How long does a water heater last?
A tank water heater typically lasts 10 to 15 years. The home builders’ survey puts gas tanks at 10 years and electric tanks at 11, and the US Department of Energy’s analysis uses an average of about 15.
What the published figures say
| Years | Source | What the figure is |
|---|---|---|
| 10 for gas, 11 for electric | NAHB and Bank of America Home Equity, Study of Life Expectancy of Home Components (2007) | Survey of manufacturers and trade groups. Its appliance figures describe use by the first owner. |
| 10 to 15 | US Department of Energy, Building America measure guideline: transitioning to a tankless water heater | Stated for tank-type heaters in general. |
| About 15 | US Department of Energy, energy conservation standards for consumer water heaters, final rule (2024) | Average lifetime in the Department’s cost analysis, built from household survey data. |
| More than 10: consider replacing | ENERGY STAR, when should you replace your water heater? | A prompt to plan ahead, not a life expectancy. |
The sources measure different things, which is why they differ. A survey of first owners gives a shorter figure than an analysis that follows units until they are scrapped. All of them describe typical equipment. A given unit can fail sooner or run far longer, and age alone is not a reason to replace anything that works safely.
How old is yours?
The build date is coded into the serial number. Where to find it: How old is my water heater?
Find the age from the serial number
What the build year tells you
- Built before the federal efficiency increase of April 16, 2015. A replacement of the same capacity is built to a higher standard and may be larger than the tank it replaces. Measure the space before buying.
What shortens or extends its life
- Hard water. Mineral scale settles on the bottom of the tank and on electric elements, and the tank runs hotter and corrodes faster.
- A spent anode rod. The rod corrodes in place of the steel tank. Once it is used up, the tank itself starts to rust.
- High water pressure, and a closed plumbing system without an expansion tank, put extra stress on the tank.
- Draining sediment from the tank and checking the anode rod are the two jobs that extend its life.
Signs that replacement is near
- Water on the floor around the base, or rust streaks on the jacket. A tank that leaks from its body cannot be repaired.
- Rust-colored hot water.
- Rumbling or popping while the heater runs, which is sediment on the bottom of the tank.
- Less hot water than the heater used to deliver.
- Age. ENERGY STAR suggests planning the replacement once a water heater is more than 10 years old, before it fails and floods the floor.
Sizing the replacement
Sources
- NAHB and Bank of America Home Equity, Study of Life Expectancy of Home Components (2007): https://teamcomplete.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/07-NAHB-Life-Expectancy-Depreciation-Feb-2007.pdf
- US Department of Energy, Building America measure guideline: transitioning to a tankless water heater: https://www1.eere.energy.gov/buildings/publications/pdfs/building_america/measure_guide_tanklesswh.pdf
- US Department of Energy, energy conservation standards for consumer water heaters, final rule (2024): https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2024-05-06/html/2024-09209.htm
- ENERGY STAR, when should you replace your water heater?: https://www.energystar.gov/products/ask-the-experts/when-should-you-replace-your-water-heater
- Code of Federal Regulations, 10 CFR 430.32, energy and water conservation standards: https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-10/section-430.32
Other equipment
- How long does a tankless water heater last?
- How long does a furnace last?
- How long does a central air conditioner last?
- How long does a heat pump last?
- How long does a refrigerator last?
- How long does a washing machine last?
- How long does a clothes dryer last?
- How long does a dishwasher last?
- How long does a range or oven last?
Figures last checked against their sources on October 5, 2026. Method and sources.