Used supestor - OK to buy used?

[MrEd]

I found a used superstor selling for about 1/3 the price of new, supposedly only a few years old. The building it was in burned down (at the upper floors), but not in the cellar - but it likely got wet from the firehoses....I haven't seen it yet.

Is there anything that can go wrong with these that I should be on the lookout for? Its is superstor 119 model, which is bigger than I would have purchased if new, but these might be a good deal. Would you buy it?

 

[hayrack]

I had a 60 gallon superstor given to me last winter that was 12 yrs. old. I put it in series with my existing boilermate and it worked out great. The coil in a superstor is stainless, but they do corrode where the are welded in the tank. My advice would be no more than $200.

 

[burningbill]

Along the lines of super stor vs boiler mate, I am currently considering both. Looks like the super stor heat exchanger is not removable for cleaning as the boiler mate is. Is this as big a down side as I think it is. New the super stor is pricing out about $1,100. I don't know the pricing on boiler mate yet. I think boiler mate is available in Home Depot.

 

[hayrack]

I think that the superstor is more durable. It is stainless steel vs rubber bladder in the boilermate. The coils are more apt to fail in the boilermate also.

 

[Gooserider]

If purchasing any sort of used tank, I would also say to check if there is a sacrificial anode of any sort, and if so to check it's condition (and replace if needed)

Gooserider

 

[Nofossil]

I have a superstor that I installed in 1989. Still working fine. I know lots of people who've had them for a long time and I don't know of any that have failed. It may well be that this is a case of 'get what you pay for'. If it isn't structurally damaged it's likely good for many more years.

 

[MrEd]

As luck would have it the deal fell thru. Seemed like it would have been OK, but after measuring it and then measuring the access to my cellar it was going to be real tight fit to get it in.

The price was right, so I was going to try it anway, but they seller stopped returning my phone calls which I took to mean it got sold...oh well. Thanks for the advice...I'll jump quicker on the next one that comes along, but think I'll shoot for something more in the 60 Gallon range.