Water heaters are not valuable home appliances that will charge you some amount to get their installation in your home. For getting hot water in your home, one needs to install water heater in their homes. One can expect the lifetime of an electric water heater to be 10 to 15 years. In an electric water heater, there is a heating element that heats the water and thus you get the hot water for bathing. The thermostat controls the heating element that is present outside of the water heater.
If you are not satisfied with the service of your old water heater, you can just replace it with the new electric water heater yourself. To replace the old electric water heater or install the new heater, you may require two things such as
- Electric Wire Line
- Cold-Water Supply Line
This article will cover the procedure to install an electric water heater. The article provides you with all the necessary information such as
- Positing the new heater
- Getting the electrical lines connection
- Adjusting the heating element or thermostat
Table of Contents
Caution
Before you start doing the water heater installation, ensure that you turn off the water. Additionally, the power supply coming to the water is also turned off at the main circuit connection.
Before Installing an Electric Water Heater
- Before buying the new heater to replace the old one, you need to check the size and energy specifications of the old tank. Water heaters that are manufactured after 2015, are best in meeting the new energy code requirements. Thus, the tanks are coming with an insulation capacity to meet the needs. Thus, the water heaters are bigger in their structure when compared to the prior models.
- Check the area where you are going to fix the new water heater. If your old heater was before 2015, then you need to check the specifications of the new water heater. The new one must fit in the current space.
- It is better to consider the tankless electric water heater for having greater energy efficiency. In such a model, it will just heat the water rather than store it in a tank. In the case of a point-of-use electric water heater, heating the water happens closer to the tub, sink, or appliance where to be used. This helps to reject the waste. So, you can place it either in a kitchen or a bathroom. You can even contact a plumber to fix the water heater.
1. Drain the Tank
- The first step is to turn off the breaker that controls the water heater. Then, you need to turn on the nearest tap to allow the hot water to run until you are getting the cold water.
- Once you got the cold water, you need to stop the water supply to the water heater.
- Now, you can empty the tank by connecting it with a hosepipe. You can store the water in buckets or use it for other purposes.
2. Disconnect the Electric Supply and Water Lines
- Here the first step is to disconnect the power supply and then disconnect the wire from the heater’s thermostat using a screwdriver.
- Sometimes, your old heater may have dielectric unions at the tank’s top. In such a case, you need to disconnect both hot and cold water supplies.
- Then, remove the pressure release valve and overflow pipe from the old heater using a pipe wrench. Now, remove the old water heater
3. Level the Water Heater and Install a Pressure Relief Valve
- For having easy access to the thermostat controls, you need to fix the water heater at a proper level. Use a plastic shim or some level to fix the water heater at the right height.
- Now, launch the pressure relief valve but never use the old one that you got from the old water heater.
- After wrapping threads several times using Teflon tape, you need to thread the valve onto the tank.
- Ensure that you tighten the valve and then, thread the copper discharge pipe using the same tape.
4. Install the Heat Trap Fittings and Water Line Connections
- Here you need to fix the fittings of the water heater in the right direction. So, the blue-coded fitting should connect the cold-water inlet while the red-coded fitting should connect the hot-water outlet.
- Now, you need to tighten the connection using a pipe wrench and cut the extra-pipe lengths. Cool the copper fitting before you are installing it onto the heat trap fittings.
- Finally, apply the flux to the pipe and fittings and allow them to solder using a propane torch. You need to reconnect the water connection line to the water heater.
5. Filling the Tank
- Here you need to open the shut-off valve for allowing the water into the tank.
- Check for the steady flow of water by checking at the highest floor’s faucets.
- If there is a change in the water pressure, you need to check and remove the sediments.
- When the tank is filled, you need to close the faucets.
- Now, check for any leaks in the new water pipe connections at the heater.
- Use a paper towel or your finger to check the leaks. If there is a leakage, drain the tank and repeat the above procedure once again.
6. Connect Electrical and Adjust Thermostat
- Based on the manufacturer’s instructions, you need to connect the electrical supply.
- Ensure that you are giving the proper ground connection of the water heater.
- Use a new electrical access plate and remove the thermostat access plate.
- Using a screwdriver, you need to change the thermostat temperature setting in terms of a 10-degrees increment. You can go for the 120-degrees.
- Once, you reinstall all the access plates with a proper electrical connection, you can turn on the circuit breaker to get back the power.
Conclusion
If you are not aware of water heater installation, you can get the help of a professional for easy installation. The above procedure helps those who want to replace the old heater with a new one in their homes.
Also read: Tankless Water Heater Buyers Guide
