Water Heaters - Is it dying on me?

My 10 1/2 year old State Select electric hot water heater appears to be in distress. It seems that not only is the thermostat not working properly as the water is coming out of the tap way too hot, but it's also making the popping noises I've been reading about. They're loud and scary.

The scenario scared me badly enough to throw the breaker. Is there any danger in letting in run (besides having to be careful of the scalding water)? I have a call in to a plumber.

Thanks much.

Unless you have hard water ten years is a bit on the low end of expected life for an electric water heater. You may have damaged elements though and a malfunctioning thermostat. If you have not performed the recommended maintenance on this water heater AND you have aggressive water it may be better to have the entire water heater replaced than trying to repair and then losing all that money by needing to replace in a few months.

No, I've not done the recommended maintenance, and the water is relatively hard I think.

Others have advised me to replace the whole unit too.

Thanks.

First and foremost... PLEASE USE CAUTION when using the hot water not to scald yourself or someone else in your home. It only takes seconds !!! :eek:

If the popping noise is coming from overheating (bad thermostat) you will want to be careful using the heater. If the temp of the water seems extremely high, you may not want to use the heater until inspected properly by a trained plumber. You may only "NEED" to replace the controls, but I would recommend replacing the heater. It's time is getting near.

If the temps seem normal, but it just makes popping sounds and you have bad water, you may want to replace the heater

Thanks much for the response. I'm getting the heater replaced tomorrow. I wasn't sure whether I should be running it now or not. I turned it back on today, but will turn it off now. I'll have hot water for a shower in the morning.

Thanks again.