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How to Install a Conventional Water Heater

To know if you require a water heater installation and not just a water heater maintenance, you should check your current electric hot water heater for any leakage. If the leakage is coming from the tank itself and not just any of the fittings connected to it, then you need to replace the whole water heating unit completely. This installation will be for a conventional water heater that requires electricity and makes use of heating elements.

Step One: Platform building and tank centering

You need to get the new hot water heater out of the packaging that it comes in and make sure you read the instruction manual.

If you don’t already have one before, you need to build a platform on which you will place your hot water heater. You can easily do this by finding a convenient spot around your house and build a platform that is at least three concrete blocks off the floor in height. This elevation will help to make sure that you get proper hot water delivery to your house and prevent damage to your new hot water heater tank from minor floods.

When placing the water heater on the platform, make sure that the drain faucet is facing the front. Also, rock the water heater back and forth to make sure that it is perfectly balanced on the platform. If it moves at all when you rock it, you should adjust and reposition the water heater until it is relatively stable.

Step Two: Soldering

The copper fittings and tubing need to be soldered to your water heater for it to work properly. You will need a Mapp gas torch, a tube cutter, paste soldering flux, enough pads of steel wire, lead-free solder, and a wire brush for cleaning.

Make sure you clean the surfaces that are to be joined, then cover them with flux. Make sure you cut the tubing to an absolute square and make sure that your fittings are not bent or distorted in any way.

• Cut about 8 inches of a ¾ inch diameter tubing to be used as the entrance of cold water into the tank. Make sure that you use a tube cutter and not a saw.
• Clean the end of the tubing that you cut with a piece of steel wool. Do this for at least one minute until you can see a bright copper color.
• Then put some soldering flux around the cleaned area of the copper tubing.
• Use your wire brush to clean the insides of all your fittings until the surfaces are clean.
• Add some flux on the inside of the fitting and slide the fitting over the cleaned end of the first copper piece.
• Start heating the joint with the torch and keep adjusting the flame until the inner blue flame is approximately ¾ inch long. Heat the top of the joint with the tip of the blue flame. Keep heating till the flux melts and burns out. You can heat a single position of the copper, the heat will reach all around the fitting because copper is a great conductor.
• After the flux melts away, immediately put solder on top of the joint, if the joint is hot enough, the solder will melt right away and help to solidify your joint.
• Keep pushing the solder into the joint until it starts to drop, this means that the joint is now full. You can now remove the heat and wipe away any excess solder with a rag.
• To make it easy to perform a hot water heater repair, you can use a union fitting on both the cold and hotlines as they leave the tank. You can easily install a union by cleaning the tubing ends and fittings, then adding flux before soldering the appropriate parts together.
• After completing your assembly, allow your fittings to cool off before applying Teflon tape to help seal the pipe threads on your water heater nipple. Apply the Teflon tape in a clockwise direction to prevent it from coming loose when tightening the pipes.
• Thread in your tubing into the tank firmly with an adjustable wrench, and join the two halves of the union together.

Install your temperature and pressure valve, and you can call an electrician to help you with the electrical installation of the water heater circuit.

However, if installing a water heater seems tedious to you, or you require water heater emergency replacement, you can give us a call to help you with your installation. We offer fast and efficient water heater installation services and maintenance that will keep your water heater replacement cost on the low side.

A DIY Inspection

Location

The first thing you need to do to inspect your water heater is to locate where it is installed first. Your water heater is likely installed along an exterior wall, the gas and water supply lines, in the basement, on a raised platform, or even in the garage.

Check for leaks

After finding the location of your hot water heater, the next thing you need to do is check for leaks or any signs of rust. Some of the areas you should check for signs include:

• The areas where the pipes are attached to the Water heater (leaks and rust).
• Areas around the release valves (for leaks).
• Under the water heater.

Flushing

For your hot water heater to function properly, it is a good idea to remove any form of sediments from the tank of the water heater. This is done to prevent the hot water pipes that run from the water heater to the house from being clogged up with sediments. The best way to ensure this is by flushing your water tank at least once or twice or year.
When you want to perform flushing on your water heater, make sure that power and water supply to your hot water heater is turned off. You can also seek the services of a professional or make use of our water heater inspection services to ensure that you get the best service possible.

Pressure test

At least once in a month, make sure that you open and test the pressure relief valve to ensure that pressure does not build up dangerously in your water heater. While carrying out your pressure test, make sure that you follow the manufacturer’s instructions as this can be quite dangerous if not done properly. If you are not sure of how to go about it, you can seek the help of a professional plumber like the one we offer to our customers.

If your pressure needs to be replaced, make sure that it is replaced by a professional.

Anode rod inspection

The function of the anode rod is to help prevent rust and corrosion in your water heater. The lifespan of the anode rod in your hot water heater depends largely on the composition of your water (soft or hard water) and how often you use your heater. You should inspect your anode rod every three years.

If your anode rod is less than ½ inch thick or is heavily coated with calcium, then you need to have it replaced.

Vent inspection

This inspection is for gas-powered water heaters. If your water heater has a top vent, then you need to make sure that the vent is not clogged up as this can cause a buildup of Carbon monoxide (CO) gas in your home, and this can be fatal. It is highly recommended that you employ the service of a professional to help with checking your water heater for CO leakage.

If you would like to have your water heater inspected by a professional, you can contact us for the inspection, maintenance, repair, and replacement of your water heater. We also offer consultation services to ensure that you know the best way to prevent causing damage to your water heater through use or misuse.

Regular Hot Water Tank Maintenance

The water heater is a very important appliance in many homes due to its various important uses in the house. This is why you must know how to carry out your water heater maintenance to ensure that it stays efficient for a long time. For proper maintenance, you also need to carry out water heater inspection to check for leaks and areas where you can carry out a water heater tuneup like adding insulation to help reduce heat loss in your water heating system.

By caring for your water heater, you can be sure that you are getting the best out of your hot water heater.
Here are a few tips on how to maintain your hot water heater:

Test your TPR valve

To test your TPR (Temperature and pressure release) valve, the first thing you need to do is turn off the power and the cold-water supply to your water heater unit. Place a container or bucket under the pipe that is connected to the TPR valve, usually located on the side or top of the tank. The function of the valve is to open when the pressure in the tank becomes too high. To check if your valve is still fine, you need to lift the valve’s tab to allow some water out, then let go of the tab. The water is supposed to stop flowing when you let go of the valve. However, if the water continues to flow, then the valve is bad. You need to drain the tank hallway to unscrew the old valve and install a new one.

​Check your anode rod

Your anode rod is prone to two things, calcium deposit depending on the type of water you have, and also general wear of the rod.

While the power supply to your hot water heater is still turned off, drain out a few gallons of water from the water heater’s tank through the drain cock. Unscrew the anode rod with the use of an 11/16-inch socket wrench. Check the rod to see if it is coated with calcium or if the radius is less than ½ inch thick, If any of this is true, buy a new rod. Wrap the threads of the new rod with Teflon tape before putting it back in the tank and make sure that you screw it in very tightly.

Drain the tank to wash out residue

While your water heater is still turned off, drain the water left in the tank into a container or a bucket. Open the cold-water supply for a limited time to allow the sediment in the tank’s bottom to be disturbed. Drain the water in the tank again and open the cold-water supply again to stir the remaining sediment in the tank. Repeat this process until clean water comes out of the drain of your hot water heater.
Close the drain of your water heater before turning it back on.

Insulating the pipes

With the use of self-sticking pipe insulation foam, you can easily prevent the condensation of water in cold water pipes in the summer, and it will help to prevent the hot water pipe from losing heat during transportation. Put enough tape around both pipes to match the diameter of the pipe and apply the self-sticking pipe insulation foam to all the areas that your hand can reach.

We have an emergency plumber on standby just in case any of our customers require an emergency water heater maintenance or hot water heater repair. We also offer same-day hot water repair services to all our customers. You can contact us or visit our homepage for a range of all the services that we offer.

Installing a Tankless Water Heater

After you must have made the decision to go with a tankless water heater, then you have to figure out how to carry out your water heater installation. To install your new hot water heater properly, we recommend that you seek professional plumbing services. You can contact us for your emergency water heater replacement services, tankless water heater installation and any water heater maintenance that you might require. We have employees that are licensed professionals in the fields of plumbing and electrical services to ensure that you are getting your installation done by professionals with experience in the field. We also offer same-day water installation services to customers that might require it.

However, if you still want to install your new water heater the DIY-style, then you can read this article for a couple tips.

Note: Before installing your tankless water heater, make sure that you read the installation manual that comes with your new hot water heater. Also, this is only meant to be a guide for installing a tankless water heater, we recommend that you allow a professional carry out the installation for you.

1. Make sure you turn off all the circuit breakers that supply power to your house before you begin the installation.
2. Close your main water supply unit.
3. If you have an old water heater, make sure that you drain and disconnect the old unit before installing a new tankless water heater.
4. Start by removing the screws of the front panel of your new hot water heater to allow you to take off the front cover. Do this carefully, and check for any plugs attached to the cover before setting it aside.
5. Mount your electric tankless water heater to the wall with the use of the screws and anchors provided by the manufacturer.
6. Use the manual to establish the hot and cold-water connections with the use of stainless flex pipe and Teflon tape. It is recommended to use a stainless flex pipe as it is important for the cold-water connections to be easily removed if it needs to be cleaned. You should also clean the edges of any pipe that you cut and when soldering or welding, flush the pipes before connecting them to the water heater.
7. We recommend that you install a shut-off valve just before and after the heater to ensure that you can easily turn off the water supply to your heater unit during maintenance.
8. Also, make sure that you install a pressure reduction valve on the cold-water side to help control the pressure of the incoming water.
9. Install a temperature and pressure (T&P) relief valve on the hot waterside. However, this is not usually required unless it is clearly stated in the local or state installation codes.
10. To help to purge any air from the pipes and the water heater itself, you need to open a couple of the hot water outlets in your home. This is also a good time to check your connections for leaks before closing the hot water outlets.
11. It is recommended that you employ the services of an electrician to help you with the electrical connections. However, you can look through the wiring diagram in the manual to help you with the wiring.
12. After you are don’t with the electrical installation, you can put back the front cover of your water heater system and seal it with the screws it came with.
13. You can turn on the circuit breaker to turn on your water heater.
14. Set the desired temperature, then open a hot water outlet and wait for the temperature to stabilize.
15. You can adjust the temperature as need be.
16. You are done with the installation.

​If, after reading the installation step, you decide to employ our same-day water installation service, then you can contact us now.

Repairing a Tankless Water Heater

Even though a tankless water heater rarely requires major repairs and maintenance, sometimes, you might need to replace the heating element in your tankless water heating system. This article will tell you how.

You will require tools like masking tape, bucket, voltmeter, pliers, screwdriver, and a Towel.

1. Make sure that you turn off the power supply unit of your tankless water heater before you begin any operation on the unit. As a safety precaution, you can cover the circuit breaker that supplies power to your tankless water heater with masking tape to ensure that no one else turns it on.
2. Use the voltmeter to check and see if there is indeed no power in the water heating unit.
3. Open your tap to drain the hot water heater into a bucket.
4. Go on to remove the wires at the top of the element with a screwdriver, then remove the old element and while having it wrapped in a towel to prevent it from getting water on the control panel. You might also need to use pliers to get the heating element out.
5. Put in a new O-ring before putting a new heating element on top of the O-ring. Tighten the new heating element and replace the wires that you previously removed from the top.
6. Replace the drain plug tightly to ensure that you do not compromise your tankless water heater when you turn on the power.
7. Dry out any water on the control panel.
8. Turn on your water supply system, the fill the water heater then check for any leaks before turning the power back on.

To fix no water problem

You can also call in an electrician to help check that your power supply system is intact and is not the one affecting your tankless water heater. Then check your water supply system to make sure that it is turned on, and not leaking.
Also, check the shut-off valves on your tankless water heater system and that your water system supplies water at the minimum rate required to activate the switch on your hot water system.

Water that not hot enough or too hot

• You can easily fix this by setting your temperature to 120 or 125 degrees. However, you have children in the house, you might want to set your temperature to even lower numbers.
• Make sure that you clean the filters on your water heating system, as well as the fixture aerators, to allow the free flow of hot water.
• Check to make sure that the temperature sensor is firmly attached to the appropriate pipe.

​If you still have trouble getting hot water from your tankless hot water heater, you can call us to help with your tankless water heater installation and repair. We deliver a 24-hour water heater repair service to all of our customers to ensure that you never lack hot water.

How to Repair Your Water Heater

Most of the conventional water heaters these days are electric. Therefore, this article will be focused on electric water heater repair. This repair guide is related to hot water heaters that no longer heat up as fast as they used to, water heaters that run out of hot water faster than it used to, and even hot water heaters that no longer heat water at all.

With the information gathered from water heater maintenance and water heater repair services carried out by our company, it is established that 90% of the time, replacing one or both of the heating elements in your hot water heater will solve your water heating problem. However, if your water heater is already 10 to 15 years old, then you should consider replacing the hot water heater rather than repairing it.

However, before you decide to change your heating elements, you need to first check that your circuit breaker is not tripped off. Also, you should try resetting the high-temperature cut off usually found above the upper thermostat of your hot water heater as this might solve the problem of your water not heating up at all. However, if you find that your cut-off is tripped, it might mean that there is an electrical problem in the first place. This is when you need to test your heating elements.

Testing your heating elements

Before attempting to check your hot water heating elements, you need to make sure that the power is turned off. Find the circuit breaker in your main electrical panel labeled as the water heater and switch it off.

Remove the metal covers protecting the thermostats and heating elements. You can make sure there is no power in your water heater by testing it with a non-contact voltage detector.

In most of the conventional water heaters found in most homes, there are usually two heating elements used for heating water. One can be found near the top of the tank, while the other might be found near the bottom of the tank. The two elements are usually controlled by two separate thermostats because they are usually not on at the same time.

With the use of a continuity tester, which is used to test if a circuit is complete, test for continuity in both elements. After removing the two metal covers, the plastic and insulation cover on the side of your water heater, you can then connect the alligator clip to one end of the element terminal and the second clip to the second terminal end. A burned-out element will not light up the bulb or test positive for continuity.

Changing a burned-out element

Make sure you drain out all the water in your water heater tank and unscrew the bad element with the use of a wrench. Then go on to install the new elements using your wrench to tighten it, after which you can go on to connect the wires. Close the valve that controls the drain passage and fill your heater tank back with water. Switch on the circuit breaker and check to see if your water now heats up.

If you are not comfortable with carrying out your own water heater repair, you can make use of our Emergency water heater repair service. Also, we deliver same-day water heater repair services to make sure that you do not lack hot water in your home.