My son sent me this picture of the water heater the other day...he'd like to know if he needs to be concerned about the rust.  I figured someone here could tell us. :)

yes, - not the rust itself but the reason for the rust, which would be a leak causing the rust.  water is conductive.  that much rust means there's a fairly significant leak which could cause an electrical fire.

disclaimer:  I'm not an electrician nor a plumber.  But I would not want to continue to use that system in my house until I got it fixed.

 I installed a tankless electric water heater several years ago. It is about the size of a small suitcase. I replaced the hot water loop in my oil boiler. I didn't have access to gas heat so I opted for electric tankless. I saved a TON of money.

 It was a little bit trial and error. The first unit I put in was a little  small for my home and so I traded it back for a larger one. It uses three 40 amp 220 volt circuits. You would think it's a power hog but really it is only used for short durations so it uses far less power than a tanks water heater. I had upgraded my electrical service to 200 amps so this wasn't an issue for me.

 Here are some of the complaints about tankless heaters.- They might not offer the same consistency of temperture as a tank heater. In my case I was able to adjust it to a comfortable consistant level . It can take a little while for the water to come out hot but in my case it is probably less than ten seconds.

 It works by looking at how fast the water goes through it and also looking at the water temperture,so those variables can make an occasional thermostat adjustment necessary. If you have a filter that is clogging it will affect your water temps. The thermostat might need adjusting in the winter because the water in the ground is cooler then.

 I wouldn't go back to a tank heater now.

Janet





My son sent me this picture of the water heater the other day...he'd like to know if he needs to be concerned about the rust.  I figured someone here could tell us. :)

It's looking pretty ragged, I'd say replace it beofore it starts leaking.

djwayne

Janet





My son sent me this picture of the water heater the other day...he'd like to know if he needs to be concerned about the rust.  I figured someone here could tell us. :)

It's looking pretty ragged, I'd say replace it beofore it starts leaking.

where did the rust come from if not from a leak?

Beagle

djwayne

Janet





My son sent me this picture of the water heater the other day...he'd like to know if he needs to be concerned about the rust.  I figured someone here could tell us. :)

It's looking pretty ragged, I'd say replace it beofore it starts leaking.

where did the rust come from if not from a leak?

The rust can come from age, heat, and moisture... likely a combination of all 3. If the rust is dry surface rust, it's probably OK. Surface rust on sheet metal is no big deal. There looks to be some surface rust on the tank but not much... most of it looks to be on the sheet metal for the thermostat. 


The terminal screws appear to be rusted a bit and the wire looks to be secured improperly. The electrical connection should be clean and have no corrosion or rust on it. Corrosion and rust impede the flow of current and will cause heat that will burn the terminal screws off and damage the copper wire. Turn off the power and clean them up with a soft wire brush. Wrap the wire tightly and secure the screws firmly but not overly tight. 


The most concerning thing to me is the white powdery stuff around the heating element. It looks like there is or has been a leak and the minerals have deposited there and below the element. If it is leaking and allowing minerals to deposit, that needs to be resolved. 


If you go to the effort to remove the elements to clean up that corrosion, and the heater is in good condition other than that, I'd place new heating elements in it. 


I'm not a plumber although I have worked on and replaced the elements in more than my share of water heaters.... a water heater is expected to live about 10 years...give or take.  With proper maintenance , it can go much longer than that. Flush them out periodically, and the heating elements on the bottom will last longer.  I've seen some that are 15 years old and inside  the covers look as new as the day they were installed. It depends on the environment where they were installed. Most that are installed inside a house stay pristine. Garages, basements, utility rooms have higher temp variations and humidity and rust is common in those. 

You guys are missing the most obvious result.  All of that rust could easily eat all the way through and you'll get a very large puddle (plus no heated water).  I know - it happened to me down in California...

If it springs a leak you may get more than a puddle, it could start raining in your house !! If it's more than 7 years old, I'd replace it, as it looks like it could start leaking anytime. A small leak can turn into a big spray in no time. You can replace heating elements and temperature controls, but once the tank springs a leak, it has to be replaced. It all depends on how big of a mess you want, it also could start spraying at a very inconvient time. So it's better to replace it BEFORE an emergency situation occurs.

Janet





My son sent me this picture of the water heater the other day...he'd like to know if he needs to be concerned about the rust.  I figured someone here could tell us. :)

Not only the rust but the mineralization around the element, ( the white stuff ). The inside of the tank is liable to worse than the outside. It's not so much an electrical fire hazard as it is a health hazard. The wires and connection points are insulated, but mineralization can spread and compremise your electrical. It's time for a new one most definitely.
 

I agree.