December 06, 2016

How To Install Tankless Water Heater

Tankless Water Heater Installation For Dallas Homeowners

Whether you have a large family or several house guests in for the weekend, a tankless water heater will give you all the hot water you need, and then some. You can wash clothes, bathe the kids, and still have endless hot water for a shower.

Installing a Tankless Water Heater

I think tankless heaters are great for saving on gas bills, especially in smaller homes. In some cases, however, you might be better off choosing to install a good old-fashioned water heater. Those cases may include:

Large homes. A single tankless water heater will have trouble supplying an endless stream of hot water over the area of a smaller home, but a hot water tank can supply more sheer volume of heated water at a time for larger homes. A large home can still go tankless, but more than one unit may have to be installed to cover “zones” of the house, driving installation costs up.

Modification issues. Some homes may not have gas lines large enough to comfortably accommodate the larger volume of gas a tankless unit needs, meaning that we’d have to install a new gas line to feed the unit. This isn’t necessarily a big deal, but in some cases it could require extra work. And there might be other issues involving adding a new electrical outlet, roof vent pipe, et cetera.

Water heaters have their good points. They last for many years with proper repair and maintenance, and as I mentioned they can supply a large volume of heated water for large homes. But they do force you to keep your burner going continuously, and gas isn’t cheap. Ultimately you must choose the most cost-efficient solution for your specific needs.

Here’s how to install the heater:

  • Measure and cut your copper pipe.
  • Burr and polish the pipe, then apply flux to it and the fitting.
  • Dry fit the copper pipes to ensure a tight fit.
  • Pre-drill the holes for the expansion anchors and secure the pipe clip in place.
  • Sweat the plumbing joints by heating the ends of the pipe and soldering together.
  • Install your black iron gas piping with a shut-off valve and a dirt leg at the water heater. Use Teflon tape on the pipe threads.
  • To install the vent piping, make sure the outlet is kept away from windows, doors and ventilation air intake hoods.
  • Most tankless water heaters require disconnect switches, which should be installed next to the water heater.
  • Run water through the unit before powering it up.

Benefits Of Tankless Water Heater

Saving money and energy are usually among the top motivators for individuals who choose to make the switch to a tankless water heater. Households that use less than 41 gallons of hot water each day can benefit from improving their energy efficiency by up to 34 percent with a tankless water heater. Call us for your home service and repair needs.

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