"Donna Ohl, Grady Volunteer Coordinator" wrote in
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Also, we bought the extra one-way check valve even though the water heater
apparently comes with heat-loss protectors and we can s-kink the flex
lines
(not the steel lines, just the copper lines).

Do you think the one-way hot-water-outlet check valve will work to slow
heat loss?

For a year or two, probably. Does it have a rubber flap in it or is it a
real check valve? If it's a check valve, don't use it. They rattle after
some time. (i'd question the rubber flap kind too; they'd get stuck in the
'outflow' direction eventually)

If you want it to work forever, make your own. Make a loop out of the
flexible copper line or solder one out of rigid copper. You'll find out
that flexible copper isn't very flexible. I did the latter, the side that
goes up from the tank is hot, the side that comes back down is cold after
it's been sitting for a while. Mine's 12" from top to bottom, 6" is probably
ok. No ball to rattle, will work until the laws of physics are repealed.


Note we didn't buy the insulating blanket for the water heater, nor the
insulation for the hot-water pipes yet. We figured we could do that later.

If you put in a proper heat trap as described above, insulated pipes are
unnecessary.



Our biggest question is whether we really needed the dialectric unions.
Since they were female:female, that necessitated brass nipples on each
side, further lengthening the lines which we need to shorten.

You'll need the unions.