Replacing Gas Water Heater

[CluelessHomeowner]

We had no hot water on Christmas Day today. There's a leak inside furnace area of the water heater so the flame will die out after 2-3 minutes or so. I'll ask for quotes tomorrow from home depot and costco.

I looked up guides and videos and it looks simple enough.. except for the TP valve mounted on the top for my current water heater. All the gas water heater at the stores have the TP valve on the side instead of the top.... I guess i have to cut and reroute it ?

This is the first time i'm replacing a gas water heater. I could use some tips/advice. I would like to do it safely.

Thank you for the assistance.

https://imgur.com/rdRfiN5

 

[CT-18]

I would suggest you contact a licensed plumber if you are not experienced in doing it yourself. If your new one doesn't match the existing openings you will need to change the water, the exhaust flue piping and possibly gas piping.

 

[CluelessHomeowner]

I found the manufacture date for the water heater. March 2006. so about 10 year and 9 months old. It will last longer if i replaced the anode rod sooner. I didn't know anything about water heater until last year so it was already too late by the time i replaced the anode rod...

This will cost $1600 for labor just to replace a water heater? it sounds like price gouging to me since it's not that hard to replace the water heater...

 

[voletl]

Does seem high in price. But if its so simple to change a water heater do it yourself.

 

[CluelessHomeowner]

I got a quote from costco's contractor. $1200 to replace it with AO Smith 50 gal 40,000 BTU 10 year part and 2 year labor.

 

[voletl]

Sounds good to me.

 

[SHR]

First, replacing a natural gas fueled water heater is NOT a SIMPLE job. $1200 is a good price. $1600 is typical in my area.

 

[CT-18]

Price i believe is largely based on your location. When i worked service back in 09 the price was around 800. I know prices of heaters have gone up dramatically since then. Back then companies could get them from wholesalers for around 350, not anymore.

I would suggest getting someone who knows what they are doing like a licensed contractor. I know that when you go thru Home Depot that is not always the case, they use a lot of handymen. I am not sure how Costco does it.

 

[jeffmattero76]

I don't see the gas connection, and I don't know your DIY experience level, but changing out a water heater is, in my opinion, a fairly easy DIY project. I just did one last week. The cost of the water heater was $405, and the supplies added another $50 or so to that cost. Takes about 2 hours. Here is how I do it.

First, turn off the water feeding the heater. There should be one of the cold water inlet line, but, if not, you will have to turn off the main valve supplying the house. Then, hook a hose to the drain of the old water heater run the hose outside or to a floor drain, and open that valve. Then open the upstairs valves in the sinks and tubs to allow air into the pipes, which will make the water heater drain more quickly. Note the height of the existing water heater and akso the size of the pipes connected to it. Go to the store and buy the new water heater, 2 shark bite water heater flex lines (either 1/2" or 3/4" depending on the size of your supply pipes), cut the copper pipes feeding the water heater. Roll the old heater out and the new one in. Connect the shark bite flex lines to the copper stub pipes that you previously cut by pushing them on, and screw them to the top of the new water heater.

If the gas line was piped with black pipe, I add a 3 inch nipple to the union near the ceiling (after the gas isolation valve supplying the water heater), remove and reuse the "tee" of black pipe connected to the old water heater regulator, add another 3 inch nipple to the top of that T, and then connect the two nipple with a yellow stainless gas flex line. For the piping from the T&P valve in your situation, you would use a male adapter connected to the T&P valve and the pvc piping out through the wall.

Good luck!

 

[SHR]

I do not condemn "Sharkbite"-brand fittings BUT never use flexible braided water heater supplies from any manufacturer. On most installations the insides disintegrate and you will soon find small black specks of plastic in your water system. I have replaced dozens of them for homeowners who are besides themselves due to the unknown foreign material in their drinking water. Good money for me, bad for the homeowner who claims they saved money on the install...

 

[jeffmattero76]

I do not condemn "Sharkbite"-brand fittings BUT never use flexible braided water heater supplies from any manufacturer. On most installations the insides disintegrate and you will soon find small black specks of plastic in your water system. I have replaced dozens of them for homeowners who are besides themselves due to the unknown foreign material in their drinking water. Good money for me, bad for the homeowner who claims they saved money on the install...

I have never experienced that problem in my own house, nor in any of my rental properties. I wonder the deterioration you are referring to has anything to do with the incoming water quality. The flex lines in my own home have been in place for about 10 years without any issues.

 

[CluelessHomeowner]

I got the new heater up and running :

I spend about 1 hour on the gas line though.. keep failing the soapy water test.. the bubbling stopped after I used this. Is it ok to use this on the gas line ?

https://www.homedepot.com/p/RectorSeal-T-Plus-2-4-oz-Teflon-Pipe-Thread-Sealant-23631/100201204

The TP valve will drain to the outside for my house so i need to do some solder to direct it to the outside. I'm new at this soldering stuff I did a really horrible job from the look of it...

I cleaned the end of the pipes with sand paper, add a thin layer of flux at the end and use map to heat it up and then apply solder

they will not stick together for some reason + I'm wasting too much solder

Please help ?

 

[voletl]

I can tell by just looking at the picture you posted that that pipe was not cleaned. You have to clean the ends of the pipe until they shine bright you must clean the inside of the fittings until they shine bright.

 

[jeffmattero76]

If you are going to solder, do as vole to stated and clean the outside of the pipe using sandpaper or a wire brush cup ( in the plumbing aisle of the big box store ), then use Flux on the inside of the fitting and on the outside of the pipe. Put them together, and heat the fitting (not the pipe). Once it it hot enough, move the flame off of the fitting and apply the solder. You should see the molten solder sick into the joint slightly. Allow that to cool and you should be good.

You could also have done this using pvc pipe, and pvc fittings, which would have been far cheaper than copper, but it's a little late for that now.

As far as the Rector seal is concerned, you SHOULD use that on the pipe thread ends of the yellow flex fittings, but SHOULD NOT use it on the flared ends of those fittings. To be clear, I am referring to the fittings that came with the yellow flex line.

 

[jeffmattero76]

If you are going to solder, do as vole to stated and clean the outside of the pipe using sandpaper or a wire brush cup ( in the plumbing aisle of the big box store ), then use Flux on the inside of the fitting and on the outside of the pipe. Put them together, and heat the fitting (not the pipe). Once it it hot enough, move the flame off of the fitting and apply the solder. You should see the molten solder sick into the joint slightly. Allow that to cool and you should be good.

You could also have done this using pvc pipe, and pvc fittings, which would have been far cheaper than copper, but it's a little late for that now.

As far as the Rector seal is concerned, you SHOULD use that on the pipe thread ends of the yellow flex fittings, but SHOULD NOT use it on the flared ends of those fittings. To be clear, I am referring to the fittings that came with the yellow flex line.

Also... the gas line should have a drip leg going into the regulator ( that squarish box near the bottom of the water heater where you adjust the water temperature. Search Google for "drip leg gas" and you will see what I am talking about. That is very important to keep condensation and debris out of that regulator. It is simply a tee and 3 nipples and a cap on the bottom nipple. All of those joints need rectorseal. Then your yellow gas flex line will hook to the top nipple coming out of the tee.

 

[CluelessHomeowner]

If you are going to solder, do as vole to stated and clean the outside of the pipe using sandpaper or a wire brush cup ( in the plumbing aisle of the big box store ), then use Flux on the inside of the fitting and on the outside of the pipe. Put them together, and heat the fitting (not the pipe). Once it it hot enough, move the flame off of the fitting and apply the solder. You should see the molten solder sick into the joint slightly. Allow that to cool and you should be good.

You could also have done this using pvc pipe, and pvc fittings, which would have been far cheaper than copper, but it's a little late for that now.

As far as the Rector seal is concerned, you SHOULD use that on the pipe thread ends of the yellow flex fittings, but SHOULD NOT use it on the flared ends of those fittings. To be clear, I am referring to the fittings that came with the yellow flex line.

It didn't stop bubbling without the pipe sealant though... is it ok to do this ? I've decided to use new water supply lines and gas line with the new heater. Oh!. also the compression fittings instead of soldering.. I'm not good at soldering + i like to just screw on and off so it will be easier the next time i need to change the anode rod or replace the existing heater

old vs new

 

[jeffmattero76]

It didn't stop bubbling until without the pipe sealant though... is it ok to do this ?

old vs new

On the gas valve side of that silver fitting it is OK to use rector seal. On the side of the silver fitting that connects to the flex line it is not okay to use the rectorseal. Again, that silver fitting is regular pipe threads on one end (use rectorseal on those threads) and the other end of that silver fitting is flared, and you should not use rectorseal there. Also, when tightening, use two wrenches. One to hold the existing and one to tighten in the new.

 

[jeffmattero76]

Also, you need to install the drip leg described above.

 

[CluelessHomeowner]

On the gas valve side of that silver fitting it is OK to use rector seal. On the side of the silver fitting that connects to the flex line it is not okay to use the rectorseal. Again, that silver fitting is regular pipe threads on one end (use rectorseal on those threads) and the other end of that silver fitting is flared, and you should not use rectorseal there. Also, when tightening, use two wrenches. One to hold the existing and one to tighten in the new.

so this is not ok ?

I think the thread was worn so without the sealent it will leak. Do I need to rplace gas shut off valve too then ? It means i have to shut off the gas at the meter for the job or is this something only my gas company can do if you need a new shut off valve ?

Does Phoenix Arizona require drip leg?

 

[jeffmattero76]

I can't see what the threads on that gas valve look like. If the end of the gas valve had regular pipe threads, it is fine to use the rectorseal. If the end of the gas valve had a flared thread, then it is not OK to use rectorseal.

Anyone can change a gas valve. Turn off the gas supply at the meter by moving the arm perpendicular to the gas pipe. Then go back inside and replace the valve. Make all of your connections, and then turn the gas back on.

As far as the drip leg is concerned, I have no idea of Arizona's laws. I, however, would NEVER install without using the drip leg. It catches any junk and any condensation that might come in thru the gas supply. And the cap on the end of the bottom leg provides an easy way to bleed air out of the gas line when needed.