Common Mistakes in Hot Water Heater Installation : Hot Water Heaters
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- Опубликовано: 31 янв 2013
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There are a number of common installation mistakes when it comes to a hot water heater that you're going to want to do your best to avoid. Find out about common mistakes in hot water heater installation with help from an area manager for Roto-Rooter Plumbing & Drain Service's Independent Contractors Division in this free video clip.
Expert: Dave Jones
Bio: Dave Jones is currently an Area Manager for Roto-Rooter Plumbing & Drain Service's Independent Contractors Division. He oversees 17 Roto-Rooter locations for the company.
Filmmaker: Dave Jones
Series Description: Hot water heaters are one of the most important appliances in your home, but they can also become one of your biggest nightmares if you aren't careful. Get tips on managing and maintaining your hot water heater with help from an area manager for Roto-Rooter Plumbing & Drain Service's Independent Contractors Division in this free video series. 
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Seriously good video. I find that many videos don`t cover the potential safety hazards associated with the subject matter being shown. Dave covers it quite nicely. Five stars on this one and thanks to the poster for sharing this informative video.
I work for A.O Smith tech support. This is an excellent video. Nice to see a competent plumber describing an install -
Dennis Cat شف
Mark on the blue ridge, exactly what I was gonna say, also it's fume pipe, and also you don't size a water heater by the amount of bathrooms you size it by the amount of people living there and using the hot water, and Dennis Cat... how is this guy competent, he's given a bunch of bad advise, mispronounced a bunch of plumbing terms, and he works for Roto rooter. I worked for Roto rooter and quit because, and I quote cause this is exactly what they told me, we don't need plumbers we need salesman, we can turn any salesman into a plumber over night, it's harder to turn a plumber into a good salesman. Yeah that's why I quit, cause I refuse to rip off innocent people. Oh and I was also told not to think with my check book but to think with theirs, homeowners always act like they don't have money but they do. Not to mention the fact Roto tooter pays on commission. I'm so sick of bad, dishonest plumbers making the rest of us good and honest plumbers look bad. Alright rant over. Much love and aloha everyone.
Because he plugged AO Smith and not Rheem
Our A.O Smith just died. She was close to 30 years old. Man
@@Harloha I disagree. Better to size a heater by the number of bathrooms because that is what a realtor is going to consider, when it comes time to sell your house. Your insider thoughts on Roto Rooter are interesting. Thank you.
Thanks Dave! Nice presentation and information.
Thanks for the tips Dave
Thank you for the awesome video, Dave.
Thanks Dave.
Also if your on a well system you do not need a expansion tank and also I recommend to my customers to invest(if they have space) for a holding tank the bigger the more money you will save. Have your cold water piped to holding tank before going into heater. Water then will be room temp or at least warmer and will save on power bill plus give you more hot water. No need for an expensive 80 gal by doing this a 50 gal will produce most of the time. My dad was a master plumber and that was one of the first things I learned from him. I changed our water heating system when I was 9. I miss him so much
Holding tank doesn't make sense for preheating the water
Think about it, where is the heat coming from? from inside your building envelope! So your boiler or furnace will end up having to compensate
A solar glycol loop (e.g. on the roof) makes sense, as it is taking heat from OUTSIDE your building envelope
I'm an HVAC contractor
@@walterbrunswick I didn’t say preheat. It helps bring the temp up to room temp(zero electricity or gas) so the water heater doesn’t have to run as long to heat the water which translates to savings
@@walterbrunswick plumbing contractor of 36 years
@@jiggidyjam you still don't understand; the holding tank would be REMOVING HEAT from INSIDE THE BUILDING
SOMETHING needs to keep that building warm, be it a boiler, furnace, electric baseboards, whatever
it will be removing heat until it reaches thermal equilibrium
"heat transfer" is one of the first things that was taught to us in trades college
@@jiggidyjam I don't care if you've been a plumbing contractor that installed aquaducts during the Roman Empire, physics and thermodynamics HAVE NOT changed
Great video everything makes sense thanks for the tip
Nice, thanks Dave! Great tips, esp the solder tank top and the dry fire warning.
(Hot water heaters are common in the midwest, even on signage :-)
as an inspector, the most common amateur water heater install mistakes I see are: 1) no T&P piping attached to the valve, or it's been cut and not re-attached. 2) the electrical ground wire is not properly attached to the water heater 3) the electrical supply wire is not clamped as it enters the water heater's junction box-- if it's not clamped there, it can pull out and shock you 4) no pan for inside the house installs.
Very useful info. Thanks for sharing it!
Great video, thanks!
Do you know if Michigan residets are required to include an expansion tank to a newly installed water heater? Never heard of this before. Thanks for responding.
Very useful tips sir. Thank you
Very honest presentation ,I learned something new (mounting apps)
Thanks for the info. A very well done video!
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10 years old video. Lots has changed since then. With LowFlow shower heads, you now get away with 40gal water tank for average house. Also, that Thermal Expansion tank now has to be attached to the wall via bracket. Thank you
Great tips!
good information. Thanks
Awesome vid Dave, Thanks!
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I second Dennis Cat on the "excellence"! Great, great video/tutorial! It's all those (in this case, DIRELY IMPORTANT) details that can save people and property! A++
Thank you,i love being educated,very much appreciate!
Good video.
Got a question I bought a house and noticed on the electric hot water tank somebody installed copper unions on the hot and cold lines. I never seen that before is that a good idea. Seems not having issues with pressure.
Damn soldiering the fittings
I see a lot of videos where the drip foot and union are missing from the gas supply line. Some are hooking a flexible gas supply line directly to the control input.
Thanks.
I use to be a Roto Rooter Man . Was nice taking pride in my job .. 19 yrs old in Victoria .B.C ......thanks for the training KEN ..
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Does it have to have black pipe going to the heater for gas. I used the flexible yellow corrugated stuff. Does the beginning of the flute have to be fastened to the heater. Also does the yellow gas teflon tape work ok.
Totally informative video. Dave has the best Maryland accent I've heard in a long time, Go Orioles!!! (I know I'm going to catch hell about this current season. ;).
Also, total dorks who entertain themselves with the witty repartee pointing out "Why heat hot water??" Too much free time on your hands...
After the initial heating, a hot water heater heats hot water - not cold water.
Therefore, 'hot water heater' is just as good as 'water heater'.
thanks
Hi,
I am planning to do this GI pipe earthing near my plastic water tank,
Will it be safe for us in future?
Please reply
My house is a 1600sq ft 3 bed 2 bath with an unfinished bonus. It had a 40,but I upped it to 50. Now it's new time. Think a 40 would be ok? All the exhaust locations were for the original 40 so I had to rig it
My mistake was installing replacement Fasco blower and not knowing to take black plug off to allow condensation.
6 years later there was about a cup of water inside the unoperational blower...
We emptied and lubricated the bearings...now I am told ZOOMSPOUT /20 weight oil is more appropriate than wd 40.
I put a timer on my water heater so it turns on a hour or two before I wake up and shower, it goes off a couple hours later, so it is only on for 2-3 hours a day. I think this saves me money on my electric bill.
thanks. I will be doing the same.
Great little how-to video...Found it very useful as I am about to DIY 2 tanks
Good to Know Thanks you might have just saved me some grief
1:26 I'm about to purchase a home in which the previous homeowner or someone working for him installed a plain PVC pipe as the discharge tube. Inspector said to replace this as it will melt if the TPC valve kicks in and water at that temperature flows through.
Intelli-Circ hot water circulation controllers are commonly found in energy efficient homes reducing water heater demand created by circulation pump's. Be sure to disable any circulation pumps in the home before draining/replacing a water heater.
Expansion tanks can be essential our PSI at the street is 135 PSI. Regulated down to 65 PSI any expansion will push up the pressure that will break laundry hoses first.
I believe all residential storage type water heaters have a anti syphon hole on the dip tube 6" from the top of the tank. The hole is about 1/4" in diameter. When the water starts to siphon out the cold line it drops until it reaches the hole in the dip tube. This breaks the vacuum and stops the siphon before enough water drains to damage the upper element, if electric. Smaller water heaters sometimes feed directly into the bottom of the tank. It will drain the entire heater, regardless of an anti-syphon device. So be safe and turn off heat source and shut off valve.
So how do I get an uninterrupted flow of water before turning the water back on? You also installed the water heater to close to the electrical panel. Doesn’t look like it’s 36” away.
Hey Dave, do I remove the little plastic pieces from inside the inlet and outlets before installing the plumbing?
im not dave, and 9 months late but no you dont need to take off the plastic pieces.
Home Depot quoted me @ over $700 to install a water heater - took me $50 in parts & one afternoon by myself.
Agree, they quoted me $1209 when the heater itself is only $639
Did you solder or pro press the copper tubes?
Can I use rubber hoses for plumbing just for an emergency?
How can I check my relief valve? My discharge tube goes directly into the floor so I assume the water would go into the crawl space?
Nice job.....but you should bring up tankless water heaters like what I put in
that's a great video dave thanks a lot I'm handyman
I’m just a DIY’er but he forgot to mention about installing a sediment trap on the gas line, using yellow teflon tape, using the right solder and using catch pan with drain.
COOL!
Thanks Dave!!
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If I have a back-flow stopper at the water meter, I don't need vacuum relief valve at the water heater tank?
You need a pressure reducing valve if your installing an expansion tank, the go hand and hand
My house water heater relief valve is connected to the piping runs underneath the wall. Is that normal? I don't see it in any of the video
I just installed an electric hot water heater. Before I turn it on, how do I stop my furnace from heating the hot water which is a coil inside the furnace? I've been told that if I turn off the hot water valve and cold water valve going to the furnace for the hot water supply. That only traps the water inside the coil inside the furnace, It will cool, the furnace detects the temperature and fires up to reheat it. So My question is, how do I disable the furnace from heating the hot water?
you need to put sealant on the t&p relieve tube
About preparation and avoiding mistakes. Some electric water heaters are installed in tight closets that are 23" inches across the door opening. The newer short water heaters are sometimes 24 inches in diameter due to added insulation for those new gov't higher efficiency models. That may be a problem especially when you didn't measure and realize the newer water heater that looked exactly like the old (22") one is now larger in diameter (24"). Now you have to box the tank and make another trip back to the plumbing supply house and go with a taller water heater or different model. Also, if installed in a closet on a hardwood floor, there most likely is a drain pan which may be smaller in diameter because it was adequate with the older smaller diameter tank. You might need to go 2 more inches in diameter (think of the position of expansion valve pipe) and then reposition the pan drain hole.
Ty
good tips dude. its those stupid little things that are common sense, but, get overlooked
Don"t forget this:Your water heater in the video needs di lectric connections and the expansion tank MUST be supported.other than that it looks good.
If the 2 gallons expansion tank fill with water then weight at least 13 lb. It is amazing that long 3/4 copper pipe can support it.
Hi,
I've new AO smith hybrid water heater installed but electric cable being short could not reach to connect, plumber said I must hire an electrician to connect to water heater,
I'm planning to diy , can anyone suggest the electric cables that I need to extend from power outlet to water heater(240 v).
Any video or link would be much appreciated.
Thanks.
how do you change an on/off switch on an electric water heater, please. mine broke.
Hello, I have solar water system and in that, hot water circulation problem.hot water is not entering into storage tank.why??
Plz help.
If my tank has 2 cold water inlets, one in use the other plugged. Will expansion tank work if I place it at the currently unused cold water inlet? Or must it be on the cold water intake line?
They normally go on the cold supply side. However, as pressure expands equally in all directions, a bladder tank anywhere in your system will take up the pressure. Case in point, a house on its own well is on a closed system, although it has a large bladder tank in the pumphouse. The bladder tank acts as an expansion tank and absorbs the elevated pressure, despite the fact the well might be a long way from the house. Just make sure there are no check valves between your expansion tank and the water heater.
Installing a water heater may seem like an easy task, but it takes more than just reading the instruction manual. Avoid these mistakes by doing your research first! Watching this video is just the first step.
Can you use pex tubing to install with your expansion tank
No. You must use copper or steel for a meter before adapting to pex
In the video, what was the purpose of elevating the hot water heater with bricks in the drain pan? I will be replacing a 40 gal electric soon and want to know if there is a benefit to it. I will be using a drain pan where the old one did not have. Thanks.
+34dawgsgo Placing the water heater on the bricks will prevent contact with any water that may spill into the pan, which will cause the bottom of the heater to rust out over time.
I've found, with some pans, if they're not elevated a couple of inches off the bottom of the pan it also makes it difficult to connect a garden hose to the drain tap.
Robert Prudhomme You also gain area in the pan for overflow. If the cylinder is nearly as big as the pan it doesn't take much to fill it.
Should the Temperature & Pressure Relief Valve (i.e. the tube coming out of it) be connected to main waste pipe (sinks/toilet) or as in the video (1:53min)?
you must have an air gap and NO do not connect to the building drains
It's actually much safer to run the TPR drain outside within six inches of the ground so it doesn't spray the ground inside the home and possibly someone walking by the water heater.
Good questions and answers. The presentation was good but two things to know: the discharge pipe should extend to the exterior and terminate between 2 and 6" above the ground. The discharge pipe should never be terminated into a drain pipe, and know water coming out of the pipe will be very hot and under pressure. As a building inspector I have witnessed two tanks TPR valves open and spewing scalding water onto the ground. Inspectionsbysteve.com
Finally someone who doesn't talk to us like we're all village idiots. I installed one yesterday and all went well except for 1 small leak on a solder joint, everything was common sense. I've been doing these for 20yrs and the reason you need a bladder tank is 2 reasons one is code in most states, the 2nd is thanks to the water tank manufacturers and how thin they make the steel tanks. Less steel means they are more likely to crack over yrs. because of all that expanding and cooling when the burner cycles off and on. No bladder tank, means you're playing Russian roulette with that new water heater--------
how long does it normally take for a heating element to burnout/ dry fire from turning on the breaker?
If there is no water in the heater, and you turn the breaker on, the amount of time it takes to burn the element can only be measured in nano seconds. :)
At 2:20, did he mean wait until flow is uninterrupted before turning electricity back on?
I have a well system do you need to install a expansion tank on the hot water heater ?
most likely no..you do not have a meter with a backflow preventer..
The most common mistake is calling it a hot water heater .......When it is a Water Heater.
cool
do i need a vacuum breaker if the wh is standing on the floor in a single story house? thanks.
betterworld1 Probably not
Why does my Rheem water heater, heat up on the cold water inlet side when I run the hot water
Thanks for your input, Dave. But my furnace will still be producing hot water after I follow your instructions, along with my electric hot water tank. How do I stop my furnace from no longer heating the water, since my electric hot water tank will take over the task?
The T&P valve cant drain into the pan in UPC states
I believe that you’re mistaken. What are the UPC states?
Can you braze copper pipe on a water heater?
Another mistake, my heating guy didn't follow the directions on my indirect hot water tank. He plumbed the port on the tank that says "Boiler Return" to the Boiler input, and the port on the tank that says "Boiler Input" to the Boiler Return. In the old days that was how they did it thinking the hottest part of the boiler entering the coldest part of the tank = highest amount of heat transfer = highest efficiency, and many follow how it was done previously, even though it's wrong. That KILLS the recovery of the tank as the bottom of the tank has a lot of water currents with the cold coming in that scrubs the heat away from the pipe and hot + cold = warm water and what's left in the pipe isn't warm enough to heat properly so you run out of hot water in about 15-20 minutes plumbed that way. Plumbed properly, the hottest part enters the upper part of the tank where you need it, and then exits the bottom where the remainder of the heat gets scrubbed by the turbulent cold supply = more, longer, hotter showers = winner.
What happens if you hook the what are up backwards cold water on a hot water side and the hot water on cold water side? I just see a lot of people probably doing this
hired a plumber and he did what you said not to he welded the fittings right on top of the tank so now i got them coming back to see if they damaged the dip tube is it possible to inspect the dip tube for damage ?
a dental tool with a round ball at the end. search for rough insides...signs of a melted tube. The melted part is going to be fairly close to the end of the nipple, so you don't need to search far.
if the dip tube is damaged you will only get like 5 minutes of hot water on a new tank.
Dave Picard YES
I just installed a water heater in my home. The after installing I noticed the cold water pipe was hot and the hot water pipe is cool. The previous water heater was installed the same way and lasted 13 year. I never noticed they were crossed and never had any issues. Is that a big deal?
Yes huge deal
Some of the instructions are confusing. Like turning off water faucet before turn water main back on....if the water main is off how the hell is the water heater tank suppose to fill?
Is it ok to use a gas black pipe for a discharge tube instead of copper?
Lily not if its threaded at the exit end.
Aren't Expansion tanks only really needed in a water system that has a check valve/backflow preventer on the incoming water supply? My understanding is that if there is no backflow preventer on the incoming main water supply (at or near the water meter) then the expansion tank isn't needed. Some older cities haven't started requiring the backflow preventer yet.
True to Code.
Sounds like a Roto Rooter installation will turn a $200 installation into a $2000 installation as they throw out everything but the kitchen sink. Copper wire gets "old"? Ever compare new cable to cable from 30 years ago?
Benny Hannah
Gotcha...if your home is up to code & has a backflow preventer then it needs the expansion tank. If your home is not up to code and does not have a backflow preventer then it does not need the expansion tank. What if a homeowner installs the backflow preventer near the meter and there is already an expansion tank installed just before the boiler(not furnace) for the homes baseboard heating system? In that situation, does an additional expansion tank have to be installed before the water heater too?
growells Why would any homeowner install a backflow preventer that wasn't required? [Most, but not all new homes are being built with these tanks, whether or not they're 'required'.] Municipalities like mine use water meters with no check valve ... an "open system". If they ever switch out to meters with check valves [you would think they would do this when they switch them out for remote reading capability in a few years, but they're not], then they'd covert my system to a "closed system" ... still, I think the 'swelling' of the 200' of 1.25" plastic pipe from the main would be enough "expansion tank".
As long as your "expansion tank" is somewhere along the cold water inlet trunk line, and there are no check valves between those demand points, it should work. All you're trying to do is have a "weak link" where any pressure rise will go to die.
Benny Hannah Thanks so much for sharing your knowledge. I have a home built in the 1920s. The local water company changed out my meter about a year and a half ago and now they are sending out letters to my ward requiring all home owners here to install check valves to be followed up with inspection by them, of course, or they will shut off the water. Think I have ignored about 7 of those letters so far now.
Called a local plumber and he quoted me $300 to $500 for the job (without a visit) saying I would have to have an expansion tank installed (already have one at the boiler with no check valves in the system). I told him "no thanks" will do it myself and I may even wait until they force me to via shutting off my water.
Two summers ago, the City insisted one of my 2 trees in front of my house had to be cut down saying it was "dead". Found out the inspector who said so, knew nothing about trees and had no qualifications. He is a retired electrician. Funny thing is, I had those trees trimmed the year before that because Allstate insisted I had to install a new roof & trim the damn trees, which I did both. I fought the city on it after consulting a tree arborist, and won, and still have 2 healthy green trees in my front yard.
I have figured out that my local City is broke and looking for ways to drum up revenue. Needless to say, my next house will NOT be in the city, will be far from the road and will have a well! That is my advice to all potential new homeowners now.
6t
how are you suppose to attach the pipes and fittings onto the tank without solder??
dry fit cu pipe, elbows etc, including two unions, then remove them and solder, then thread in dielectric section, then connect the last section with the two cu unions.
Good tips but the main tip is never call Roto Rooter they are way over priced they will rip you off.
TRUTH! THEY RIPPED ME OFF BIG TIME. $4K FOR 10 HOURS OF WORK. NEVER WILL I EVER CALL ROTO ROOTER UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCE.
True that! Family owned local plumber or do it yourself!
Yep, roto will screw you hard w no lube
Hey can you help me I've already replaced my cold water pipes 500 times They keep popping off they keep coming apart I put it on and they push back up I've already drained the entire thing and started over and it still keeps doing it there is water everywhere when I woke up what else can I do I've tried even the high pressure knobs and stuff for it fittings I'm sorry and it busted through them I turned the regulator down I turned my valve to the house down what else can I do
It's electric
Remove any manufacturer installed heat traps when an open loop circulation system is installed. There are better heat trap designs available which don't negatively affect flow.
Turn off all electricity to home, this will disable both the electric water heater and the furnace unit. Fill your water heater with cold water while leaving a hot water spout on such as the bathtubs hot water until no air in pipes. When all is good, turn back on your electricity and furnace will kick on and you should be following instructions to turn on water heater, then all should be good.
I don't like the offset shown. The exp' tank does have some weight as water pushes into it, especially if the bladder ruptures. It should set directly over the inlet. Esp' tanks should only be used with ridged copper (not with plastic wich can snap off if jarred).
+bernie10315 are you sure that the radiant heat from the exhaust gas won't cause problems with the flexible bladder in the same way that said radiant heat warps PVC fittings located in the same area?
Copper pipe can support the tank sideways or upright if the pipe is not very long. If plastic piping is used the tank must be secured to a support bracket according to the manufacturer's installation instructions. inspectionsbysteve.com
i bound my head on front valse hows i make sure i did not open it
where is the expansion tank exact location on the supply line ??
on the cold inlet side BEFORE the shutoff valve..
*Watch that powered up unsubmerged element get red hot, then crack and short open. Bending along bottom half...* 2:10
Many of these videos show an expansion tank plumbed off a tee and unsupported. If you don't set the tank directly on top of the WH outlet then it should be separately supported by a wall bracket, they can get heavy when they leak into the bladder. Always use a wall bracket when using PVC or PEX instead of copper.
hmm braced schedule 40 stainless pipes should be sturdy enough, though, eh?
Wish I watched this before messing with mine. I might have dry fired it the other day.
Do natural gas water heaters need to be raised up 18 inches?
Yes