What Is the Average Life of an Electric Water Heater?

You want to upgrade to a more efficient hot water heater, or yours is getting older and you are curious just how long it will last. The lifespan of a typical hot water heater can vary greatly, depending on usage as well as other factors.

Time Frame

Electric hot water heaters generally have a longer life expectancy than their gas counterpart. A gas unit will have a lifespan from 8 to 14 years. An electric unit will have an average lifespan of 10 to 18 years.

Considerations

Electric hot water heaters do not require flues or vent pipes. This allows them to be placed in many more locations.

Safety

Electric hot water heaters are considered safer than gas models. With electric there is no danger of combustible vapors than can ignite. With gas units there is also a danger of carbon monoxide poisoning. Just under three people die each year from carbon monoxide poisoning due to faulty hot water heaters.

Savings

The average gas unit will cost less to operate than an electric unit. The estimated annual operating cost for a gas unit is $314 while the electric unit is estimated at $535 (approximately 70 percent higher).

Misconceptions

Most people do not replace a hot water heater until it fails, believing it is fine until that time. In fact a unit can operate at a greatly decreased efficiency level for several years before it completely fails.