On Thu 21 Feb 2008 15:01:43, Donna Ohl, Grady Volunteer Coordinator
wrote:
Following is a idealized anatomy of a hot water heater replacement
and recommended maintenance performed, basically, on the Internet,
in real time, with the help of everyone here.
This procedure, which combines the best found on the Internet and
which takes into account *every* single of the hundreds of replies
in this newsgroup, is posted with the hope that the next amateur
replacing their natural gas galvanized pipe home hot water heater
prints this out and follows it to their delight and benefit!
A complete set of photos of every step below is available at
http://www.flickr.com/donnaohl
Here it is... this is an idealized version of my experience last
week!
If you have old galvanized pipes, consider these preventive steps:
- Remove all debris screens from faucets, & tubs to prevent
clogging - Shut water to dishwaswher to prevent clogging of
dishwasher screens - Remove tub valves (I think) to prevent
clogging of tubs
Remove the hot-water heater:
- Shut off the natural gas at the main gas meter (optional)
- Shut off the natural gas at the local hot-water heater
(mandatory) - Wait for the pilot light to go out to ensure no gas
is left in the line - Turn the thermostat on the hot-water heater
to the off position - Wait overnight, if possible, to allow the hot
water in the tank to cool - Or run 10 or 20 gallons of hot water in
the house to dilute the tank - You will be very glad you cooled the
water in the tank: Trust me! - Shut off the main household cold
water (if replacing the gate valve) - Shut the cold-water
gate-valve right-side inlet to the hot-water heater - Open at least
one hot-water faucet in the house to drain off pressure - Open the
temperature and pressure valve as a safety measure (optional) -
Unscrew the cold-water inlet at the nipple at the top of the tank
- Unscrew the hot-water outlet at the nipple at the top of the tank
- Use two wrenches on flex connectors or they twist like a phone
cord! - Unscrew the natural gas inlet to the water-heater
thermostat - Cap the newly disconnected natural gas line to prevent
contamination - Connect a garden hose to the plastic
hot-water-heater drain valve - Open drain valve to drain hot water
where it will not damage anything - If 40/50 gallons doesn't come
out something is clogged (very common) - Shake and prod and push to
get the water out (it happened to me) - Otherwise you'll be moving
a full tank which can tip (it happened to me) - Disconnect garden
hose and close drain valve when done (40 or 50 gallons) - Unscrew
the sheet-metal screw holding the vent pipe to the draft hood -
Separate the vent pipe from the draft hood (the hat on top middle)
- Unscrew sheet-metal screws holding gas-flue hat onto the vent
pipe - Separate the vent pipe from the gas-flue hat on top center
of your heater - Unscrew the seismic straps (if any) as the last
thing before removal - Remove old heater off the elevated base with
two people and a handtruck - Remove all water plumbing up to and
including the old shut-off valve - Remove all gas plumbing up to
and including the old shut-off valve
Replace hot-water heater:
WHILE THE NEW TANK IS SITTING (DRY) ON THE GARAGE FLOOR:
- Remove the heater from the box by cutting the box completely
open - Replace the plastic drain valve with a brass ball valve
(optional) - Install the new temperature and pressure (T&P) relief
valve (if needed) - Note: The brass T&P relief valve may already be
installed on your tank - Install the cold water dialectric
check-valve nipple (on the top right) - Install the hot water
dialectric ckeck-valve nipple (on the top left) - Note: The 2
check-valve nipples may already be installed on your tank. - Wrap
three layers of teflon tape on each dialectric check-valve nipple
- Remember: Always use 2 wrenches when screwing & unscrewing pipe
fittings!
MOUNT THE TANK & POSITION THE VENT AND HOOD:
- Mount and level the new hot water heater on the 18-inch elevated
base - Ensure at least six inches of clear space all around the new
heater - Hacksaw the old gas vent so that it fits the new larger
water heater - Ensure the gas vent aligns with the center of the
hot-water heater - Insert legs of the draft hood into the holes in
the top of the heater - Drill a 1/8 inch hole into the draft hood
and 3-inch vent pipe - Screw in at least 1 sheet-metal screw from
the vent hood to the vent pipe
ATTACH THE COLD WATER INLET:
- Wrap Teflon tape on the threads of the fittings supplied with the
tank - Insert a blue heat-trap fitting (arrow down) into the
cold-water inlet - Ensure the last two threads are never covered
with Teflon tape - Look end-on through all fittings to ensure no
Teflon tape overlap - Do not use pipe dope on any threads where
Teflon tape is noted below - Screw the cold-water inlet male:male
nipple into the top of the tank - Wrap Teflon tape on the thread of
the galvanized 3/4" water-inlet pipe - Screw a dialectric union on
the 3/4" galvanized cold-water inlet pipe - Check for Teflon tape
on the threads of each male:male brass nipple - Screw the brass
male:male nipple on the female:female dialectric union - Screw a
new ball-valve shutoff onto this vertical cold-water inlet pipe -
Wrap Teflon tape on the threads of another male:male brass nipple
- Screw this male:male nipple into the new ball-valve shutoff
- Screw the copper flex pipe onto the cold-water inlet brass
nipples
ATTACH THE HOT WATER OUTLET:
- Wrap Teflon tape on the threads of the fittings supplied with the
tank - Ensure the last two threads are never covered with Teflon
tape - Do not use pipe dope on any threads where Teflon tape is
noted below - Insert a red heat-trap fitting (arrow up) into the
tank hot-water outlet - Wrap Teflon tape on the thread of the
galvanized 3/4" water-outlet pipe - Screw a dialectric union on the
3/4" galvanized hot-water outlet pipe - Wrap Teflon tape on the
threads of each male:male brass nipple - Screw the brass male:male
nipple on the female:female dialectric union - Screw a new one-way
check-valve onto this vertical hot-water outlet pipe - Wrap Teflon
tape on the threads of another male:male brass nipple - Screw this
male:male nipple into the new ball-valve shutoff - Screw the copper
flex pipe onto the hot-water inlet brass nipples - Bend the copper
flex pipe into an S shape to further inhibit heat loss
ATTACH THE T&P SAFETY PIPE:
- Screw on rigid high-temperature water pipe to the T&P valve
- The open outlet must be six inches (no more, no less) from the
floor - The open outlet must not be threaded; no valves or traps
are allowed - Place a bowl or bucket at the outlet of this open
overflow pipe - Test the T&P valve & plumbing by flipping the
little aluminum lever - Scalding hot water should sputter out of
the pipe outlet
TURN ON THE WATER SUPPLY:
- Optionally, remove all the screens from your water faucets
- Optionally, shut off the water to your dishwasher to prevent
clogging - Optionally, remove the shower heads to prevent clogging
- I'm not sure what to remove yet to prevent your tub from clogging
- Open at least one hot-water faucet in the house to bleed out air
- Slowly open the main cold-water input to the house
- Open the new ball-valve cold-water input to the hot-water heater
- Check for leaks in the plumbing as the tank fills
- Place a pan or bowl at the T&P overflow tube & test the T&P valve
ATTACH THE NATURAL GAS INLET:
- Always connect the natural gas line as the very last step in this
process - Set the thermostat on the hot-water heater to the off
position - Coat male natural gas line threads with stick pipe dope
(no teflon) - Ensure the last two threads are not covered with any
pipe dope - Connect the new (yellow) natural gas flex pipe to the
thermostat - Turn on natural gas at the main switch (if it was
turned off) - Turn on natural gas at the local inlet to the water
heater - Test for leaks by toothbrushing a solution of dish
detergent and water - Read and carefully follow the manufacturer's
lighting instructions
INSULATION:
- Wrap additional insulation around your hot-water heater, if
desired - Wrap insulation around your hot-water outlet pipe, if
desired
DISPOSAL:
- Perform an autopsy on the old water heater by removing all
plumbing - Remove & inspect the 1 1/16 inch 3-foot 8-inch
sacrificial anode - Remove & inspect the T&P valve
- Call the local garbage or recycling to haul away the old water
heater
Twice a year:
- Clint combusion-air lint screens (at the bottom inch of the water
heater) - Place a pan or bowl at the temperature & pressure valve
overflow tube - Test the T&P valve by flipping the lever as water
violently sputters out - Turn the natural gas to the PILOT setting
(or shut it off completely) - Leave the cold-water intake valve
open at the top right of the heater - Open at least one hot-water
faucet on any level above the water heater - Gently connect a
garden hose to your hot water heater drain valve - Route the open
end of the garden hose where hot water won't damage things - Open
the lower drain valve to empty a few gallons of muddy hot water -
Shut the drain valve when that water runs clear (approx 10 gallons)
- Once every three years, remove the 1 1/16-inch sacrificial anode
- Replace the 3'8" sacrificial anode if corroded or calcium
passivated - To replace, bend the magnesium anode or replace with
sausage links - Turn the natural gas back on and ensure the burner
is working properly
Donna, do you think the other people who have posted to help you
actually suspect what is going on? :-)
Some must have realized it by now. Do you think they are just
keeping quiet?