Like many other items an old water heater, no matter how rusted, can indeed serve some more purposes, once it is no longer usable as a water heater. Depending on its condition you can either take advantage of its functional or material qualities. Regardless, at this stage, the best part is that there is still some use for it, instead of having to just throw it away.
When you decide, or it becomes necessary to get a new water heater make sure you do your research. You might decide on some other, different options to your old one. Like for example a tankless water heater. This guide to the top-rated electric tankless water heaters will give you on-spot information to help you.
Why dispose of your old water heater when it can be used
If you are simply renewing your water heater with a more modern one, for example, one with better functionality and looks, let’s say, the best thing to do is to find a household that can use your old one. Take some time to find its new owner. It may be a friend that can’t afford one or even better donate it to some type of facility that people live in as a community. A retirement home, an orphanage, anything of that type would be a good deed. The best advice here would be to make sure you do your due diligence. If you have decided on donating, you must make sure you do it right and get as much information on the destination you’ve chosen. How is the heater going to be used, how is it going to help, etc? Just giving it away without checking is worse than throwing it away, because instead of helping you will be creating the opportunity for the misconduct of some sort.
Another option for disposing of your old water heater that is still functional is to sell it. Many online stores allow people to resell their old items and pretty much everything can be sold there. This is less effort than donating but not none. Experience shows that taking the time to make sure you create an informative and well-illustrated ad will increase substantially the chances of a successful sell. Don’t just upload one photo and say that it is a water heater. Add more and different photos to your advertisement as well as information, like how old is the heater, its measurements, and any other useful information for the buyer. If the heater has a scratch or some rust, don’t try to hide it because the buyer is looking for exactly this – an old heater that can still function at a much lower price, compared to the price of a brand-new water heater.
Sometimes you can’t do anything with an old water heater
If you are not interested in getting anything out of your old heater then you can always call up the municipal disposing department in your area and they will come and get it. Not every municipality has such a department as it should! If there isn’t one in your area there might be a recycling center that does the same thing, but this might cost you some money.
So far, so good but what to do if the old water heater is no longer functional. Now, this is a more creative and fun area to think about. A water heater is usually made of a lot of durable material and few interesting opportunities can be taken advantage of if you have the mindset for it. Well, mindset might not be enough, but some skills and agility will most definitely lead to success. A very interesting task is making a grill /barbeque/ from your old water heater. The first thing you have to do is strip it of the external insolation – the outer layer. Once you have done this it is imperative that you apply good sanding. The goal is to get a smooth surface, without any sharp shards of metal that might pose a risk of someone cutting themselves. Sanding by hand may be quite tiresome, so using a power sander will get you there quickly and with better quality.
Your next step would be to cut out a lengthy enough door to its side so that you have access to the food you will be grilling. You will need hinges so that the door is functional, and you can open and close it.
The next thing you need is to base the gill on something, make it stand. You can use the legs of an old bed frame, for example, and make legs for it. From here on it is all a matter of your imagination. You can add handles, a temperature gauge, wheels for easier mobility, and many more perks to it.
Water heaters are very heavy, and this weight can be used for grading landscapes of different types. You can grade yard slopes or your driveway for draining, for example. What you need to do is strip the heater down to its metal container, weld a metal pulling frame and add a hook to it so you can attach it to your tractor or even your car. Just the metal case of the water heater might not be heavy enough for your purposes, but you can add weight by filling it with cement.
This method of disposal of an old water heater is fun
If you have time on your hands, an old water heater, moderate welding skills, and enthusiasm you can turn it into a wood stove. Oh, and of course measure tape. You will have to cut it shorter and add legs unless you have some other ideas. There is a lot of freedom here. There are a few holes, some might come in handy, others you might have to close off by welding. You will need hinges since there must be a door for loading wood and cleaning out. Bottom line is that it is not so hard to do and the result might surprise you.
You need a foundry furnace, and you have an old water heater. Turn the latter into the first. You will be using the metal shell of the water heater only, so stripping is necessary again. Cutting, welding, measuring, and a lot of other material will be needed but the water heater gives you the starting foundation.
With all the information available you will pretty surely find a way to make use of your old water heater, but you must consider the future. When you purchase your new water-heater have in mind that there are many ways you can prolong its life. The quality of water varies from bad to worse, especially in urban areas but that doesn’t mean you can’t take measures to prevent rust, corrosion, or problems with air in the installation, let’s say. A good whole house water filtering system can help you with cleaning the water of heavy compounds and mineral sediment, which are the main cause of bad health to your water heater, as well as your plumbing system. This review of top-class whole house water filters can help you decide on one and this guide for high-quality hot water recirculation pumps can solve air problems alongside saving energy.
A good water cooler can also deliver filtered water at a temperature of your taste and will also convenience your everyday life with its easy use. Take a look at this high-class water coolers review if you’d like to raise the bar to your home living.