank was leaking all over the concrete floor so I had to shut the water off and drain it myself with a garden hose. Anyone else keep a backup water heater or just call a plumber the next day?

2 comments

2 Comments

hannahs7112d ago

I had a friend whose tank went out while they were hosting Thanksgiving dinner, total nightmare.

barnes.morgan12d ago

My old house had a 40 gallon Bradford White that lasted like 12 years with zero issues, so I always thought backup water heaters were just overkill for people who watch too many YouTube videos. But then mine died on a random Tuesday night last winter and I spent the whole next day calling around and paying a ridiculous emergency fee. Now I keep a smaller 30 gallon electric tank in the corner of my basement connected to a shutoff valve, basically just as insurance. It took me an afternoon to install and cost maybe $400 total, but idk, that feels worth it to not have to take cold showers or cancel plans again. Maybe it's just me but having that spare gave me a lot of peace of mind after that first disaster.