A home is dependent on the water heater. Think about cold showers, washing the floors with freezing water, and there being no hot water for the dishes. These unpleasant scenarios are why you need to keep your hot water tank in working order ! A water heater that is properly installed and maintained should last up to 12 years; a tankless heating system should last up to 20. They don’t usually work longer than that lifespan because of the natural sediment that flows in through the municipal system. While both tank and tankless water heaters have ways of dealing with this sediment, these protective measures will eventually break down. What Causes Hot Water Heater Breakdowns? Like every other appliance, water heater tank wears down through constant use. As natural particles in water move through the system, they break the glass that lines the inside to protect the metal. The glass is very thin, so to keep the tank from corroding sooner than it has to, a device known as an anode rod a