How to Install a Water Heater

This article was co-authored by Patrick Johns. Patrick Johns is a Home Improvement Specialist and the Owner of CatchAll Handyman Services. With more than 28 years of experience, he has worked on a variety of home improvement projects, such as carpentry, plumbing, and door and window installations in both commercial and residential properties.

This article has been viewed 52,227 times.

Installing a water heater is not as hard as it seems — it's simply a matter of soldering pipes, aligning connections, and securing valves to the heater. Whether you need to install a new gas or electric water heater, the process can take a few hours and requires some basic tools and construction supplies, but before you know it you'll be enjoying a fresh heated water supply in your home.

Installing a Gas Water Heater

• Turn off the cold water valve at the top of the heater.
• Switch off the gas valve and turn off the electric supply to the heater at the circuit breaker — watch the pilot light go out to ensure no more gas remains.
• Attach a hose to the drainage pipe and let the water flow into a drain.
• Unscrew and disconnect the vent shaft at the top of the heater.
• Remove any remaining unions with a pipe wrench or tubing cutter.
• Place the heater on a lifting trolley or forklift, place it in your truck, and bring it to the proper disposal facility. Consider hiring a removal service if you lack the ability to carry it yourself.

• It's essential that the water heater does not make contact with the ground, even while you are setting it up, as it could alter the integrity of the heater's exterior, damage low pipes, and make the heater less effective overall.

• Use a pipe wrench to get the temperature and pressure relief valve fully tightened.
• Opt for a copper version of the relief valve to keep the lines clean, as copper has antibacterial properties.

• If your area has particularly hard water or if your city requires it, attach a plastic lining "nipple" to the top of the intake valve to further regulate the water quality.

• If they don't line up, solder elbow joints to the water heater's copper pipes to get them to connect seamlessly.

• It is best to pre-drill the holes into the draft hood so you can align the vent shaft with the draft hood easily.

• Use plastic coverings to secure the union of the gas valve and the gas intake.

• Water leaks and gas leaks can be fixed by tightening the connections or soldering the pipes. Turn off the valves and tighten or solder the loose connection, then try again.
• Turning on hot water throughout the home activates the heater, even if the pilot light is not on, so you are able to check the pipes for leaks much more easily.

• The pilot light will generally be at the bottom of the heater behind a removable panel, but again, check the instructions that came with your heater to safely get it started.

Setting up an Electric Water Heater

• Turn off the cold water valve at the top of the heater.
• Switch off the electric supply to the heater at the circuit breaker.
• Attach a hose to the drainage pipe and let the water flow into a drain.
• Remove any remaining unions with a pipe wrench, tubing cutter, or screwdriver.
• Place the heater on a lifting trolley or forklift, place it in your truck, and bring it to the proper disposal facility. Consider hiring a removal service if you lack the ability to bring it yourself.

• Keep the drain valve in the front as best as you can to easily drain out water later on in the water heater's life.

• You can find copper tubing, tubing cutters, pipe adapters, and a soldering iron at your local hardware store.
• Clean the pipes beforehand with steel wool if you want to reduce the amount of buildup in the water heater, but it is not required as there is only a little bit of deposit that could get into the heater from copper tubing.

• If they don't line up, elbow joints are necessary to get the pipes to connect correctly.

• There should be a large circular opening near the bottom of the heater to attach the new temperature and pressure relief valve to. If you don't see one, consult the manufacturer's guide.
• Use teflon tape on the connecting portion of the valve if it doesn't quite fit into the heater.
• Make sure the opening is pointing towards the ground.

• Different electric heaters have very different wire configurations and colorations, so to prevent damage to your heater's circuitry and to prevent electrocuting yourself, consider calling an electrician or electrical inspector to check your work or connect the wires for you.
• If the heater's wires don't reach the wires that connect to your home grid, then mount a metal electrical box on a nearby wall and run the old wires and heater wires to the box using an armored cable. [13] X Research source

• Don't turn on the electricity until you are sure there are absolutely no leaks in the heater, or you could destroy the electrical components and have to replace them.

• Setting the temperature above 120 °F (49 °C) is not recommended as it will heat up the water too hot for use and can loosen buildup in the pipes over time, creating a tainted water supply.

Expert Q&A

Patrick Johns is a Home Improvement Specialist and the Owner of CatchAll Handyman Services. With more than 28 years of experience, he has worked on a variety of home improvement projects, such as carpentry, plumbing, and door and window installations in both commercial and residential properties.

Usually, it can be done within two hours. If you have to do any draining, though, it might take just a little bit longer, because part of the hot water heater can be a little calcified.

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Yes, you can install a water heater outside your house. However, it needs to be in a secure "closet" to prevent weather, animals, and anything else from potentially damaging it. The door surrounding the water heater should be covered and fully secured at all times.

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Suitable rooms for installing a water heater include: the garage, laundry room, basement, or an outdoor-only accessible area. Some houses have the water heater installed in a small "closet" outside the house that can only be accessed from outside.

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To know the tank is full, try one of your faucets on the top floor of your home. If there is a steady flow, this means that the tank is full.

The water exiting the unit will be extremely hot. Make sure that you connect the hose properly to prevent the scalding water from coming in contact with your skin or eyes.

Never turn the temperature of the heater above 120 °F (49 °C) or your water heater could both become damaged and the water will be too hot to use.

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1. ↑https://www.hgtv.com/how-to/home-improvement/
2. ↑https://www.familyhandyman.com/plumbing/water-heater/replacing-a-water-heater/view-all/
3. ↑https://www.familyhandyman.com/plumbing/water-heater/replacing-a-water-heater/view-all/
4. ↑https://www.familyhandyman.com/plumbing/water-heater/replacing-a-water-heater/view-all/
5. ↑https://www.thisoldhouse.com/how-to/how-to-replace-water-heater
6. ↑https://www.familyhandyman.com/plumbing/water-heater/replacing-a-water-heater/view-all/
7. ↑https://www.familyhandyman.com/plumbing/water-heater/replacing-a-water-heater/view-all/
8. ↑https://www.familyhandyman.com/plumbing/water-heater/replacing-a-water-heater/view-all/
9. ↑https://www.hgtv.com/how-to/home-improvement

1. ↑https://www.popularmechanics.com/home/how-to/a173/electric-hot-water-heater/
2. ↑https://www.popularmechanics.com/home/how-to/a173/electric-hot-water-heater/
3. ↑https://www.popularmechanics.com/home/how-to/a173/electric-hot-water-heater/
4. ↑https://www.familyhandyman.com/plumbing/water-heater/replacing-a-water-heater/view-all/
5. ↑https://www.popularmechanics.com/home/how-to/a173/electric-hot-water-heater/
6. ↑https://www.familyhandyman.com/plumbing/water-heater/replacing-a-water-heater/view-all/

About This Article

This article was co-authored by Patrick Johns. Patrick Johns is a Home Improvement Specialist and the Owner of CatchAll Handyman Services. With more than 28 years of experience, he has worked on a variety of home improvement projects, such as carpentry, plumbing, and door and window installations in both commercial and residential properties. This article has been viewed 52,227 times.

To install a gas water heater, start by placing it on top of cinder or concrete blocks using a lifting trolley or forklift. When the water heater is in place, screw a new temperature and pressure relief valve into its hole, which looks like a large circle with an input slot. Then, solder on new copper adapters to the water intake on top of the heater to make the connections secure. Once you’ve soldered on the adapters, align the copper pipes with the water pipes coming from the ceiling or wall and solder them together. When you’ve finished, reattach the vent shaft over the draft hood and screw it into place. After that, align the gas line and valve and connect them together. Now that everything’s connected, fill the tank with water and turn on a faucet in a nearby room to see if the heater turns on. If the heater works properly, light the pilot light and set the heater to 120 degrees Fahrenheit to finish the installation. For more tips, including how to set up an electric water heater, read on!

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