subject: Water Heater Replacement Advice [print this page] Water Heater Replacement Advice Water Heater Replacement Advice
If you need to replace your water heater, do not fear. This is a very simple job and can be easily accomplished by following a few instructions. Whether you are replacing or installing a gas or electric tank-style water heater, this is something you can do yourself! First you will need to remove the old water heater. Do this by turning off the gas or electricity to the heater and un-hooking all the wires and hoses. Then you will need to drain the water out of the old heater before you can move it. Install Your New Water HeaterWhen the old water heater is removed, you can begin installing your new water heater. First, you will want to place the new water heater so that there is easy access to the wires and it is aligned correctly for the vent pipes. If your new water heater is gas, you will next attach the draft hood. The new types of draft hoods have legs that easily fit into place on the water heater.It is important that your gas water heater has proper ventilation. Check to make sure the vent piping is no smaller than the draft hood collar of the new water heater. After checking this, check the old vent pipe. Replace anything that shows signs of corrosion or deterioration. The vent should stay vertical as far as possible and then any horizontal runs it needs to make should gradually slope upwards. The most common slope measurement is inch per foot. Connect the vent pipe, and then begin connecting the hot and cold water lines. Using flex-connectors makes this job very easy. Flex-connectors are very handy if you needed to cut your copper pipe in order to remove the old water heater. You can easily solder the flex-connectors to the pipe and then reattach them to the water heater and outlet. You will then attach the inlet to the shut off valve. Next you will want to make sure that your new water heater has a pressure relief valve and relief line. It is extremely important to do this because the relief valve allows any extra pressure or heat to be relieved. Check with your local building codes to make sure you are doing this properly. Once you have all the plumbing connected you can close the drain valve and open the cold water inlet and begin filling the tank. Turning on a hot water faucet can allow any trapped air in the tank to be released. The last thing you will need to do is to hook up the gas lines or the electricity back to your water heater. For a gas water heater, you will need to install a " male flare into the opening of the gas valve. Connect the gas flex-connector collar to the flare and then tighten everything with an adjustable wrench. Check for any leaks by using dish detergent. Once you have ascertained that there are no leaks, go ahead and turn the gas back on. If you have an electric water heater, all you need to do is follow the instructions that came with the heater tank to hook it up. You may wish to contact an electrician if you are not comfortable working with electricity.
