At some point in your ownership of a reliable electric hot water heater, you will need to replace it. Regardless of how much you take care of it, it will not last forever and it would best that you know how to replace the water heater even if you don’t really need to just yet. As early as now, you need to know about the basics of water heater installation in order to prepare you for the inevitable.
Water heaters, just like all other devices that are used regularly, need to have periodic maintenance. They need to be cleaned and regularly given attention in order to avoid rust from building up or corrosion from happening too soon. However, a lot of people disregard this need. Water heaters often work for months without getting cleaned and properly maintained.
When water heaters had enough, they quit giving you the warm water that you need. Due to corrosion and rust, they fail to function as well as they used to when you first bought them and they now need to be replaced. The easiest and quickest way to do that is to hire a plumbing professional but if you can’t afford one or if you want to experience replacing the device yourself, you can easily do so.
Before the water heater installation, you have to find the perfect water heater replacement. It’s best that you buy a model that uses the same fuel type as your previous one. Whether electric or gas, it’s better to use the same fuel type since replacing it would become so much easier for you. You can change the size of the heater as long as you have the proper clearance between the wall and the water heater.
Before you start on the water heater installation, you need to check the plumbing to make sure that it’s ready for installation when the new heater arrives. Measure the dimensions between the cold water and the hot water pipes that are located on the water heater. Make sure that the new one will have the same dimensions so that plumbing will be easier for you.
If you’re using a gas water heater, check the gas line and make sure that it has a gas union. Also check the union connector for the hot water pipe and a well functioning water shutoff for the cold water pipe. When your new heater arrives, make sure that you have an easy way to transport it from your driveway to where you wish to install it.
Before you do anything, make sure that all utilities connected to the water heater are turned off. Shut down the main water valve in your home and if you are using an electric water heater, make sure that you disconnect the electricity to the water heater by turning the circuit breaker on the unit off. For gas water heaters, you can disconnect the gas supply pipe at the tank.
There are many other things that you need to do when installing a new water heater. Make sure that you follow instructions as indicated in the water heater and research thoroughly before trying to replace the heater yourself.
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