Replacing Your Gas Water Heater

There are many different plumbing projects that you can do in your home and the one that occurs more often is a water heater. There are many dangerous things that can happen if you do not do it properly so make sure that you are following all city codes. There are many different steps that you should follow to make sure that you are doing it right.

Before you start any project you need to know what tools you will need to complete your project. For this particular project, you will of course, need the water heater, the vent pipes, valves, plumbers tape, soldering torch, screwdrivers, hacksaw, pipe wrenches, just to name a few.

The first thing you will have to do is remove the old water heater because the new one cannot be installed until the old one is removed. You need to turn off the gas, then drain the water out of it, and disconnect any lines that go to it, after you have made sure that the pilot light is not on. Next remove all pipes from the heater. Now it can be safely removed.

Once you have removed the old water heater, it is time to begin the installation process for the new one. Put the new heater near where the old one was so that you know that all the piping will reach without any problem. You will then need to install the draft hood and the legs on the top of the heater, then the vent on the top. Now the new vent needs to be connected with short metal screws and both the hot and cold water connections can be made. Once you have the water connections made, you can then make sure that there are no leaks in the relief lines, then you can connect the gas line to the water heater.

It is important to stay safe around your water heater and since the draining water will likely be hot, be careful not to get burned. You should also store all firewood as far away as possible or keep it damp so that it won't catch fire and it is a good idea to have a fire extinguisher within arm's reach so that if anything does catch fire, you will be able to get it out quickly.

There are some specific safety features that apply only to gas heaters. These are that you should use any materials that are oil based for installation or removal of the tank, make sure that you have the correct gas for the heater, follow the manufacturer's instructions when lighting the pilot light, make sure that there are no gas leaks, and make sure that all the burner flames are blue and not yellow in color.

If at any time you don't feel comfortable installing your own water heater, you should call a contractor or plumber to get some help, as you don't want to make any serious installation mistakes.