I volunteered to install a water heater. No sweating of pipes needed
because it is a mobile home and the plumbing is nothing more than
flexible copper tubing and fittings.

I made a drawing with dimensions and headed for Sears. I ran into a
problem once I started to look at the water heaters on display. They
all had the hot water outlet on the top left and the cold water inlet
on the top right. The water heater that I will be replacing has the
cold water inlet on the bottom right of the tank. This spot on the
tank usually has the drain fitting. Either this is an (1) oddball tank
or (2) the cold inlet on the top is capped and someone decided to
use the drain instead. I have been unable to eyeball the tank as of
yet to determine which.

Is this method of supplying cold water problematic or perfectly
acceptable?

wrote:
I volunteered to install a water heater. No sweating of pipes needed
because it is a mobile home and the plumbing is nothing more than
flexible copper tubing and fittings.

I made a drawing with dimensions and headed for Sears. I ran into a
problem once I started to look at the water heaters on display. They
all had the hot water outlet on the top left and the cold water inlet
on the top right. The water heater that I will be replacing has the
cold water inlet on the bottom right of the tank. This spot on the
tank usually has the drain fitting. Either this is an (1) oddball tank
or (2) the cold inlet on the top is capped and someone decided to
use the drain instead. I have been unable to eyeball the tank as of
yet to determine which.

Is this method of supplying cold water problematic or perfectly
acceptable?

I don't think there is any technical reason why this won't work, other
than the possibility of the incoming water stirring up more sediment
from the bottom of the tank more than the water coming down out of a
conventional "dip tube".

But, is there no convenient means of draining on the existing tank?

If there isn't, I suppose it's not hard to remove the fitting you
describe and push the flex out of the way whenever someone feels it's
time to drain it.

Jeff

--
Jeffry Wisnia

(W1BSV + Brass Rat '57 EE)

"Truth exists; only falsehood has to be invented."

if you can pull the tube out of the cold side inlet and swap position it
shoud work fine that way. lucas

wrote:
if you can pull the tube out of the cold side inlet and swap position it
shoud work fine that way. lucas


One of us missed something, ds...

Jeff

--
Jeffry Wisnia

(W1BSV + Brass Rat '57 EE)

"Truth exists; only falsehood has to be invented."

wrote:
I volunteered to install a water heater. No sweating of pipes needed
because it is a mobile home and the plumbing is nothing more than
flexible copper tubing and fittings.

I made a drawing with dimensions and headed for Sears. I ran into a
problem once I started to look at the water heaters on display. They
all had the hot water outlet on the top left and the cold water inlet
on the top right. The water heater that I will be replacing has the
cold water inlet on the bottom right of the tank. This spot on the
tank usually has the drain fitting. Either this is an (1) oddball
tank
or (2) the cold inlet on the top is capped and someone decided to
use the drain instead. I have been unable to eyeball the tank as of
yet to determine which.

Is this method of supplying cold water problematic or perfectly
acceptable?

My old tank was like this; the cold inlet was integrated into the
outlet. It was electric, an old rental from the local power company; I
inherited it when I bought the house. I forget the brand, sorry; but I
believe it was made in Canada. There was nothing to indicate that there
was ever a top inlet on the unit.

It seems like a reasonable way to do it; one fewer hole in the tank and
no dip tube to fall into the tank. But I wouldn't refit such a scheme
onto a tank that wasn't made that way.

Chip C
Toronto

The new water heater you are looking is a "Standard" water heater. You need
one that is approved for "mobile homes."
I wouldn't advise changing the piping on a standard unit.

Probably capped up top. Sounds like you might have to do some rerouting of
tubing.

--

Christopher A. Young
Learn more about Jesus
www.lds.org
www.mormons.com


wrote in message
...
I volunteered to install a water heater. No sweating of pipes needed
because it is a mobile home and the plumbing is nothing more than
flexible copper tubing and fittings.

I made a drawing with dimensions and headed for Sears. I ran into a
problem once I started to look at the water heaters on display. They
all had the hot water outlet on the top left and the cold water inlet
on the top right. The water heater that I will be replacing has the
cold water inlet on the bottom right of the tank. This spot on the
tank usually has the drain fitting. Either this is an (1) oddball tank
or (2) the cold inlet on the top is capped and someone decided to
use the drain instead. I have been unable to eyeball the tank as of
yet to determine which.

Is this method of supplying cold water problematic or perfectly
acceptable?