New Gas Water Heater: How Long Can I Store?

I bought a new gas water heater last year and never installed it because my current one is still kicking!

Can my new hot water heater deteriorate in any way if I let it sit around for another year or two or till whenever the old one konks out? It's still in the box.


Shouldn't hurt anything as long as all the plugs and caps are left in place.

But..if your old one is more than 10 or so years old, you could prob avoid a big problem (leaks, or no hot water at the worst time), and save some money by installing it now.