Are you looking to replace hot water heater? Find professional plumbers or water heaters tutorial

Replacing hot water heater or any heating systems fixture is a delicate project that should be handled  by trained plumbers or heating contractors. Brave hearts can however replace the heater at home during emergency, where there  is no plumber on ground. Plumbing tutorials and home maintenance guides should be followed carefully before embarking on such plumbing project because improper heating systems installation is very hazardous. And make sure you are following your  local plumbing codes.

Note: It is highly recommended that you contact a professional plumber or heating contractor for this project.

Before You Start

• Turn off water supply by shutting off the valve feeding your cold water into the unit by turning it clock wise until snug.

• For electric water heaters, turn off the power at the breaker  box. You can test this with a simple electrical tester.

• If you have a gas water heater, you will need to turn off your gas by rotating the valve a quarter turn and removing the vent line at the top of your heater.

• Be sure to have these plumber's tools ready - channel locks, screw drivers, garden hose, pliers and wrenches.

• Have a structured plan for all plumbing installations and repairs.

Recommended steps to replace electric or gas water heater

Drain the hot water tank:                                                                                                                                          

Locate a drain bib with a hose attachment at the bottom of the tank. Connect your hose to the bib and take the other end of the hose outside so it can drain off the water from the tank without flooding your house. Open the valve at the bib to start the draining process. At the top or on the side of your water heater you will find a rass valve with a trip lever attached to it. That is your t & p valve. This valve is a safety device to keep your water heater from building up too much pressure and sending it through your roof. This trip lever will also allow your heater to vent air while draining it. Make sure this trip lever is opened by pulling it straight up until it is pointing out. Your tank will take a while to drain. So in the mean time, you can go ahead with the next step while the tank is still draining.

Replacing water heater - step 2

Removing the hot water heater flex lines:

Remove the flex lines using your channel locks. Examine your connections at this point and replace the flex lines if you see a lot of green corrosion. At the top of your electric water heater you will find a small panel where the electricity is fed to the unit. With your screw driver, remove the panel and reach down inside to pull the wire capped lines up so you can remove the caps. Once this is done, you will need to remove the flex conduit that houses the electrical lines by reaching into the area with your fingers and feel for the nut that hold the conduit in place. Rotate the nut counter clock wise until the nut is completely off. Pull on the conduit to remove the wires from the unit. Your heater should be close to empty by now. If your heater is full of sediment, you can force it out by simply reattaching the cold water supply to the heater and turning on your cold water for a minute to push the sediment out.

Gas water heaters

Most gas water heaters will have two straps around the tank. The top strap will be 1/3 the way down from top and the lower strap will be 1/3 the way up. With a wrench or pliers, take the straps loose and make sure when you reinstall that they are snug and holding the heater firmly.

Water heater installation - Step 3

First prepare your new water heater by installing the new t & p valve. You will need to make sure to run the new 3/4 in copper line down to approx 6 inches from your water heater pan and if your line is discharging out a wall or into your crawl, you will need to cut the line with tubing cutters and sweat a coupling to reattach the line. To install your new heater just reverse the uninstall process. Move the new water heater into position lining up the existing plumbing with the water heater's plumbing locations. You will need to wrap the threads, copper with tephlon tape.

Water heater installation - Final step

• Make sure that all wires are connected properly.

• Verify that the caps are tight and no bare wire is touching any part of the unit.

• Turn your water supply on.

• Do not turn your electric back on until the unit is full of water.

• Test your water heater properly.

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This Plumbing Guide is powered by Portland Plumbing Plus - best Portland water heater plumbers

Disclaimer: Remember, this is only a guide to installing a water heater and the steps must be mastered and all safety precautions taken before you try your hand on any heating systems parts. It is highly recommended to contact professional plumbers or heating contractors for such a work. Find affordable Portland Oregon plumbing contractors known for  excellent hot water heaters and boilers services.