Age and insurance
A tank water heater usually lasts about 10 to 12 years, depending on water quality, use and maintenance. The manufacture date is on the rating plate or coded into the serial number. Insurers in BC often ask how old the tank is. Many treat a tank that’s 10 to 12 years old as due for replacement, and some exclude water damage from an older tank, so it’s worth knowing the age before you remove subjects.
Tankless water heaters don’t store water, but they need periodic descaling or servicing on the schedule the manufacturer sets.
Seismic straps
In an earthquake, an unstrapped tank can tip over and break its water and gas connections. PreparedBC advises anchoring water heaters snugly to the wall with straps. The usual arrangement is two straps, one near the top of the tank and one near the bottom, fastened into the wall framing. A gas water heater should also have a flexible gas connector, installed by a licensed gas fitter.
The relief valve and expansion
The temperature and pressure relief valve opens if the tank gets too hot or the pressure too high. It needs a discharge pipe the same size as the valve outlet, running down toward the floor or a drain, with an open end that’s never capped, plugged or threaded. Without one, scalding water can spray out at chest height.
Water expands as it heats. Where a pressure-reducing valve or a check valve stops that extra water from flowing back into the supply, the pressure rises each time the tank heats and the relief valve may drip. An expansion tank on the cold supply is the usual fix.
What to do
- Before subject removal: find out the tank’s age and ask your insurer about it.
- On possession: have a licensed plumber add or correct straps, the relief valve pipe or an expansion tank if the report calls for them.
- As maintenance: follow the manufacturer’s schedule for flushing sediment and checking the relief valve.
The Public Health Agency of Canada recommends setting the tank to 60°C to limit bacteria such as Legionella, with mixing valves on taps, showers and tubs set to 49°C to prevent scalds.
What our inspection covers
We record the type, fuel and approximate age of the water heater, and check the straps, the relief valve and its discharge pipe, the venting on gas units, the gas connector, any drain pan, and signs of leaks or corrosion. We don’t take the tank apart or test its internal parts.
Want the age of the major systems before you remove subjects? Book an inspection.
Reviewed October 26, 2026 by Nick Hawley, Watch House Inspections. General information, not advice about a particular home.