Upgrading from a gas tank to a heat pump water heater can lower a home's energy bills, but replacement decisions can get complicated.
That was the situation facing a New York City landlord when a plumber quoted them $2,100 to replace warranty-covered parts on a six-year-old A.O. Smith 40-gallon water heater and offered a new Bradford White unit for $3,750.
Here's what to know
On the r/askaplumber subreddit, the original poster said the gas heater had "died" and would not ignite.
The same failure had happened before and was fixed by replacing the gas control valve and thermocouple. The plumbing company said it would cost $2,100 to secure the warrantied parts from the manufacturer and install them or $1,700 if the owner handled ordering the parts.
"A tenet lives in the place, and apparently they didn't do any multimeter diagnosis or anything," the OP wrote. "They just want off the notes from last time and looking over the unit. The quote seems a bit off to me but wanted to double check."
One commenter advised them to "call a smaller company."
"They're raking you over the coals for the repair, hoping you go for the new heater instead, which is also on the high end," another user echoed.
Some people conceded New York City pricing can make such work costlier than expected.
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More background
"That's about $250 in parts if replacing the burner assembly too. Good on them if they're getting it, but that's a little high for me. Would be $650-800 depending on travel," one commenter wrote.
Someone else said, "$2,100 is not high end for a 40-gallon tank in New York City," while another user noted that a 40-gallon gas replacement on Long Island costs $2,500 to $2,700 and added, "I can't see $1,000 more in NYC."
As for the replacement option, one commenter asked, "If the tank isn't leaking, why replace?"
What can be done?
The most common advice was to hold off on either option until more estimates were in hand. One person suggested reaching out to the manufacturer directly with the model and serial number and noting that the same problem had happened before.
The OP said they were going to contact additional companies.
If you're in a similar bind, Cala makes smart heat pump water heaters that can give buyers another point of comparison.
Cala's customizable smart heat pump water heaters can help homeowners decrease their energy bills by heating water when it is needed. They may be especially worth considering when a repair quote approaches the cost of a new heater.
Before signing off on a new tank, homeowners can compare prices, operating costs, and features across options including Cala.
Where can I learn more?
• Another homeowner felt ripped off after a warranty water heater swap cost $1,400.
• A new heat pump water heater died in under six months, and warranty delays stretched the outage to 30 days.
• A tenant's video showed a botched water heater fix that commenters called dangerous.
• One faulty tank blew up in their face, leaving a homeowner shaken and plumbers stunned.
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