When your water heater starts to leak, you need to change it quick. We’ll show you just how to install your very own gas water heater in less than a day. Also if you do not need a new water heater today, opportunities are you will within the next couple of years. Hot water heater tend to last 7 to 15 years. If yours is obtaining old, this short article is also for you. Changing a water heater isn’t difficult if you’re handy with basic tools and also have a little bit of experience soldering copper.

Tools Called for

4-in-1 screwdriver

Flexible wrench

Electrical tape

Monkey wrench

Plumbers tape

Shatterproof glass

Soldering lantern

Measuring tape

Tube cutter

Voltage tester

Cord stripper/cutter

Products Required

Release pipeline

Fittings

Pipe thread substance

Pressure relief valve

Solder

Venting pipe as well as ports

Water as well as gas piping

Getting Going Installing Your New Warm Water Tank

We’re changing a natural gas water heater in our demo. The steps for replacing a gas hot water heater are precisely the very same, and those for an electric water heater are similar.

All the same, when you’re intending a hot water heater replacement, play it safe. Call your neighborhood division of evaluations and also ask if you require an authorization. As well as see to it a pipes or electric examiner checks your work.

Installment Costs and also Labor

Plumbing professionals commonly bill $45 to $65 an hour and also can typically install a hot water heater in a day or in 6-8 hrs.

The majority of property water heaters set you back $150 to $400 for either gas or electrical, plus $200 to $450 if you have a plumber mount it. More costly gas water heaters with special venting systems likewise are readily available. Yet they’re harder to install, as well as we will not take care of them right here.

Water Heater Components as well as Breakdown

Flue

Cold water shutoff valve

Draft diverter

Temperature and stress relief valve

Overflow pipe

Hot water electrical outlet

Anticorrosion Anode Pole

Dip tube

Elements

Insulation

Drain shutoff

Thermostat or control valve

Burner

Thermocouple

Gas supply shutoff

When to get a brand-new hot water heater

Your hot water heater is dead when the container leaks. The dead giveaway that your water heater needs replacing is a sluggish drip underneath, generally turning up as a trail of rusty water. This means that the steel storage tank has actually rusted through as well as can not be taken care of. Various other signs, such as inadequate or no hot water, usually signal other hot water heater fixing problems that you can fix.

If you identify a drip, plan to change the water heater right away. Don’t wait up until the leakage obtains bad.

Brand-new water heaters come with installment guidelines and also great deals of cautions to make certain you manage the gas, electric and various other connections safely. In this post, we’ll supplement those fundamentals with methods and also “real life” guidance from a number of specialist plumbers.

But take heed: You’ll be dealing with gas, propane or electrical energy, every one of which are hazardous. If you don’t feel great, contact a pro to take care of the challenging components. And have your job inspected when it’s done.

Plumbing codes differ by area. Define your planned installation to your local pipes assessor, including the sorts of products you mean to utilize for your brand-new connections. Better to get guidance initially so you do not need to change things later on!

Number A: Gas Hot Water Heater Particulars

Water

FAMILY MEMBERS HANDYMAN

To print out this photo, see the Additional Information at the end of this post.

Number B: Connections for Steel and also Plastic Pipe

HOUSEHOLD HANDYMAN

Several homes have galvanized steel or plastic (CPVC) water supply pipes. Galvanized steel pipes are tough to replace. We advise that you get rid of the pipes back to the nearest tee, screw on a plastic-lined galvanized nipple area and also complete the connections with copper as shown in our picture collection.

Due to possible warm build-up, maintain plastic pipe a minimum of 6 in. far from the vent as well as storage tank. Make a change from plastic to copper with an unique combining that’s offered wherever CPVC is marketed.

Flexible copper connectors are less complicated to mount than solid copper, particularly when the existing pipes as well as the storage tank inlets do not line up. Yet not all neighborhood codes allow them. If yours does, take special care not to pinch or kink them. You could obtain a leak.

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Job detailed (12 )

Step 1

Shut off the gas and water

gas

Shut off the gas to the water heater by turning the close-by shutoff valve a quarter turn. When off, the manage should be at an ideal angle to the pipeline. Turn off the primary water supply as well and also drain pipes the lines by opening up a faucet on the lowest floor.

Action 2

Drain pipes the water in the storage tank

hose pipe

Attach a garden hose pipe to the drainpipe shutoff and drain pipes the water left in the tank. Caution: The water will be scalding warm! Disconnect the gas line at the neighboring union with a pair of wrenches and also loosen the pipeline from the gas control shutoff with a pipe wrench.

Action 3

Cut off the water lines

Unscrew

Unscrew the air vent pipeline from the vent hood and relocate to the side. Then reduce the cold and hot water lines with a tube cutter. (Unscrew unions for galvanized pipe or the nuts on adaptable connectors if you have them.) Glide the old hot water heater out of the way.

Step 4

Affix the safety valve

Cover

Wrap the strings of the brand-new temperature and also pressure relief valve with Teflon tape (3 turns). Screw it tightly into the storage tank with a pipe wrench. Connect a copper discharge pipeline (see Fig. A for transmitting information).

Tip 5

Affix pipe settings up

Solder

Solder new copper adapters to 6-in. sizes of 3/4-in. copper and 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 deterioration, specifically if you have difficult water or if they’re called for by neighborhood codes.

Action 6

Affix the water lines

Slide

Glide the brand-new water heater right into place, recut or expand the old tubing to fulfill the brand-new, as well as solder the tubing with each other utilizing copper slip combinings. If the tubes doesn’t line up, balance out the lines as needed with sets of 45-degree joints.

Action 7

Reattach the vent

Reconnect

Reconnect the air vent. Shove it securely over the draft hood and also slow with 3 3/8-in. No. 6 sheet metal screws. Predrill the holes. The air vent need to increase at the very least 12 in. vertically before turning at the initial elbow joint.

Step 8

Use two wrenches to connect the gas line

pipeline

Reconnect the gas line. Cover the threaded ends with pipe joint compound and screw the initial nipple right into the gas shutoff. Usage 2 pipe wrenches to stay clear of emphasizing the shutoff. Rebuild the staying nipples, finishing up with the union (Picture 2). Then follow these 4 actions to fill the container: (1) Shut the drainpipe shutoff; (2) transform the water back on at the primary shutoff and open the chilly water valve to the water heater (leave it open); (3) activate a nearby hot water tap till water appears; as well as (4) examine all the joints and also fittings for water leakages.

Step 9

Check for backdrafting

A lot of water heaters rely on an all-natural draft to draw combustion fumes up the flue. If the draft doesn’t function, those fumes, possibly having deadly carbon monoxide, will splash out into your residence. After finishing your installment, inspect the draft.

Close all exterior windows and doors as well as switch on your bathroom and kitchen exhaust followers. After that open a close-by hot water faucet until you listen to the gas burner in the hot water heater stir up. After a min, move a smoking cigarettes match around the edge of the draft hood (Photo 7) in addition to the heater. The smoke should be created the air vent pipe. If the smoke doesn’t draw, the fumes from the burner aren’t airing vent. Turn off the gas to the hot water heater and call an accredited plumbing to correct the trouble.

Action 10

Look for leakages

Try to find bubbles at links

bubbles

Activate the gas and examine connections for leakages by brushing a 50-50 blend of dishwashing fluid as well as water over the joints. If the mixture bubbles, you have a leak. Tighten up or reconnect joints that leakage. Clean the joints dry when ended up. Call the pipes inspector to check out your job. Adhere to the how-to guidance that accompanies the pictures to make certain the links are limited.

Step 11

Light the pilot burner

Make use of a lighter to light the pilot light

lighter

Light the pilot light according to the producer’s directions. (For electric hot water heater, transform the power on at the main panel after the electrical inspector checks your job.) Ultimately, set the temperature level to 120 levels F., complying with the installation instructions. Light the pilot light in the brand-new water heater and also adjust the temperature setting. Innovative Plumbing & Drain

Installment Information for Electric Water Heaters

First shut off the power to the hot water heater at your primary electrical panel. Then comply with the very same draining procedures as for a gas water heater.

When the water heater is drained, disconnect the electric wires from the screw terminals under the access panel, which is typically found near the top. (If you don’t have electrical experience, work with an electrical contractor to take care of all the electric circuitry.)

Adhere to the supplier’s guidelines for wiring the brand-new hot water heater. If the new water heater is much shorter and the old cords will not reach, surface-mount a 4-in. x 4-in. x 1-1/2 in. steel electric box on the wall or ceiling nearby, run the old cables to package, and afterwards run a brand-new section of armored cable television or electrical conduit to the water heater. Inspect the guidelines and make sure the score of the old fuse or breaker is high enough to take care of the brand-new water heater. Additionally, the circuit should have a shutoff switch within view of the hot water heater.

Call your regional electrical assessor before you start the task. You’ll most likely require a permit. After that, when you’re completed, have the electric assessor inspect your job.

Light weight aluminum wiring needs special handling. If you have light weight aluminum circuitry, employ a certified pro who’s accredited to deal with it. This circuitry is dull gray, not the boring orange that’s characteristic of copper.

Action 12

Just how to Take care of a Water Heater

Jeff Gorton, an editor at The Family Handyman, will reveal you exactly how to eliminate and deal with a hot water heater in our video clip tutorial. He will likewise show you the very easy way to lug a water heater out of your house, even if you are working alone.

These ideas will make your job go quicker and also easier:

Gauge the elevation of your old hot water heater and also get a brand-new one the exact same elevation so you do not have to alter the size of the water, gas or electrical lines.

The drain valve (Image 2) on old water heaters commonly congests. If the water drains pipes slowly, be patient. CARE: It’s scalding hot! SUGGESTION: Turn your water heater off two hrs ahead of time to enable the water to cool down.

Hot water heater consider regarding 150 lbs. You’ll need a solid assistant or a dolly when you move the old one out and also wheel the brand-new one in. Waste services typically bill about $25 to take the old one. Innovative Plumbing & Drain

Before you start, acquire the tools and products revealed below at a pipes supply or hardware shop or a residence facility. Inspect the sizes of the water pipelines (most will be 3/4 in. like the ones in our photos) and also acquire the right-size installations. With whatever handy, you’ll require 4 to six hours to finish the work (thinking no huge drawbacks!).

The temperature level and pressure safety valve is a security device that restricts container stress as well as maintains it from exploding (Photo 4). A brand-new one have to be included with every installment. For the valve to work effectively, the discharge pipeline should be maintained without blockages (Fig. A).

In areas with highly mineralized water, or where called for by neighborhood codes, use 3/4-in. plastic-lined nipples (regarding $2 each; Image 5 and Fig. A) for signing up with different steels, normally copper tubes to the steel container. This reduces corrosion.

When connecting the water lines, solder the copper installations prior to you screw them to the container so you do not heat the storage tank itself while soldering (Photo 5).

Usage “slip” couplings to connect the old and brand-new lines (Image 6). Unlike normal couplings, they do not have an interior quit. You can move them on, line up the copper tubing, after that move them back and center them over the joint.

The new inlets and also electrical outlets on the tank don’t constantly associate the old supply lines. Solder in a pair of 45-degree installations to balance out each line if necessary. Likewise change the old shutoff valve with a new sphere shutoff while you go to it (Image 6). Vent sizes are sized according to the heat result of the water heater. You may need to enhance or decrease the vent size to make sure the very best draft. CAUTION: If you’re uncertain if your chimney has a liner, ask your pipes examiner. Ingenious Plumbing & & Drainpipe

Make gas connections with strong steel pipeline (Photo 8) or soft copper with flare fittings (Fig. A). Both are much more trusted and also less costly than flexible stainless steel adapters, which are not constantly permitted. Usage inflexible copper as opposed to versatile copper water lines for the same factors.

If you situate your hot water heater replacement where leakage can create damages to the floor or various other components of your house, set a pan of an accepted size under it (steel for gas hot water heater). The pan should have a drain tube that brings about a house drain or other accepted place (outdoors where permitted). The temperature level as well as stress safety valve discharge tube likewise should result in a drain if leakage would certainly damage the floors. If transmitting is challenging, talk about choices with your local plumbing assessor.

If you reside in an earthquake-prone area, strap the hot water heater to the wall with special straps (Fig. A; readily available at pipes shops as well as home centers). Your plumbing inspector will tell you if they’re called for.

Set the brand-new water temperature readying to no more than 120 degrees F. to prevent scalding.

Innovative Plumbing & Drain

Scottsdale, AZ 85251

( 602) 892-5634

https://innovativeplumbingdrain.com