Bird
Epic Contributor
I know a few of our members are living in manufactured housing, and we've had some discussions in the past about the quality, etc. I'm going to suggest that, if you live in a manufactured housing, you keep a close eye on your water heater, and now I'll tell you why.
We bought a new double wide in 1997, a brand that was supposedly the "Cadillac" of the industry at the time. Both the paperwork, and the salesman, mentioned that the electric water heater was installed in a drain pan so that any leaks would drain out the bottom. The access to the water heater was outside and the "door" had 6 screws that had to be removed to open it. Like a dummy, I did not check on it until I noticed the floor getting soft in the laundry area about 4 years later. /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif Yep, it was in a drain pan, but the drain pan was barely big enough in diameter for the water heater to fit into it, and then the water heater was wrapped in insulation that extended out over the edges of the drain pan, the insulation was soaked and dripping over the sides of the drain pan. A substantial amount of flooring had to be replaced, in addition to replacing the leaking water heater.
In 1999, one of our daughters bought a really nice 1997 double wide. The outside access door to the electric water heater was much easier to open to check on the water heater, and I did that; looked OK, but no drain pan and that 50 gallon water heater barely fit in there. And again, like dummies, we forgot about it. Then day before yesterday, I was mowing and noticed that her water heater door was bulging out in the middle. Yep, water heater was leaking, floor softened, water heater tilted out against the door.
First Point: Check your water heater frequently.
Second Point: Now both of these mobile homes were built with what they called "OSB" (I call it particle board). I think that's the industry standard, but if you buy a new one, you can specify plywood floors, at extra cost, of course. The salesmen will tell you how much better the OSB is if it doesn't get wet! Insist on plywood!!!!
Third Point: There are water heaters made specifically for manufactured housing. I don't know what the difference is, but if anyone else does, let us know. Our daughter's home had a State "Scout" water heater. You won't have much luck finding a dealer with one in stock. In fact, the State dealers that I contacted said they don't even know what the difference is in the manufactured housing water heaters, but that they can't even get them. It seems that State (and I don't know about other manufacturers) makes some cheap water heaters for manufactured housing manufacturers. Even their website shows the Scout to have a one year warranty while their other heaters have 6 to 15 year warranties. I contacted their home office, found that I could buy one, and pick it up at one of their warehouses for $231.33, but even they recommended that I get a different water heater at Lowe's or some other local outlet.
OK, I've replaced water heaters, and I've replaced flooring, but at my age, I don't want to do it anymore. So I called a local mobile home service company for an estimate; $600 and he said he'd get the water heater from Lowe's. Hmm . . ., the only mobile home water heater at Lowe's is $188 plus sales tax. Home Depot didn't even have one.
So, if you wondered why the long winded post, I called one of my brothers to come help me, and we did the job this morning ourselves. /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif You can bet I'll keep a close eye on water heaters in the future. /forums/images/graemlins/crazy.gif
We bought a new double wide in 1997, a brand that was supposedly the "Cadillac" of the industry at the time. Both the paperwork, and the salesman, mentioned that the electric water heater was installed in a drain pan so that any leaks would drain out the bottom. The access to the water heater was outside and the "door" had 6 screws that had to be removed to open it. Like a dummy, I did not check on it until I noticed the floor getting soft in the laundry area about 4 years later. /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif Yep, it was in a drain pan, but the drain pan was barely big enough in diameter for the water heater to fit into it, and then the water heater was wrapped in insulation that extended out over the edges of the drain pan, the insulation was soaked and dripping over the sides of the drain pan. A substantial amount of flooring had to be replaced, in addition to replacing the leaking water heater.
In 1999, one of our daughters bought a really nice 1997 double wide. The outside access door to the electric water heater was much easier to open to check on the water heater, and I did that; looked OK, but no drain pan and that 50 gallon water heater barely fit in there. And again, like dummies, we forgot about it. Then day before yesterday, I was mowing and noticed that her water heater door was bulging out in the middle. Yep, water heater was leaking, floor softened, water heater tilted out against the door.
First Point: Check your water heater frequently.
Second Point: Now both of these mobile homes were built with what they called "OSB" (I call it particle board). I think that's the industry standard, but if you buy a new one, you can specify plywood floors, at extra cost, of course. The salesmen will tell you how much better the OSB is if it doesn't get wet! Insist on plywood!!!!
Third Point: There are water heaters made specifically for manufactured housing. I don't know what the difference is, but if anyone else does, let us know. Our daughter's home had a State "Scout" water heater. You won't have much luck finding a dealer with one in stock. In fact, the State dealers that I contacted said they don't even know what the difference is in the manufactured housing water heaters, but that they can't even get them. It seems that State (and I don't know about other manufacturers) makes some cheap water heaters for manufactured housing manufacturers. Even their website shows the Scout to have a one year warranty while their other heaters have 6 to 15 year warranties. I contacted their home office, found that I could buy one, and pick it up at one of their warehouses for $231.33, but even they recommended that I get a different water heater at Lowe's or some other local outlet.
OK, I've replaced water heaters, and I've replaced flooring, but at my age, I don't want to do it anymore. So I called a local mobile home service company for an estimate; $600 and he said he'd get the water heater from Lowe's. Hmm . . ., the only mobile home water heater at Lowe's is $188 plus sales tax. Home Depot didn't even have one.
So, if you wondered why the long winded post, I called one of my brothers to come help me, and we did the job this morning ourselves. /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif You can bet I'll keep a close eye on water heaters in the future. /forums/images/graemlins/crazy.gif