I purchased a Bock 51E oil-fired water heater and installed it November 27, 2000. I thought I was buying the Cadillac of water heaters. It cost me over $1500 to buy and install the unit. The brochure from Bock states:
Built to last - Hand-crafted from heavy gauge steel.
Longer life equals a higher ’’Return on Investment’’.
HA! That’s BS. It began to leak April 28, 2006 - 5 years 5 months after installation. I spoke with the president of Bock, Inc., Donna Sheehan, to explain my frustration with Bock’s product. My Bock unit is serviced annually, and heats water coming from a water softener and water neutralizer installed in my home. I never found any sediment or sign of corrosion from water coming out of the drain valve. The magnesium anode rods that came with the unit to prevent corrosion still measured to an acceptable thickness. I was told my unit was 5 months beyond warranty and would not be replaced - End of story.
According to the information I have found on the web, water heaters last 8-12 years on average. I expected my Bock water heater would easily meet the average life span. IT DID NOT. I spoke with another person who owned a similar Bock water heater that lasted only 7 years. I urge anyone who is buying a new water heater to stay away from products made by Bock Water Heaters, Inc.