How to Replace a Tank-Type Water Heater | Ask This Old House
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 20 ส.ค. 2024
- In this video, This Old House plumbing and heating expert Richard Trethewey helps a homeowner be proactive about their home maintenance by replacing their existing tank-type water heater before it fails.
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Plumbing and heating expert Richard Trethewey takes us on a house call to relieve a homeowner’s stress. With a 16-year-old water heater lurking in the basement, the homeowner is expecting it to fail at any moment, so Richard suggests they swap it out with a new unit.
Difficult: ⅖
Time: 4 hours
Cost: Under $800
Where to find it?
Richard installs a hot water heater (tank-type) with the help of a homeowner. Richard suggests replacing the old hot water heater with a new tank instead of opting to install a new combination boiler, as it’s the most cost effective solution, and a really simple replacement. Richard suggests that once the new hot water heater reaches the end of its life, the boiler will likely be at the end of its life too. At that point, replacing both the boiler and how water heater with a combination boiler is the best solution.
Tools and materials are manufactured by Rheem Manufacturing [www.rheem.com/].
To remove the old tank use the following steps:
1. Shut off the gas line and close the water lines connected to the tank.
2. Drain the water out of the tank. There’s a discharge point in the tank that Richard can connect a
hose to drain out the water. (If there isn’t a nearby utility sink or a floor drain on the basement level,
you’ll need to pump the water up to the grade and discharge outside.)
3. Unthread the gas connection with a pipe wrench.
4. Using a pipe cutter, cut the water lines both to and from the tank.
5. The final connection to the hot water heater is the flue pipe, which can be cut with a reciprocating
saw.
To install the new tank use the following steps:
1. Using new ductwork, reconnect the flue pipe to the chimney and seal it with silicone.
2. At the disconnect points, push connect new 1⁄2” copper pipes from the shutoff valves to supply
valves on the tank. The main line should go in on the right and the hot water line should leave on the
left.
3. Rethread the gas piping on the bottom of the tank using the pipe wrench. Some pipe dope will
ensure the gas pipe stays fully sealed.
4. Turn the gas back on and check for leaks.
5. Turn the water on and let it fill the tank.
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Materials:
Permanent marker [amzn.to/3G0Oct8]
Plumber’s sanding cloth [amzn.to/3Un955X]
Shims [amzn.to/3NO057s]
Plumber’s thread tape [amzn.to/3TtvKwo]
Various copper fittings [amzn.to/3UGGMzi]
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Lead-free solder [amzn.to/3WWPnQm]
Flux [amzn.to/3A0D6Ai]
Vacuum valve [amzn.to/3WOxSRW]
Self-tapping chimney screws [thd.co/3Eizj49]
Tools:
Water pump pliers [amzn.to/3EdAOQS]
Garden hose and pump (optional) [amzn.to/3UlWJuW]
Screwdriver [amzn.to/3DK80xS]
Tubing cutter [thd.co/3RbKmR1]
Pipe wrenches [amzn.to/3G1t2Lk]
Bubble level [amzn.to/3FWV9v1]
Cold chisel [amzn.to/3EdBoy2]
Hammer [amzn.to/3G0b3Vr]
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How to Replace a Tank-Type Water Heater | Ask This Old House
/ thisoldhouse
As a counter to all the lambasting of the install, I want to say this is better than a lot of the work I've seen done by professional installers.
I just realized they add a very thorough tool list, rough time and cost estimate and a simple step by step in the description.
If he was on vacation and worried about it he just could have shut the main water shut off valve or at least the shut off valve above the heater and shut the gas off.
I mean just look at him, that's probably more manual work than he would have ever done in his life.
@@diegolara4202 yeah... you sound like a terrible human being
Rich is the man👍🏼 makes it look easy
My electric tank water heater was installed in 1999. Never flushed or the metal rod replaced. The furnace is from 1986 and is still going strong. I am lucky.
Awesome production quality! These aren't simple videos... they're short films!
yes, however I do miss the old style when we had a detailed view of what they were doing from start to finish, now we see bits of the process and then cut forward to the finished product
@@yarpyarp5647 You bring up a good point, I fondly remember the "Hometime" series that showed everything from A-Z but I think the issue was that people would undertake renos that did require some level of oversight (either from a trade or an inspector) and eventually the shows needed to highlight that. Rather than nag I think many have just opted to skip some steps so they don't give all the secret sauce in an effort to not completely empowering people to go it alone. How am I doing TOH?
👆
We want to see a tear down of the old tank, see what a 14 year old tank looks like on the inside.
I really should have done that once. I corn cobbed a couple tanks, never bit into the cast iron, though.
No discussion about checking on the condition of the chimney/chimney liner and the danger of water heaters venting into crumbling or unlined old chimneys? Opportunity to discuss power vent water heaters that abandon the chimneys and vent using pvc/cpvc out the wall like new furnaces.
Good point about chimney condition. Problem with power vent on water heater is no power, no hot water either.
Good point, I bought my house from a flipper who renovated it without any permits. One of things he replaced was the hot water heater. Luckily he got caught by the city before closing and they made him install a new chimney liner instead of just sticking the vent inside a 70 year old chimney.
They vent using PVC or ABS. Not CPVC.
I wasn’t so lucky with my house. Previous owner “renovated” and installed what looked like a flexible steel duct for a chimney liner. My plaster walls started weeping yellow fluid and found the “liner” was rotted away to nothing. Dropped a proper stainless insulated liner and haven’t had issues since. But obviously something I had no idea about until it was an issue.
@@orijimi CPVC has a higher temp rating than PVC and is used in these applications (though most plumbers haven’t adopted it nationwide) - including gas fired instant water heaters.
So the tank is 16 or 17 years old and installed in 2008. Wow! This Old House is now posting videos from several years in the future!
Tanks aren't made on-site at the house. They can sit in a warehouse for a while before getting shipped off.
How are things in 2025? We in 2022 want to know!
He probably meant the date of manufacturing meant that the tank was at least 16-17 years.
@@unploog But a water heater sitting in a warehouse doesn't degrade the water heater tank like one that is in use.
@@FKS1994 Water heaters don't start wearing out until they are installed.
Great job, Richard! Always learning something new from you!
The shade on the I’m going to solder because I can but we could use the push to connect fitting comment is great
In our area, an expansion tank and earthquake strapping are required and pressure relief has to run to a drain or outside. Also, with same worries, we opted for an electric shut-off valve on the water in that tied to a water sensor in a pan under the water heater.
Camera to watch the water heater while away? I would rather shut the main off.
Water heaters usually leak slowly starting with a few drips. There is absolutely no need to get worried. My AO Smith water heater lasted 17 years.
Also Ruud water heaters are known to have a defective gas valve. Luckily this homeowner got the updated gas valve.
Great job! You can tell that Rich worked his butt off from all the sweat his shirt soaked up at 8:12. I can only imagine how awesome it would have been if he was my dad!
Now thats what a master plumber looks like
Don’t put your money on many years with that Rheem. The Bradford White is by far a more superior product. Good video though.
I live in Northern California; I had a neighbor contact me with a home next door to me that he lives in part-time the next-door neighbor informed him his water heater was leaking. I went over and shut the water heater off the water and gas, which is propane. Yesterday, I spoke with him. It cost him over $4000 to get the water heater replaced.
He dated it , but he didn't autograph it like one customer asked him to do.
Remember the guy that wanted Richard to autograph his hot water heater. Lol
Can't believe he used the existing female adapters. And a rhreem. Wow!
Surprised to see Pro-Press fittings on that old water heater?
Probably something to do with a remodel. This homeowner was one paranoid dude who knows not anything about water heaters.
It's really not an old water heater.
Press fittings have been around since before 2008, I just wasn't aware until now. I'm on the west side of this job and the press tool has gained it's popularity here more recently. However out on the east coast it's very likely propress was used on the install after all.
I'm surprised he didn't mention adding a mixing valve to get even more hot water from the tank
also, since you had to pump the water out anyways, go ahead and save it in a trash can or something and use it for watering some plants or something 😛
1:23 "It was installed in 2008, so we're going on 16-17 years..."
Maybe the camera made him nervous hehe
TOH also put 16 years in description must be 2024 there
Time zones must be crazy
Good catch.
BTW Billy I suggest watch a 13 part series called _What on earth happened_ by Ewaranon to learn that the earth is not a globe.
I got it in my about tab.
Great job,I sold water heaters for years,I always told people get longest warranty doesn't matter its the maintenance and what the unit does.My water heater was installed 02,its lasted because 1 i dont have a water softners, 2 "self cleaning unit " 3 flush every season, and finally the most important changing the Angel Rods every 2 years..I live in Vegas water is hard.Great video on this install
I have a water heater from 1997. Electric with no rod, well water through a water softener and has never had anything done to it! I check the pan occasionally and think about changing it, but haven’t yet.
What problem do you think that a properly installed and properly functioning water softener causes a water heater? Hard water is the enemy of water heaters, not soft. In terms of longevity of water heaters - I do agree that flushing is imperative once a season, as long as its been done since the tank was new. Quite honestly though, getting "long life" out of a water heater is a crapshoot these days. You can do everything right & the thing still leaks at 8 years old. Some brands are better than others for sure.
@@bullmoosepiper7732 The salt is the problem with Softners,if you use Potassium Pellets and a sediment filter its not.But most folks don't ,and that sediment and salt mix and sit at the bottom of a tank and rot it out.Ive seen it done in as little as 3 years out here.
@@Troy-McClure81 What Im saying is that a properly functioning softener should not be leaching salt into the domestic potable water. If you're getting salt mix sitting at the bottom of a hot water tank, something has gone terribly wrong with the softener. It should not be leaching salt back into the domestic potable water after it runs its regeneration cycle. Sediment? Sure, with hard water, mineral sediment is going to build up in a tank over time. But salt from the softener? Not in a quality one that is calibrated correctly & functioning as it should. However, there is an abundance of absolute garbage softeners on the market being sold for $400 that I completely believe would do exactly what you're saying is going on. This is why I tell people, spend the $$ and get quality. You'll never have an issue & you will prolong the life of your fixtures & appliances. Happy New Year to you! 🙂
@@bullmoosepiper7732 Your a professional in your craft and I agree about the Big Box 400$ Specials ,but all systems Small and large leave a lil salt,so much so that People with high blood pressure are supposed to use Potassium.Hope you have a great New Year and always great chatting with another from the trade
If that water heater is 16 or 17 years old, this was shot 2 - 3 years in the future!
It may have been installed a couple years after it was manufactured, not too uncommon with water heaters
@@verygoodboy2688 Except the hand written label says installed 7/22/08
It's one of those math equations you do when you're just making conversation without thinking 😂 I always round up a few years myself
Is there any concern soldering that close to a pro press fitting? They have ORings in them right? Could that cause issues down the road for that connection? (Not a critique, curious because I have them)
Sounds like a fun honeymoon 🤣💕👍
I'll buy? I always wondered. "Dear This Old House, I have an unsecured, unleveled toilet drain and flange keeping me up at night."
Tanks a lot, TOH!
Welcome to 2024 where it's easier to point a camera at the water heater rather than turn the shut off valve.
This was filmed in 2012
Rich is DA MAN. Would love to live nearby him. Thanks for the info.
I love this plumber
Lol. Dude was just looking for a new water heater. A properly maintained (flush and anode rod changed) water heater would give no reason to freak out as much as this guy. Also if you have that much anxiety and go on vacation just turn the supply to the heater off.
Only if it had been maintained that way on the manufacturer recommendations, otherwise it's superfluous if it's already damaged from indefinitely differed maintenance.
I even think mine has a 'vacation' mode.
Just some simple feedback, Just write the full year and month out and make it simple... INSTALLED ON Nov 2022 who knows what a random date on a hot water heater means
No chimney liner is a big no no in Minnesota.
I wonder how much truth there is in the 8-12 year life-span of these water heaters. I just replaced mine after 22 years, just out of caution and the realization that a smaller unit would suffice for my needs. One of my friends has one that has been working perfectly since 1986 without any flushing of anode rod replacement.
Yeah. I am replacing my heater now, but it is from 2003 with no flushing ever.
they probably work fine, but I do know that if you don't flush them that you are going to lose like 20% of it's capacity from the sediment building up. Also, it's peace of mind. If your tank is in a place that if it leaks it's not a big deal and it wouldn't be a huge inconvenience to you if it did (because they will always go out on thanksgiving day or when there's company in town), then there's no problem with just letting it run it it has a problem.
@@charliep5139 My installer did a beautiful job, and he even exchanged the original drain valve for a full-sized one, which would make flushing it much much easier.
2008 is that 16-17 years ago???
Great preventive maintenance
Why is no one putting a pan with a leak detector underneath the tank? Isn't it the best time to do it when the new water heater is installed?
Because it isn't required by code in an unfinished basement. Also there was no drain nearby to pipe the pan into. Personally, I would have put the water heater up on some blocks just to have a little spare room so that if it flooded, it didn't kill my gas valve/burner assembly.
I replace about 500 heaters a year. I've never put those vacuum breakers on before. they came standard on the Marathons but that's the only place I've ever seen em
What about expansion tanks ? I thought they were used everywhere
@@davidking3311 If your home has a “closed” plumbing system, then yes, you'll need an expansion tank. I don't have a closed system so I don't require it.
Yeah. Vacuum breakers are mostly just leaks waiting to happen. They're kinda worth installing in a tank installed in an attic, but the hole they put near the top of the dip tube is protection enough from siphoning. The tanks don't implode, they burst. The part that really bugs me is how they didn't use water flexes or strap the tank to the wall. I know, it's not seismic zone 3 or 4. Still, I hate it.
@@davidking3311 I see them once in a while but 99.9999% of homeowners don't understand thermal expansion or care and when I do explain it, I'd say 1 out of 10 will say "okay let's put it in." it's usually if the city pressure is over 90 PSI and we are putting in a pressure reducing valve that we tell them the expansion tank has to be installed with it. and again most people don't understand why high water pressure is bad either.
@@orijimi ... we don't have earthquakes in the northeast. You're more likely to have a kid on a tricycle run into it but the average 3 year old won't move a 400 pound unit.
1:20 anybody notice that sanitary tee on it's back. That's not code
I saw that too. But if it’s for a vent, it’s alright in a lot of places. It’s fine where I work.
@@SureShotImages I guess it could be a vent.
A well-maintained water heater can last 15-20 years if you replace the anode rod. Why didn't they check that first before swapping the entire system. It was leaking yet so why replace something that is still working. If they would have pulled the anode rod first they could have probably just replaced that and extended the life of the water heater. Just because the system is only "warrantied' for 6 years does not mean it will not last longer. The warranty is just the amount of time they will cover the repairs. It's a warranty not a guarantee.
I wonder if he will sleep better at night
Nah, he'll start worrying about the washing machine supply line busting or a leak behind a wall.
No drain in the basement. No wonder he was worried.
not fun, but if he had cut off the main water to the house, even if it leaked, it would've only been 40-50 gallons in a concrete floor basement.
hot the information i needed from this video
Another great video guys 💯👍☝️
6 years warranty and he is up at night.
Me with my 23 year old water heater and sleeping like a baby.
In a non gas water heater, do you really have to insulate the bottom of the tank? I have insulation covering it already, just not sure about the cold floor.
Just turn off your water main when you leave for vacation.
Turn it off at the meter.
and you would eventually shut the heat off.low water cut-off. just shut it off at the tank.
@@donc-m4900 .... yes, that's possible, but then you could have the same problem with the heating system and fill the basement with water while you are away. I would venture a guess that 99% of heating systems are tight enough to go a month or more without needing water, unless it's a steam system.
Also you guys should mention that some places only allows certain metals like black steel instead of copper
black pipe is never allowed on domestic water. In some areas they do allow galvanized pipe for gas, but most professionals stay away from that.
No drain pan or drain line?
Wonder how he got that water heater. All the water heaters in my area use the Honeywell gas valve that's failed on me several times.
@Dale Thiessenhusen 100% agreed. Bradfords are the absolute best. Rheem used to be good but lately they've had an awful track record with their gas valves.
The electric tank-type water heater in the house I live in with my family is over 20 years old and still going strong with only an element change and a couple of thermostats replaced.
If it's in the house (not the garage or basement, etc.) and it's not installed in a pan that has a drain plumbed to the exterior, you should really get that replaced.
@@orijimi It's installed in the roof cavity and has a direct copper pipe for the exterior drain.
Used to have old 1960's era gravity type hot water heaters at my old job. When they leaked it was worth it to take them to the (local) manufacturer, who still made them, and have them recored, with the old copper tank being pulled out, refurbished and put back in, with a new element, thermostat and valve. No pressure no issues with water leaks, just meant the shower there had to have a low pressure head put on it. The recore was cheaper than replacing with a pressure one, and also replacing half the piping that likely would, due to the joins being lightly flared and soft soldered a half century ago, not likely survive being pressurised to 4 bar. Incoming mains water is close to 10 bar, as it also has to supply a lot of high rise buildings with no booster pumps.
@@rayanator105 You should go up there with 2 gallons of water or so, a funnel w/hose and pour it into the hole in the pan to ensure that it works. And maybe start scoping out if you can relocate the water heater. Maybe go tankless. There's a decent chance any water heater you can fit up there today is going to be a meaningful downgrade in caoacity from what you have.
@@SeanBZA How did a gravity water heater get filled? With a valve on a float turning itself on and off like a toilet? The ways I'm imagining that working, it seems like something could go bad really easily.
He will put the old water heater in his bed to make sure he will get his sleep 🤪
No expansion tank?
Did I miss another time slip, is it really 2024 or 2025?
Imagine setting up a camera. ON HONEYMOON to watch a tank of water. Get it emptied dude if you’re that worried.
Emptying a water heater exposes the rust to air, and then when they open up faucets more water pours down into the tank from the outlet and they'll turn the tank to mush. You need to disconnect the tank completely and run a water flex from the inlet piping to the outlet piping. But most water heater leaks starts as minimal seepage, so it's not even something to worry about.
just turn the inlet valve off and walk away. No air, no draining, and even if it does leak it will only be a few drops because the pressure will bleed off quickly.
Hi from Montreal.
I watched, with appreciation, the steps you took to install the new tank. Here in Montreal, or the province of Quebec,
heating a tank of water is less expensive using electricity than heating it by gas. Thus, we have electrically heated hot water. For efficiency, my electric 60 gallon tank actually has three elements, top quarter, middle and bottom quarter located elements.
FYI, that split three ways allows a 3500 watt top element to get the cold water up to 125F temperature, and then for the center element, a 3000watt element to heat the water in the middle of the tank to same, and finally, the third 3000watt lower element to complete the hot water replenishment.
Here is what I think could be done to improve the installation that I saw. It is to save the homeowner some money. This is what I have in my home and has saved me between $10/mo and $20/mo ($130++ over the year).
a) Instead of connecting the line straight up from the tank, the hot water line leaving the tank is coupled to a flexible hose that does a s-curve out of the tank to the house connection. The bottom of the S curve is lower in elevation than the tank's hot water exit. Why the s-curve/inverted U connection? I use a "convection trap" to eliminate hot water migrating up into the house to all faucet connections, Hot water drifts up, cooler water drifts down. The two foot braided hose, designed to support a hot water connection and city water-pressure, forms an inverted "U" before connecting to the upstream house connection.
b) At the top of the hose's inverted U connection, the tank's heated water will, by convection, only collect at the top of the inverted U, and definitely not below that peak, as the water below that peak is cooler and denser than the hot water at the peak. Convection will be limit water current to be only between the tank and the hose's peak at the inverted U.
No convection water will drift downwards to the house's hot water plumbing circuit. I/we noted that some time after completing hot water use (eg, 5 minutes or so), the hot water pipes between the Inverted U and the house have started cooling to room temperature. Overnight or about 10 hours after last bath, and long daily periods of no water use is where the savings occur. Without that trap, convection currents drift up into the house as wasted heat and wasted $.
c) Of course, when a hot water demand is made in the house, that two foot of hose water just lets the hot tank water flow through as anticipated.
Again, when there is no demand, the house plumbing will cool, but hot water from the tank stays at or below that inverted U.
d) If you have extraordinarily high water pressure, you could make an inverted U connection using the copper plumbing.
d) For about every three or 4 years, I replace that single length of braided metal over rubber hose. The equivalent hose looks like the braided hose between a faucet and the clothes washing machine. It is as strong as the PEX that is used in today's house plumbing systems.
We don't really have the weird sort of electrics you're talking about, but we do have the very direct approach to eliminating heat losses of installing tankless water heaters. Thing is, people like the water pipes leeching heat. So much so that people put in recirc lines and pumps, and tankless come with pumps and buffer tanks built in. Us Americans are just shitty like that.
@@orijimi
Electric tanks are generally two electric element ones. When the tank is drained, or the outlet temperature is not hot, the top element turns on. When it finally heats half the tank to set-point temp, the bottom element turns on. The electric company (Hydro Quebec) somewhat underwrites a 3 heater element tank. In general, in a large community with 3 element tanks, the electric company is saving the delivery of 500watts per household.
The idea to have an inverted U heater exhaust pipe originated with a Reader's Digest article, written sometime after WW2.
Regarding heat loss. The pipe from the tank to the faucet is a perfect radiator. When the water flows along the way, much is lost to the space between the walls.
To insulate the pipes, the sponge foam type shown is not very effective. I discovered that aluminum foil on both sides of bubble wrap as a pipe or heat loss wrap cannot be beat. It is 1/4 inch thick and has a better R factor than two - three inches of rock wool, fibreglass or 1 inch of foam. Two layers are amazing for heat transfer prevention.
@@lsatenstein Matthias Wandel's videos have somewhat acquainted me with this water heater situation you're on about. Locally, I've taken out a handful of water heaters that were part of defunct utility programs. And yeah, I'm aware the pipes dump the heat into the air too. People just don't care unless it's in their crawlspace here. And the foam does well enough. The fiberglass tube does better. Your approach may be better and I'll keep it in mind, but unless this is some kind of purpose-built manufactured product you've come across I wouldn't employ it.
I imagine with the rubber hose U connection you have to wait longer to get hot water out of the faucet unlike the installation in this video which keeps the pipes more hot so you get hot water faster.
BTW Leslie I suggest watch a 13 part series called _What on earth happened_ by Ewaranon to learn that the earth is not a globe.
I got it in my about tab.
@@flat-earther Wow, that comment went sideways fast.
I just had my water heater replaced. The same day, the water pressure in my kitchen faucet and showerhead was not as strong. I checked the strainer on the kitchen faucet and removed all the sediment, but the pressue is still lower than before. Help!
not to point out the obvious, but the water valve at the tank may not be open fully... or the plumber may have installed a restrictor to reduce flow.
Where was your inspection? It sure should fail as I don’t see a liner in that chimney.
most direct replacements in this area are considered a repair so no permits or inspections required.
@@rupe53 he stated he got a permit in the video though. Either way this fails the international fuel gas code as there isn’t a chimney liner.
@@billcorbet9746 ... based on the age of the house, I would say you are right about the liner issue. OTOH, I would guess there are grandfather rules as this is a VERY common installation around the northeast. On new construction, they would certainly need to follow all the rules / codes.
@@rupe53 the word grandfather isn’t in any code book. It’s a word that gets mentioned. However when it comes to life safety which this is, you have to do it right. There is an existing building code, however it doesn’t exempt a chimney liner. With that said the Plumbing, Fuelgas and mechanical code require that chimneys be brought up to code if they are to be reused.
The proper repair would have been an electric water heater or a chimney liner.
@@billcorbet9746 ... You're right. Grandfathering isn't in the code books. The answer to that issue would date to whenever the code was for when the original heater was installed and would be at the discretion of the local building department. IOW, it's above my pay grade.
What happened to the drip tray for the water heater?
Not required by code in an unfinished basement in most jurisdictions. Is it a good idea to throw in a pan? Yeah, absolutely. If you have somewhere to drain it nearby, 100% I would put one in. Especially with as paranoid as this guy is about flooding his basement
He sounds tired. Is he ok?
I thought the hot water heaters came with safety features to prevent an explosion. How could it explode?
when he spoke of exploding tanks he was talking about the safety device failing or not being installed.
@@rupe53 it comes from the factory with a pressure relief valve on the tank.
What about installing a sacrificial anode rod to prolong the life of the tank? Isn’t that important?
Nearly all tank hot water heaters come with a sacrificial anode rod, so it's not important to install one on day one. It is wise to annually inspect and replace-if-necessary the anode rod, but it's hard to say that's "important" with a straight face since almost nobody ever does it. But everyone should.
People who talk about replacing the anode rod haven't replaced anode rods.
@@DM7817 I replaced my first anode rod on a 10-year-old water heater. YMMV of course.
@@johnhawkinson Inspecting the anode rod yearly is absurd. I'd say check it at the 7 year mark, if it's still largely there, check it in another 2 years, if at that point there's any appreciable difference, replace it.
@@orijimi I don't know about you, but many people find it difficult to schedule tasks less frequently than annually. Putting it on the list of annual tasks works well for me.
My water heater needs help too. Its a 1999.
Soldering a bit too close to the press fitting.
I scrolled through a bunch of comments, not one person mentioned the quite obvious "built in extension cord"
No need to check for gas leaks?
To be honest, I rarely did. It only ever backfired once when I had a trainee put the sediment trap on.
Why use a vacuum breaker over an expansion tank
They are different parts that accomplish different things.
Those foam insulation tubes are not legal so close to the flue.
I guess it's better to use an asbestos insulation tube then.
BTW Ariel I suggest watch a 13 part series called _What on earth happened_ by Ewaranon to learn that the earth is not a globe.
I got it in my about tab.
@@flat-earther Use fiberglass, not asbestos. Make sure the coating layer on the fiberglass is metal not paper or plastic or mylar.
You need a permit to replace? 💀
2022-2008 is 14 years, DUFUS! Tank is still fine if it's not leaking.
I am not a licenseed plumber but it is so easy may I get a job in your company plzz I will work free for 1 year to get license.
Takes 5 years to get a plumbing license
If the guy who lives in this house is reading this, and you actually have anxiety like that, dude. Ok, I had a similar thing, I had a water leak, and I hired a plumber, they came and fixed it, then it kept leaking. They came back. It was STILL leaking, they came back. They fixed it, but man, I was so anxious it was driving everyone insane. Over a tiny water leak. After a few months of me being mental, my wife made me go to the doctor and get on anxiety meds. I've been on Zoloft, 100mg, and its really made a massive difference in my life.
Wow surprising experience to have had leaks after so many calls. At least good that they ended up fixing it.
BTW lugoismad I have a suggestion which may make a massive positive difference in your life!!!!! I suggest watch a 13 part series called What on earth happened by Ewaranon to learn that the earth is not a globe. I got it in my about tab.
Anxiety is a better malady than flat earth brain rot.
I wonder why they did not install a water softener / filter to extend the life of the water heater.
Not needed everywhere. Depends on what's in the water supply.
A water heater lasting 14 years is very good.
@@n9wox I've taken out water heaters from 1962 in 2022.
@@orijimi And the water heater they removed was still working and not leaking.
@@n9wox Yeah. In general, the youngest gas water heaters that are crapping out right now are AO Smiths from 2004-2006. The youngest water heater I've taken out that I wouldn't classify as straight-up defective was a 6-year warranty AO Smith from 2014 I took out after it burst in 2021. But most blown Bradfords and Rheems date back to the early to mid-90s. Edit: And Americans, but it is sad how rare they are.
Instant hot water??? 🤦🏼♂️
replacing before it fails...
My parents got 22 years out of their first water heater.
They don't make them like they used to.
Why wasn't full city water pressure mentioned? Disappointed.
I don't know. I don't think it has to be mentioned.
BTW oldtwins na I suggest watch a 13 part series called _What on earth happened_ by Ewaranon to learn that the earth is not a globe.
I got it in my about tab.
maybe that house in on a well?
Hello its November 2022
With all the pre shoot work and time this guy had before filming he couldn’t do some basic math?
Good info but total BS intro. I have installed several gas water heaters in my day, no issues and I am not a professional.
Don’t you need an expansion tank?
@@austine6619 That's for the hydronic system which almost certainly has a backflow prevention device which necessitates one. Also, a boiler's ability to cause thermal expansion is way higher than a water heater.
It depends on local code. Where I am at, all water heaters installed are required to now have them to meet code. Older ones are grandfathered in but when you chuck it out for a new one, you need to pony up for it, increasing install cost quite a bit.
I prefer to use electric tanks, they do not emit fumes, less fossil fuel, quite and more efficient.
And much slower recover time.
More efficient? Most reputable sources I know say gas is 4x more efficient than electric; I don't know.
Unless you are using a heat pump hybrid water heater burning NG directly in the appliance is more efficient than the power company doing it.
Chris Barnes I suggest watch a 13 part series called _What on earth happened_ by Ewaranon to learn that the earth is not a globe.
I got it in my about tab.
@@n9wox that is very true, but it depends on your household. There is only two of us and it works great, plus it only cost half the price of a gas unit to buy.
Hack job;
Plastic Shims under a gas-fired water heater.
Reusing male adapters and valves.
Sweating the copper, when someone previously used pressed fittings.
Cheap white Teflon tape.
Installing a vacuum breaker on a tank that is installed in the lowest part of the home.
Using Teflon pipe dope on gas pipe.
Plus no liner that I saw on the chimney. It doesn’t meet the fuel gas code.
Reusing a decent ball valve is perfectly fine.
What do you do instead of shims? Outdoor appliance pad? Leveling compound?
I did forget how he reused that shitty gas valve, though, that should've gone.
Tom you are a negative Nancy. Congrats
Tom I suggest watch a 13 part series called _What on earth happened_ by Ewaranon to learn that the earth is not a globe.
I got it in my about tab.
Kind of ridiculous that states make you pull a permit and have a licensed plumber for a such a simple job. Obviously gas leaks could be a bad thing, but its a little overly cautious if you ask me.
If you own a house who's anyone to tell you what to do with it?
BTW scott I suggest watch a 13 part series called _What on earth happened_ by Ewaranon to learn that the earth is not a globe.
I got it in my about tab.
Permits are usually at the local level, where required, not state level. Most of the northeast considers this a repair and no permit or inspection is necessary.
You don’t need an expansion tank? Code here requires one.
Most places require it when you have a closed system. Some require it no matter what and they suck. Greedy installers will tell you it's required when it actually isn't, and they also suck.
Why do they suck?
@@JK-qe6qq Municipalities that require expansion tanks no matter what suck because they're forcing citizens of theirs to spend several hundred more dollars on a water heater install for something that does next to nothing positive for their plumbing, will need to be replaced before the water heater does, serves as a weak point in the water piping even in the fairly rare cases that they're supported properly (Alongside numerous smaller leaks, I've seen an entire house basically have to be rebuilt after the tee holding an expansion tank burst in an attic. I've seen two 3 year old 6,000 dollar commercial direct vent water heaters trashed after their circuitry was completely decimated when the expansion tank shot off the piping.) Basically, the only times I think there could be value in putting an ex tank on an open plumbing system is when it's CPVC or polybutylene.
2 Adults using too much water in a 40 gallon tank? A lack of water could be that they only have 1/2" copper instead of 3/4", it would help anyways, probably nothing can be done now. Could have bought a shorty 50 gal tank like the 40 there now and not have to chip out the stack. Both Teflon tape and pipe dope on the water lines? Just messy. No Dialectric unions, code in my area. You don't need to insulate the cold side of the intake with that foam.
The shorts are hard to come by, have lower input BTUs, and don't offer good warranties by comparison. I had to plead with my company to get us XG50S12s.
he may have a condensation issue on his cold water pipes, in which case a dehumidifier would help.
Fear monger
yeah thought he prematurely replaced it - as there seemed to have no issues other than its 'old'...
a 13+ year old heater should be replaced. you're on borrowed time at that point
He was running out of hot water too, that would be the better excuse
@@type_one maybe, i would have at least inspected the tank (anode rod) and burners, as for my tank theyre was tons of rust sitting on the burner from the tank failing. so i had signs i needed to replace it, and it was about the same age as his tank.
though i didnt replace it till after my leak sensor went off, luckily only a bit of carpet in that room got wet (mobile home so heater was in a closet)
he's voice is weak, hope its not the heart
Sloppy job.
my hot water cylinder was installed in 1985 and its still running to this day, its only had one thermopile replaced(last year) in 37 years, in New Zealand we do not have anode rods as our water is not shit
im truly shocked how americans are always replacing hot water cylinders every few years,
i have never heard of a anode rod till a few years ago from a video on this show
Don't americans anchor the hot water cylinders to the wall????? thats dodgy as fuk
here they have to be anchored to a wall as when a earthquake hits bam there goes your water cylinder, pipes and any objects nearby haha, even a small basic 5.5 earthquake can topple a 150 litre water cylinder
we don't have earthquakes in this part of the country, but all water heaters are inside due to freezing issues. We also have a lot of customers on well water, so water quality varies quite a bit.
Nothing like working for a worthless hopeless homeowner