Available on Project MUSE and JSTOR. Online access to Contemporary Literature is available as part of the Project MUSE collections. All back issues of Contemporary Literature beginning with Vol. 1, 1960 are available online through the JSTOR digital archive.
Many manufacturers recommend water heater anode replacement every two to four years depending on the hardness of the water that passes through the tank and the quality of the water heater lining.
Now, if your familyâs needs have outgrown your water heater, it may be time to step up to a unit with a larger capacity tank even though a repair on your current one may be simple. How Long Do Water Heaters Last? As a rule of thumb, water heaters are not designed to last much beyond about 10 to 20 years (more or less). So to answer the question of how long does a water heater lastâ¦ it really depends. If you know how to flush a water heater and perform the steps once a year as well as maintain the unit according to any other manufacturerâs specifications, you can get several more years, but the tank will still fail eventually.