There's nothing worse than dealing with a broken or breaking down water heater. In a worst case scenario, your home could suffer serious flooding and structural damage as a result of a busted water heater. That's why homeowners should take extra care when their unit begins to malfunction. There are many scenarios where installing a new water heater could help lead to large savings in the long run, especially with changes to efficiency standards just around the corner. Evaluating the short and long term benefits of keeping your current unit churning along when the appliance begins to fail is warranted. You may find that a new water heater is the right way to go.

Why repair when you can upgrade?
According to ABC Action News, there are several signs of disrepair that should have you thinking about a new water heater instead how to save your old one. A noisy unit, for example, is likely experiencing the effects of long term sediment buildup. By the time the buildup becomes noticeably audible, sediment has hardened and the water heater is likely on the tail end of its usable service life. The presence of rusty-tinted water near or around your water heater is a red flag for rust, and a good sign that your unit is deteriorating from the inside. The damage could conveniently be patched over, but rust accumulation is another sign that replacing the appliance  might be the best choice. After all, a few repairs in short succession could quickly exceed the cost of a new, more-efficient appliance.

New regulations will traditional tanks make far more costly
While upgrading your water heater is often the best choice after the appliance suffers serious damage, simply choosing another traditional style unit may not be as simple as it used to be. That's because manufacturers will be debuting new, more efficient versions of their water heaters after April 16 in accordance with stricter performance standards courtesy of the United States Department of Energy. The downside? Homeowners can expect the new units to be at least two inches larger in diameter, meaning that it might be impossible to replace a broken water heater with one of the new models without a serious home renovation.

You can reduce water heater maintenance issues by going tankless.

Thankfully, customers can turn to tankless water heaters as a means of avoiding the extra costs that come with installing one of the new models. Tankless models are so compact and efficient that their design went unchanged as a result of the DOE's latest standards. This means that these 99 percent thermal efficient, cost-saving appliances can be installed anywhere in your house with ease. While tankless solutions have been the pricier option in the past, the extra cost of retrofits and a lengthier repair process for standard units will shrink the price gap considerably.

Long life-span makes tankless a smart investment
An article from Today explained that the life expectancy for a traditional water heater is just over seven years. By comparison, a high-end tankless model boasts a lifespan of two decades. Keep this performance life difference in mind when considering the choice between repairing your water heater and replacing it with a tankless option. After all, a tankless unit could easily outlast the full service life of two traditional models. The resource also extolled the benefits of on-demand heating and continuous hot water. Getting in contact with a tankless water heater expert will give you more insight into whether or not a tankless upgrade is ideal for your household.