When selecting a new water heater, it's important to consider how long you plan to stay in your home. New water heaters are designed to fail after a set period of time under the National Appliance Energy Conservation Act, passed by Congress in 1975 and amended in 1987 to include residential hot water tanks. The last phase of this act went into effect in 2014, requiring tanks to last for a specified period of time.

We recommend choosing a water heater with a warranty that closely matches the amount of time you plan to live in your home. A 12-year warranty tank can last as long as two average 6-year warranty tanks. Keep in mind that your next water heater will likely be more expensive than your current one.

If you choose Bradford White's 6-year warranty tank, you may benefit from its self-cleaning feature, which can help it last longer than non-self-cleaning tanks. Bradford White offers a warranty upgrade rather than a different line of water heaters for longer warranties.

Unlike with car batteries, water heaters have a full warranty replacement policy. If your water heater fails during the warranty period, you will receive a brand new heater. If any fees are charged by the supply house or store, you will still receive a brand-new warranty. If it's an even swap, the new tank will inherit the remaining warranty of the previous water heater. Note that 12-year tanks are only swapped out with 12-year tanks, and the same applies to 9 and 6-year models.

For warranty purposes, you don't need a purchase receipt. The tank's serial number provides its date of manufacture for warranty purposes, so keep this information handy. Receipts are often lost over the course of 12 years.