When your hot water heater starts to leak, you need to change it fast. We’ll reveal you exactly how to install your very own gas hot water heater in less than a day. Also if you do not require a brand-new water heater today, possibilities are you will certainly within the next couple of years. Water heaters tend to last 7 to 15 years. If your own is obtaining old, this post is additionally for you. Changing a hot water heater isn’t challenging if you’re handy with standard devices and also have a little bit of experience soldering copper.
Devices Required
4-in-1 screwdriver
Adjustable wrench
Electrical tape
Pipe wrench
Plumbers tape
Safety glasses
Soldering torch
Tape measure
Tube cutter
Voltage tester
Wire stripper/cutter
Products Required
Release pipe
Fittings
Pipe string substance
Stress relief valve
Solder
Venting pipeline and also connectors
Water and gas piping
Getting Going Installing Your New Warm Water Tank
We’re changing a gas hot water heater in our presentation. The steps for replacing a propane water heater are precisely the very same, and those for an electric water heater are comparable.
All the same, when you’re planning a water heater substitute, play it safe. Call your neighborhood department of evaluations and also ask if you need a license. As well as make certain a plumbing or electrical inspector checks your job.
Setup Prices and Labor
Plumbing technicians generally charge $45 to $65 a hr as well as can normally mount a water heater in a day or in 6-8 hours.
The majority of domestic hot water heater cost $150 to $400 for either gas or electrical, plus $200 to $450 if you have a plumbing install it. Much more pricey gas water heaters with special airing vent systems additionally are available. However they’re harder to mount, and also we won’t deal with them below.
Water Heater Components and Breakdown
Flue pipe
Cold water shutoff valve
Draft diverter
Temperature level and pressure relief valve
Overflow pipe
Warm water electrical outlet
Anticorrosion Anode Pole
Dip tube
Elements
Insulation
Drain pipes valve
Thermostat or control valve
Heater
Thermocouple
Gas supply valve
When to obtain a new water heater
Your hot water heater is dead when the storage tank leaks. The dead giveaway that your hot water heater requires changing is a slow-moving drip beneath, typically appearing as a path of corroded water. This means that the steel storage tank has rusted through and can’t be taken care of. Other symptoms, such as not enough or no hot water, generally signal various other hot water heater repair problems that you can repair.
If you detect a drip, plan to replace the hot water heater as soon as possible. Do not wait till the leakage gets negative.
Brand-new hot water heater feature installation directions as well as great deals of warnings to ensure you handle the gas, electrical and also other links securely. In this write-up, we’ll supplement those fundamentals with methods and “real world” suggestions from numerous professional plumbing technicians.
Yet take heed: You’ll be working with natural gas, lp or electricity, all of which are harmful. If you don’t feel confident, call a pro to deal with the hard parts. And have your job checked when it’s done.
Pipes codes differ by region. Explain your prepared installation to your neighborhood plumbing inspector, consisting of the types of products you mean to make use of for your new connections. Better to obtain support first so you don’t have to change things later on!
Number A: Gas Hot Water Heater Details
Water
HOUSEHOLD HANDYMAN
To print out this picture, see the Added Information at the end of this write-up.
Number B: Connections for Steel as well as Plastic Pipe
FAMILY MEMBERS HANDYMAN
Lots of residences have actually galvanized steel or plastic (CPVC) water supply pipelines. Galvanized steel pipelines are difficult to replace. We advise that you remove the pipelines back to the closest tee, screw on a plastic-lined galvanized nipple and complete the connections with copper as received our image series.
Due to potential warm buildup, maintain plastic pipeline a minimum of 6 in. away from the vent and also container. Make a shift from plastic to copper with a special coupling that’s offered anywhere CPVC is sold.
Versatile copper connectors are simpler to set up than solid copper, especially when the existing pipelines and also the tank inlets do not line up. Yet not all local codes enable them. If your own does, take special care not to squeeze or kink them. You could obtain a leakage.
Read Next
How To Boost Garden Dirt in WinterPlay symbol
Exactly How To Enhance Garden Soil in Wintertime
Just how to Readjust Your Hot water heater’s TemperaturePlay symbol
How to Readjust Your Hot water heater’s Temperature
How to Test Your Water Heater ElementPlay symbol
Exactly how to Examine Your Water Heater Aspect
Register for Our Newsletter
Full DIY tasks like a professional! Sign up for our e-newsletter!
Email Address
SIGN UP
Job step-by-step (12 )
Step 1
Shut down the gas and also water
gas
Turn off the gas to the hot water heater by transforming the nearby shutoff valve a quarter turn. When off, the take care of ought to go to an appropriate angle to the pipeline. Turn off the major supply of water as well and drain the lines by opening up a tap on the most affordable floor.
Step 2
Drain pipes the water in the tank
hose
Attach a yard hose to the drainpipe valve and drain pipes the water left in the container. Caution: The water will be scalding hot! Detach the gas line at the close-by union with a pair of wrenches and unscrew the pipeline from the gas control valve with a pipe wrench.
Step 3
Cut off the water lines
Unscrew
Loosen the vent pipe from the vent hood as well as move it to the side. Then cut the hot and cold water lines with a tube cutter. (Unscrew unions for galvanized pipeline or the nuts on versatile ports if you have them.) Move the old water heater off the beaten track.
Step 4
Connect the safety valve
Wrap
Wrap the strings of the new temperature level as well as stress safety valve with Teflon tape (three turns). Screw it snugly into the tank with a pipe wrench. Attach a copper discharge pipeline (see Fig. A for routing details).
Step 5
Attach pipe settings up
Solder
Solder new copper adapters to 6-in. sizes of 3/4-in. copper as well as screw the settings up into the hot water outlet as well as chilly water inlet ports in the top of the tank. Add short, plastic lined nipple areas to shield versus galvanic rust, specifically if you have tough water or if they’re required by local codes.
Step 6
Attach the water lines
Slide
Glide the new water heater right into place, recut or prolong the old tubes to satisfy the new, and solder the tubes with each other using copper slip combinings. If the tubing does not align, counter the lines as needed with pairs of 45-degree elbow joints.
Step 7
Reattach the vent
Reconnect
Reconnect the air vent. Push it firmly over the draft hood and slow with three 3/8-in. No. 6 sheet metal screws. Predrill the holes. The air vent should increase at the very least 12 in. up and down prior to transforming at the initial arm joint.
Step 8
Use two wrenches to attach the gas line
pipe
Reconnect the gas line. Cover the threaded ends with pipe joint compound as well as screw the initial nipple into the gas shutoff. Use 2 pipe wrenches to stay clear of emphasizing the valve. Reassemble the remaining nipples, finishing up with the union (Picture 2). Then adhere to these four steps to load the tank: (1) Close the drain shutoff; (2) transform the water back on at the major shutoff and also open up the chilly water shutoff to the hot water heater (leave it open); (3) switch on a close-by hot water tap till water appears; and also (4) evaluate all the joints and also fittings for water leaks.
Step 9
Look for backdrafting
A lot of water heaters depend on a natural draft to attract combustion fumes up the flue. If the draft does not work, those fumes, possibly having deadly carbon monoxide gas, will certainly spill out into your house. After completing your installation, examine the draft.
Close all external doors and windows and also turn on your kitchen and bathroom exhaust followers. After that open a close-by hot water faucet till you listen to the gas burner in the water heater spark. After a min, relocate a smoking match around the edge of the draft hood (Picture 7) on top of the heating unit. The smoke must be prepared the air vent pipeline. If the smoke does not draw, the fumes from the burner aren’t airing vent. Turn off the gas to the hot water heater as well as call a licensed plumbing technician to deal with the problem.
Action 10
Check for leakages
Search for bubbles at connections
bubbles
Turn on the gas and also examine links for leakages by brushing a 50-50 mixture of dishwashing liquid as well as water over the joints. If the blend bubbles, you have a leakage. Tighten or reconnect joints that leak. Clean the joints dry when finished. Call the plumbing examiner to check out your job. Comply with the how-to guidance that goes along with the pictures to see to it the connections are tight.
Action 11
Light the pilot burner
Use a lighter to light the pilot light
lighter
Light the pilot light according to the maker’s instructions. (For electric water heaters, turn the power on at the primary panel after the electric examiner checks your work.) Finally, established the temperature level to 120 levels F., complying with the installation guidelines. Light the pilot burner in the new hot water heater and readjust the temperature setting. Innovative Plumbing & Drain
Installment Details for Electric Water Heaters
First turn off the power to the water heater at your main electric panel. After that comply with the exact same draining pipes treatments as for a gas hot water heater.
When the water heater is drained pipes, disconnect the electrical cables from the screw terminals under the access panel, which is usually found near the top. (If you do not have electric experience, employ an electrical contractor to manage all the electric wiring.)
Comply with the supplier’s instructions for circuitry the new hot water heater. If the new water heater is much shorter and also the old cables will not get to, surface-mount a 4-in. x 4-in. x 1-1/2 in. metal electric box on the wall or ceiling close by, run the old wires to the box, and afterwards run a new section of armored wire or electrical conduit to the water heater. Check the instructions and make sure the ranking of the old fuse or breaker is high sufficient to take care of the new water heater. In addition, the circuit must have a shutoff switch within view of the water heater.
Call your neighborhood electric inspector prior to you start the work. You’ll possibly require a license. After that, when you’re finished, have the electric inspector inspect your work.
Light weight aluminum circuitry needs special handling. If you have aluminum circuitry, employ a qualified pro that’s licensed to work with it. This circuitry is plain gray, not the boring orange that’s particular of copper.
Step 12
Just how to Dispose of a Hot Water Heater
Jeff Gorton, an editor at The Family Handyman, will certainly show you exactly how to remove and also throw away a water heater in our video clip tutorial. He will certainly also show you the easy method to carry a water heater out of your home, even if you are working alone.
These suggestions will make your work go much faster as well as easier:
Measure the elevation of your old hot water heater as well as buy a brand-new one the same elevation so you don’t have to alter the length of the water, gas or electrical lines.
The drainpipe shutoff (Photo 2) on old water heaters usually congests. If the water drains gradually, be patient. CARE: It’s scalding warm! TIP: Transform your water heater off two hours beforehand to permit the water to cool down.
Water heaters consider concerning 150 pounds. You’ll need a solid helper or a dolly when you relocate the old one out and wheel the brand-new one in. Rubbish solutions typically bill regarding $25 to take the old one. Innovative Plumbing & Drain
Prior to you begin, buy the tools as well as materials revealed right here at a plumbing supply or equipment shop or a house center. Check the sizes of the water pipelines (most will be 3/4 in. like the ones in our photos) and get the right-size fittings. With every little thing on hand, you’ll need 4 to six hours to finish the work (assuming no big drawbacks!).
The temperature level and also pressure safety valve is a safety and security device that limits container stress as well as maintains it from exploding (Photo 4). A brand-new one need to be consisted of with every setup. For the valve to function correctly, the discharge pipe have to be maintained free of blockages (Fig. A).
In regions with extremely mineralized water, or where called for by regional codes, use 3/4-in. plastic-lined nipple areas (about $2 each; Photo 5 and Fig. A) for signing up with various metals, typically copper tubing to the steel tank. This slows down deterioration.
When attaching the water lines, solder the copper installations before you screw them to the tank so you do not heat the tank itself while soldering (Photo 5).
Use “slip” couplings to attach the old and new lines (Picture 6). Unlike normal couplings, they do not have an interior stop. You can glide them on, straighten the copper tubing, after that slide them back and focus them over the joint.
The new inlets and outlets on the tank don’t always line up with the old supply lines. Solder in a set of 45-degree installations to offset each line if essential. Likewise replace the old shutoff valve with a new ball shutoff while you’re at it (Image 6). Vent diameters are sized according to the warm output of the water heater. You may have to boost or decrease the air vent dimension to make certain the very best draft. CARE: If you’re unclear if your chimney has a lining, ask your pipes examiner. Ingenious Plumbing & & Drain
Make gas connections with solid steel pipeline (Photo 8) or soft copper with flare fittings (Fig. A). Both are a lot more reputable and less costly than flexible stainless-steel adapters, which are not always permitted. Usage rigid copper instead of flexible copper water lines for the exact same factors.
If you situate your water heater replacement where leakage could cause damages to the flooring or other components of your home, set a frying pan of an accepted size under it (metal for gas water heaters). The frying pan has to have a drain tube that results in a home drain or other authorized area (outdoors where permitted). The temperature as well as pressure relief valve discharge tube additionally have to lead to a drainpipe if leak would certainly damage the floorings. If transmitting is hard, discuss choices with your regional pipes examiner.
If you live in an earthquake-prone area, band the hot water heater to the wall surface with unique bands (Fig. A; available at plumbing shops and residence facilities). Your plumbing examiner will tell you if they’re needed.
Establish the new water temperature setting to no greater than 120 degrees F. to avoid hot.
Scottsdale, AZ 85251
( 602) 892-5634
https://innovativeplumbingdrain.com
 |