 Oil-fired water heaters seem to last a lot longer than standard water heaters. I mean, if you just look at the warranties, the standard water heaters, the electric water heaters, may have a five-year warranty on the tank, maybe a 10-year warranty on the tank. But I've found that oil-fired water heaters last 20 to 25 years on a regular basis. So the fact that it failed at 13 is just plain bad luck. I have nothing against the idea of you putting an electric water heater and saving some money there as long as you are using it with a timer.