I bet the replacements won't last as long as your originals!

I've heard that from a couple of folks. It's a little frustrating to think that with all of the scientific advances we still can't make an appliance that lasts 20-30 years. Then again, when the technician came to the house yesterday to look at the hot water heater, he checked the age and said "Replacement." right away. They're not going to spend any time repairing a 20+ year-old unit -- and that's fair. Presumably they can do a pile of recycling on the old unit.