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Water Heater Installation: Leave It To The Pros
When a home water heater needs to be replaced, some people panic, some do extensive research and some try to get their hands dirty as soon as possible to make the problem just go away.
Photo credit: Ryan Willson
Anyone but a seasoned plumbing pro will soon find themselves in a major, costly pickle if he or she attempts to replace a tank water heater with a tankless model all by themselves.
Unlike swapping a three-way light switch for an exact duplicate, switching from a conventional tank-style heater to a high-efficiency tankless model requires significant understanding of the sizing, gas inputs and venting requirements of today’s on-demand heaters.
Even if you have a little plumbing experience, every installation application is different. There are critical, seemingly minor details involved, some of which can be life-threatening, both during and after the installation process.
Unless you bat 1000 every time you work with plumbing, electricity and welding, water heater installation is a project best left to the pros. Web site diyornot.com suggests that installing a tankless water heater yourself will cut only about 30 percent from the installed cost. But even if the percentage were higher, why risk jeopardizing your family or even harming the unit itself?
- How easily can your current tank-style heater be replaced by a tankless water heater?
- How easily can your current tank-style heater be replaced by a tankless water heater?
- How big a tankless unit does your household need, considering its layout and your family’s usage patterns?
- What pipes, valves, pumps, fittings and tools are needed (and how to properly use or install them), since the heater does not come with these other supplies.
- How to turn off the water to the current tank heater and how to properly drain it.
- How to turn off the gas to the water heater and safely disconnect the gas line from the heater.
- How to remove the current tank and who to contact to dispose of it properly.
- How to install the right type of vent for a particular tankless unit. (Different models require different venting materials.)
- How to connect your new water heater to your home’s electric service (unless there is already a correctly sized power source where you’re installing the new system).
- How to determine whether to upsize the gas lines to accommodate the tankless unit’s more powerful gas burner.
- How to install new water lines and a pressure relief valve discharge line.
- How to complete all of the above in accordance with local building codes — and only after obtaining the proper permits.
- Whether your homeowner’s insurance covers any blunders and the unfortunate consequences that inevitably ensue.
In short, installing a tankless water heater can be a complicated, even dangerous job for the unskilled and the uninitiated. Some situations can throw curve balls, and professional installers make our lives easier, safer and healthier by avoiding or eliminating these complications. Our families are better for it, and we’ll have our hot water again that much more quickly.
For information on tankless water heaters and to find your nearest installer, please visit https://www.noritz.com/home-owners/find-an-installer/.
Sources:
https://www.diyornot.com/
A.J. Perri Inc.
https://www.ajperri.com/media/entry/tankless-water-heater-not-a-diy
The Basics
Understanding how water is heated in the home is the first step to deciding between a tank and tankless water heater. Want the basics? Have a look at our infographic below.
To our professional ProCard members, please share and help your customers understand the differences in the process.
To our homeowners, watch this space for a series of infographics that will help you make your decision and answer this question…
Time to Replace your Water Heater. NOW WHAT?
You may be UNpleasantly surprised
Chances are you don’t turn your alarm off in the morning and instantly think of your hot water heater. But, as you turn on the shower, do you ever wonder about the water that you’re jumping into? If your tank water heater is more than eight years old, it’s likely that rust and sediment buildup (yes, you just cringed, didn’t you?) have both decreased the unit’s hot-water capacity and energy efficiency.
As you recover from cringe #1, sediment and rust buildup (often accompanied by with a rotten-egg smell – EW!) can present some difficult issues for homeowners who have an aging tank-style water heater.
According to naturalhandyman.com, sediment builds up gradually and can consist of sand, grit or rust regardless of the hardness or aggressiveness of the water.
Self-help website waterheatertimer.org notes that this sediment and rust slows heat transfer and allows the tank bottom to overheat. This weakens the steel, damages the glass lining, alters the efficiency of the unit and ultimately can cause the unit to fail prematurely.
And that smell we mentioned? Experts such as Magnolia Plumbing, Heating and Cooling in the D.C area adds the classic rotten-egg smell to the list of
problems, serving as evidence of hydrogen sulfide gas (cringe #2).
The unfortunate reality for most hot water heaters is that they sit forgotten in a dark corner of a garage, attic or basement. Their problems begin
silently and unnoticed, only to worsen over time until the tank dies. If you are lucky enough, your tank heater will pass away without incident, instead of
spilling its rusty contents (30-80-gallons) all over the surrounding floor.
Jump over to this link on our site https://www.noritz.com/home-owners/tankless-advantage/ for further information on the
advantages of tankless water heaters.
One of the most common annoyances of any home is running out of hot water partway through a shower. Luckily, advances in Noritz tankless water heating technology allows for a continuous stream of hot water.
It's happened to all of us. Whether it's because of an inefficient water heater or your family takes extra-long showers, at some point you've run out of hot water halfway through your shower! As the water begins to cool, do you rush to rinse off and finish, or suck it up and finish with a blistering cold shower?
You may not have to do either one when you upgrade your old traditional water heater to a new tankless water heating system.
The reason you’re likely running out of hot water is because traditional water heaters don't actually heat the water when you need it. Instead, they heat the water slowly and store the hot water in a bulky tank. No matter how big your tank may be, it can still run out – and when it does, it can take quite some time before more water can heat up.
Today, advances in tankless water heater technology have made them increasingly more popular due to their efficiency and convenience.
A tankless water heater actually heats water on-demand as you use it. When you turn on the hot water in your house, the tankless water heater kicks in and circulates water through the heat exchanger to bring it up to the desired temperature in just seconds. When the hot water tap is turned off, so does the unit.
On-demand hot water is just one reason why most modern homes are going tankless. Other advantages to switching to tankless include:
Whether you decide to go with a natural gas or propane unit, you can be sure you’ll be enjoying continuous hot water and other advantages.
Tankless water heaters offer added luxury, less energy usage and big savings. Now Noritz, the leading tankless water heater company, is also making finding an installer a snap with their Installer Locator.
More homeowners are turning to top quality tankless water heaters made by Noritz. The idea of having virtually unlimited hot water, is just too good. Tankless water heaters don't rely on pre-heating a reservoir of water, instead heating it on demand as it moves through the heater toward you. So with Noritz you'll never run out of hot water halfway through your shower again – but did you know Noritz also helps you find a water heater installer?
For many homeowners, this is the biggest hesitation before making the jump to a tankless water heater. Many DIYers feel comfortable handling traditional water heater installation themselves, and it's easy to find handymen who can install a tank-style water heater. But Noritz makes it easy to find qualified installers who specialize in tankless ones – no matter where you live. As a free service to all customers, Noritz will help you locate a qualified professional in your area – someone who has been trained and certified by Noritz and will do the job right.
A Noritz tankless water heater is essentially a small, highly efficient unit that circulates water through a heater as it is drawn toward the faucet. That means that proper water heater installation involves two main things:
Unlike a traditional water heater, a Noritz can be installed in the basement or located elsewhere in the house. It's wall mounted and can even be placed on the outside of the home.
Noritz tankless heaters are becoming more popular because they are more energy efficient, save you more money, and add a new standard of luxury to your home. By connecting you with trained water heater installation professionals, Noritz has effectively taken out the last barrier for the average homeowner.
Are you considering going tankless?
Many homes have hard water flowing through its pipes that contain a high mineral content. Over time, this hard water poses problems in the form of lime scale deposits accumulating on the inner surfaces of hot water heaters, plumbing and appliances causing them to weaken or become entirely non-functional. Repairs, maintenance or even replacement of your appliances due to hard water means a big headache and an empty wallet. Here we will discuss a new, unique system called H2FLOW and how it can be beneficial for homeowners by getting to the source of the problem.
We’ve all seen the unsightly buildup around faucets or in dishwashers, but what can be seen on the surface is no comparison to what may be lurking in the plumbing. This buildup, called scale, will wear and tear typical household appliances and cause them to run less efficiently. H2FLOW is a breakthrough technology created to protect and prevent scale buildup that can ruin and affect the performance of household appliances and even cause safety hazards.
H2FLOW works to convert hard minerals into “soft” minerals that will not stick to plumbing, hot water heaters, tankless water heaters or other appliances. This process is referred to as template assisted crystallization (TAC). H2FLOW even helps reverses scale problems that already exist. The process of conversion of hard water minerals prevents scale from sticking to appliances ensuring that they will remain safe, efficient and in good condition.
H2FLOW is designed to tackle several concerns when it comes down to tinkering with your household water. It is available for all hot water heaters and tankless water heaters regardless the make or model and is environmentally responsible because it contains no harsh chemicals or salts. Installation is a cinch due to the H2FLOWs’ accommodating size and several can be installed parallel to each other depending on household flow rate demands. What’s more is its compact size compared to traditional water softeners takes up a fraction of the space, meaning it will conveniently fit in tight corners and small areas.
H2FLOWs’ unique system that prevents crystals from sticking to pipes and tankless water heaters will have you saying goodbye to constant appliance repair costs and maintenance fees forever. It doesn’t run on electricity and only needs replacement every three years. It works with the homeowner to lower operating costs as a result of extending the life of the hot water heater and other system components. H2FLOW helps save money over time and makes it a practical and preventative solution for homeowners.
When it comes to hot water, a lot of people have a love-hate relationship. Everybody loves the feeling of a nice hot shower, especially on a winter morning. A a soak in a hot bubble bath can be one of the most relaxing experiences on earth. But with most water heaters, you'll often find yourself jumping back when you find out that the water isn't hot yet, even after running for a minute or more – and filling up that bath tub could exhaust your hot water supply completely. That's why more and more people are choosing a tankless water heater.
If you're not familiar with what a tankless water heater offers, it's worth taking a look. Most water heaters have a large tank or reservoir where water is stored as it's heated. This is where most of the problems with hot water come from. The assumption is that you won't need too much hot water all at once, and the tank will be plenty. But in reality if you like long showers or run a dishwasher, you might find yourself left in the cold. The tankless water heater skips the whole problem. It doesn't put a limit on your supply, instead heating water instantly any time you turn on the hot faucet.
Because there's no limit to your hot water, a tankless water heater makes for serious luxury. Many family households might take three, four or more showers a day – often one after another – as well as running the laundry and dishwasher. When you go tankless, this is no longer a mad competition over who gets to go first. Everybody wins.
Going tankless is also good for your wallet. Tankless water heaters are remarkably efficient, designed to heat water in seconds, and only when it's needed. They can be 20% more energy efficient than conventional water heaters, leading to savings on energy bills every month.
The tankless water heater is becoming more popular than ever. Is it time for you to make the switch?
Having instant hot water is no longer a luxury but a necessity in the modern home. Today, it’s more a question of how you get you hot water. Traditional, bulky hot water tanks are quickly being replaced with instant hot water heaters that are tankless. As one of the leading providers of tankless instant hot water heaters, Noritz has been singlehandedly revolutionizing the industry and proving why instant hot water heaters are an imperative feature to every contemporary household.
Gone are the days when you’d have to run the bath for ages, just to get it to a lukewarm temperature. Or those agonizing moments when you’d be standing in the midst of a cozy, hot shower and suddenly you run out of hot water and would be surprised by a torrent of icy cold drizzle. With Noritz instant hot water heaters, you get hot water on demand – giving you hot water instantly rather than wasting energy storing it.
So how does it work and what are the benefits of instant hot water heaters?
Tankless instant hot water heaters work by directly heating up water when and only when you want it. Rather than wasting space and energy by storing hot water in large tanks, instant hot water heaters use no storage tanks and thus, use less space and energy – saving you money while also being green-friendly. It all takes place in 5 easy steps:
So the overall benefits of Noritz instant hot water heaters?
It’s no wonder why Noritz instant hot water heaters are an essential for every modern home and family!
You’re not the only one who complains about their shower.
A new consumer survey, the 2012 Noritz Continuous Hot Water Report, shows that numerous Americans are frustrated by either the lack of water pressure or having enough hot water. Thirty-six percent of respondents complain of slow hot water or the lack of sustained hot water, while 32% reveal that the lack of water pressure is the most annoying aspect of their bathing rituals.
“Increased demand, such as frequent showers or simultaneous use of multiple hot water appliances, places a tremendous burden on conventional tank water heaters, which necessarily have a finite storage capacity to meet demand,” says Jason Fleming, marketing manager for Noritz America. “A properly sized tankless heater, however, will never run out of hot water.”
MEN ARE FASTER BATHERS THAN WOMEN
Noritz polled consumers across the country this summer to learn about their bathing habits and found the majority of us start our day with an eight-minute shower, although many (nearly one-in-three) linger more than 13 minutes.
Meanwhile, some women enjoy spending more than 16 minutes showering or bathing, or almost twice the ratio of men taking that long. In fact, the research found that men are twice as likely to get clean in under five minutes.
ENERGY EFFICIENCY = LOWER UTILITY BILLS
Beyond leaking or otherwise broken units, three in five of homeowners surveyed said that lowering utility bills and saving energy would be primary reasons to replace their water heaters.
Instead of wasting energy and money by continuously heating water stored in a tank-type water heater, tankless technology heats water strictly on demand, so homeowners only pay to heat the water they need. Homeowners can cut operating costs up to 40 percent by shifting from conventional tank-type water heaters to a tankless unit.
You’re not the only one who complains about their shower.
A new consumer survey, the 2012 Noritz Continuous Hot Water Report, shows that numerous Americans are frustrated by either the lack of water pressure or having enough hot water. Thirty-six percent of respondents complain of slow hot water or the lack of sustained hot water, while 32% reveal that the lack of water pressure is the most annoying aspect of their bathing rituals.
“Increased demand, such as frequent showers or simultaneous use of multiple hot water appliances, places a tremendous burden on conventional tank water heaters, which necessarily have a finite storage capacity to meet demand,” says Jason Fleming, marketing manager for Noritz America. “A properly sized tankless heater, however, will never run out of hot water.”
MEN ARE FASTER BATHERS THAN WOMEN
Noritz polled consumers across the country this summer to learn about their bathing habits and found the majority of us start our day with an eight-minute shower, although many (nearly one-in-three) linger more than 13 minutes.
Meanwhile, some women enjoy spending more than 16 minutes showering or bathing, or almost twice the ratio of men taking that long. In fact, the research found that men are twice as likely to get clean in under five minutes.
ENERGY EFFICIENCY = LOWER UTILITY BILLS
Beyond leaking or otherwise broken units, three in five of homeowners surveyed said that lowering utility bills and saving energy would be primary reasons to replace their water heaters.
Instead of wasting energy and money by continuously heating water stored in a tank-type water heater, tankless technology heats water strictly on demand, so homeowners only pay to heat the water they need. Homeowners can cut operating costs up to 40 percent by shifting from conventional tank-type water heaters to a tankless unit.