: : : We are starting to see orange (rust) water in our hot water. It doesnt seem to be in the cold. Do I have a bad water heater? : : dont know where youre from, but on SC coast our water supply supply was changed from artesian well to treated river water a couple of years ago. since then we have changed out hundreds of leaking water heaters and the first sign is rusty hot water.: Thanks for the bad news. I am from a Chicago suburb. Any tips for a new water heater?I buy my heaters from dealers that I know will be around for a long time and are customer friendly. If there is a problem, my customers will look to me first not the manufacture. Presently I use, State, A.O. Smith and Bradford White. I like the insulation on AO Smith better than others. Normally in replacement, heaters must fit in the same spot, so we have to juggle gallons and physical size.