Short answer
We build each page from primary sources: manufacturers, federal agencies, building codes, statutes, city permit offices and utilities. Every number and rule is cited. Costs are dated ranges from named sources. Every page is reviewed by our editorial team before it goes live, and a page names an outside expert only after that expert has signed off. We fix verified errors within 5 business days and log each change.
Our standard
Each page should be the most useful, accurate answer to one homeowner question. That means the direct answer first, the evidence for it, the steps that are safe to take, and a clear line where a licensed professional should take over.
How we research
Primary sources first. In order of preference:
- Manufacturers: owner's manuals, service and troubleshooting documents, warranty terms and serial number guides from the companies that make the equipment.
- Government and standards bodies: the U.S. Department of Energy, the IRS, ENERGY STAR, the EPA, the Consumer Product Safety Commission, and the Federal Register.
- Codes and law: model codes such as the International Residential Code, state statutes and regulations, and state licensing boards.
- Local authorities and utilities: city and county permit offices, water utilities' hardness reports, and utility rebate pages.
Secondary sources (cost guides, trade publications, inspector references) are used only when no primary source exists, and we name them.
Confidence. When sources conflict or only secondary sources exist, we either say so on the page, mark it (for example, "verify with the manufacturer" on our age decoder), or leave the claim out. We do not publish a number, statute, code section, quote or link we have not been able to source.
How we cite
- Every number, standard, law, price or factual claim carries a numbered citation in square brackets that maps to the source list at the end of the page.
- Each source shows its publisher, title and the date we accessed it.
- Where a page says something common advice gets wrong, it cites the primary source that shows why.
How we handle costs
Cost figures are ranges with a named source and a date, never a quote or a promise. Cost guides measure different things (some report homeowner estimates; some model a full code-compliant install), so where they disagree we show both and explain why. Prices in your area can be higher or lower.
How we handle error codes and manuals
Error code tables are paraphrased in our own words from the maker's service documents, and each table links to that document. We do not copy manual text. Your unit's own manual is the final reference for your model.
Safety rules we write by
- Any page about gas starts with what to do if you smell gas: leave, do not create a spark, call the utility or 911 from outside.
- We do not give do-it-yourself steps for gas valves, gas lines, venting, electrical wiring, relief valve replacement, or work that needs a permit. Those pages name the right licensed professional instead.
- Pages involving gas, electricity or flooding show a safety box first.
Editorial and expert review
Editorial review. Every page is read by the Water Heater Facts editorial team before it is published or updated. The editor checks that each number and rule matches its cited source, that the safety rules above are followed, and that the page does not promise a price or tell a homeowner to do work that needs a license. Pages that pass show "Reviewed by the Water Heater Facts editorial team" and the review date. Our editors are not licensed plumbers.
Expert review. Our goal is for every page to also be reviewed by a named, credentialed expert, such as a licensed master plumber. When an expert signs off, we will show their name, credential and review date on the page. We will not show an expert who has not actually reviewed the page.
Independence from referrals
Strive LeadGen LLC may be paid when it connects a homeowner with a contractor. Those payments do not change page content. We do not accept payment to change a page's facts, recommendations or rankings. If a page tells you a repair is cheap or that you do not need a pro, that is what the evidence says. See How we match.
Updates
Each page shows a "last reviewed" date. We recheck pages on a regular schedule and sooner when a law, rebate, standard or price source changes.
Corrections
If we get something wrong, we want to know. We review every report, fix verified errors within 5 business days, and record what changed and when. Details are on our corrections page.