Time for a new HWT, looking for advice to make sure I get it right

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Twowaxhack said:
I’ve taken apart dissimilar metals ( galvanize and copper ). That have been in service for 60 yrs that had no corrosion.

Everyone starts crab walking when real life parts and pieces get thrown on the table to inspect. They either don’t believe it or talk about why for 4 hrs…..
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Then I take it that you don't use dielectric unions OR dielectric nipples, and that you lied when you said you "had good luck in my area with 3/4” x 6” brass nipples into the tank" based on your experience of a 60 year old corrosion free galvanized to copper pipe connections? 🤣
 
I have the tank and pretty much all the necessary materials.

Two things of slight concern. How to size and hook the gas back up and I don't like that that tank sits flat on the concrete of my basement.

Old and new tank gas valve won't perfectly match up, I think I'll need to contact a plumber or someone who can make some custom sized nipples to tie everything in place together. Any other suggestions? Hunt the shelves at Home Depot? Piece something together with smaller nipples and couplings until I get the size I need? Something bendy, like that yellow stuff? (not sure how I like that for a permanent install)

Next. Should there be a thermal break with feet between the bottom of the tank and the concrete? Airflow? (old is raised, new is not)
 
I believe in my country HW heater needs a metal drain pan it sits in as I had bought plastic years back and plumber sent me to get a metal one. Drian pan helps keep crap away from burner inlets as well. And since my HW is in my garage it needs to be like 15 inch's off ground. And I put a water sensor in the drain pan so if it leaks I get notified. Leaned the hard way years ago.

1654870367059.png
 
It can sit directly on the floor, no problem.

Flex lines are my preferred way to connect gas appliances.
 
Canada may be a little better on local code, but in the US, many cities and counties have instituted additional requirements for water heaters. My county requires a permit to change out a water heater, and therefore a final inspection, and it doesn't allow a flex line for the natural gas connection to the water heater. And the engineer in me likes the peace of mind of a hard piped connection anyway.

But you don't want to have a mishmash of multiple fittings to get the hard piped connection. As you don't have pipe threading dies, and if your local code doesn't allow flexible gas connections or you don't want to use one, you will likely need custom cut nipples. A couple of our local hardware stores will cut and thread pipe. But assembling threaded pipe connections has some nuances that unless you have experience with, it may not be something you want to tackle. Making sure the fittings go together without forcing them and ending up with the correct geometry that avoids stressing the connection to you water heater yet allowing for some movement is important.
 
Earthquake areas love flex lines. And if they work in an earthquake , why wouldn’t they work any place ?

Flex lines are CSA approved and are used All over Canada. 👯‍♂️🫣

Gas flex lines are approved for use in New York City and the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.

I’m trying to find out just where they’re not legal…….💁
 
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The only place I’ve found where a gas flex line isn’t legal is Chicago.

It figures the most corrupt and one of the most dangerous city’s in the US would prohibit a gas flex. 🤣🤡

The union controls that city……uh huh. That’s why they don’t accept them IMO.

Here’s a company in St. Louis Missouri that has a flex line on a water heater on their webpage. 🤣
https://www.academyair.com/plumbing...stallation-replacement-cost-near-st-louis-mo/
76331627-212C-4EE2-954A-26505F374036.jpeg

Follow your local codes as you see fit, you’re responsible for what you do…….
 
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Appliance type flexible water heater gas connector is not a permitted type of installation in Illinois.

Many St. Louis area urban cities also have their own ordinances that are over and above the codes they have adopted.

And as I said, "But assembling threaded pipe connections has some nuances that unless you have experience with, it may not be something you want to tackle. Making sure the fittings go together without forcing them and ending up with the correct geometry that avoids stressing the connection to you water heater yet allowing for some movement is important."
 
Requiring water heaters to be hard pipe is the stupidest code I’ve come across.

I’d love to stand face to face and tell them they’re idiots for enforcing it.

I’probably end up with a horse head in my bed. Or Beetlejuice, the Mayor of Chicago would jail me 🤣

The next best thing is sending them an email, so that’s what I’ll do 🤡

Missouri is earthquake country…..they’re pretty ignorant too……I‘ll fire their state board an email also if they have a state board.

🤣😍
 
In California, gas fired water heaters in a garage must be mounted on a pedestal 18" off the ground to protect from low lying gas fumes. I don't understand that hard pipe for gas appliances. Who can install hard piping behind a gas stove?
 
havasu said:
In California, gas fired water heaters in a garage must be mounted on a pedestal 18" off the ground to protect from low lying gas fumes. I don't understand that hard pipe for gas appliances. Who can install hard piping behind a gas stove?
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Or a dryer…….

The trade unions control that. It’s nothing about safety, it’s about money and control.

In Biloxi, Ms they practically had to write a new plumbing code book to build the casinos. They broke so many building codes I couldn’t count them all.
 
We use to hook it all up with soft copper and flared joints. In fact, I still do on many occasions. Copper is approved material here.
 
Twowaxhack said:
Or a dryer…….

The trade unions control that. It’s nothing about safety, it’s about money and control.

In Biloxi, Ms they practically had to write a new plumbing code book to build the casinos. They broke so many building codes I couldn’t count them all.
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That's what is funny, only water heaters are required to be hard piped, not stoves or dryers. The only reason I can think of for that is what Twowaxhack said, "The trade unions control that. It’s nothing about safety, it’s about money and control." A normal DIYer probably doesn't have the ability to provide a safe hard piped installation in a water heater replacement unless the replacement is an exact match. So, a licensed plumber is required for the replacement.

When I installed my first gas dryer in my house in 1976, I did exactly what Twowaxhack said he does at times, "soft copper and flared joints." Been solid for 46 years and 4 or 5 dryers, I can't remember. That was before my city was incorporated and decided to exert their control over homeowners.

Unions and overstepping government, two entities that imped improvements in homes because of ridiculous rules and ridiculous permit requirements!
 
Enforcement varies from place to place.

They go through the motions around here. I’ve seen homeowners tell the inspector to get off their property.

Could inspector take it to the next level ? Probably but they don’t because the mayor and DA won’t back them up. So the building department leaves with their tail tucked. 🤣🤡
 
Not in my community, sorry to say. Cease and Desist orders are common for home projects without proper permitting and inspections.

For one of my $650M industrial projects, I hired one of the country's largest healthcare contractors as my general contractor. They perform projects across the United States, Florida to Washington, Maine to California. I'm not sure about Alaska or Hawaii, LOL. At the time of my industrial project, they had a 10-story business building project in my community. They said my community was the absolute worst building department with which they have ever had to deal.

We have great city services, and great community amenities, just a lot of power-hungry local politicians.
 
I heard in Massachusetts if you have a water heater BOX in front of your house the code Nazi’s will literally knock on your door and ask to see your water heater.

How do you think that would go over at my house ? 😳
 
Twowaxhack said:
I heard in Massachusetts if you have a water heater BOX in front of your house the code Nazi’s will literally knock on your door and ask to see your water heater.

How do you think that would go over at my house ? 😳
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I would guess 9mm or 12 gauge, whichever is closer to you when they knock. 🤣
 
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