Water heaters are essential to obtain uniformly heated water for bath and other domestic use. There are plenty of water heaters available in the market with variations in sources of fuel like electricity and gas. The main problem with the majority of the water heaters is the tanks they come with, that store heated water. These tanks are ugly and bulky, they are not convenient for use in small cramped up bathrooms and are difficult to install. The bulky water heater tanks spoil the look and feel of your bathrooms and have now become outdated. So we recommend you to switch to the new technology of tankless water heaters.
Now it may be intimidating to install tankless water heaters, that is why today we are going to learn how to install electric tankless water heater that is available in the market.
Steps to install tankless water heaters:
- The first step in installing a new tankless water heater will be to remove your old water heater. Before you start the removal of the old water heater it is essential to turn off all the water and gas or electricity sources connected to it to ensure your safety and avoid leakages. Then you can proceed with dismantling the pipings and tank of the old water heater and cutting off the unnecessary pipings.
- Drain the excess water from your old water heater tank and discard it with the help of a local recycling company.
- The next thing that you need to do after removing all the old heater parts is to measure the water and gas or electricity pipe connections needed for the new one. You will have to install a new gas line in case you do not have one or you can use a T-joint and install a flexible gas pipeline.
- You can check the heater manual instructions to fit the new gas and water lines and solder them together, and use bell hangers to fix them on the wall, this will make it easy to apply insulation. Check if you need to place an expansion tank near cold water intake, this will be required if your water system has a check valve.
- Clean all the pipes properly before soldering to avoid rusting. Once all pipings are in place choose a location to mount your new tankless water heater. The location should be such that the heater can be easily vented outside.
- Mount a wooden frame on the desired location to mount the tankless water heater, the size of the frame will depend upon the size of the heater.
- After the heater is mounted on the wall, connect the gas and water pipelines using the shut-off valves. Check for leakages from water and gas pipes and make sure there are none. Bleed the gas for some time if needed. After you check all the leakages again turn off the water and gas supplies until the heater is completely installed.
- Drill a one-inch vent hole in the wall outside the water heater and connect the vent pipe from the vent hood to the vent hole using screws and silicone for sealing. You can also use PVC pipe for venting instead of metal ones.
- Insulate the hot water outlet pipe of the water heater and check all mounting and plumbings. The heater is ready for use so plugin and turn it on.
- Follow the startup procedure mentioned in the instructions manual while using the heater for the very first time.
- Turn the heater on full hot mode to remove trapped air in the heater and its pipes, and then turn off the water faucet. Turn on the gas supply and the heater is ready for use.
- Do look for the light indicators while using the heaters to ensure safety and overheating.
Benefits of using tankless water heaters
Tankless water heaters are compact and efficient, no matter whether you are going to connect them to electricity or gas supply they are compatible with either source. The tankless water heaters can also help you to reduce your energy bill by 70% as compared to your regular water heaters, giving you better energy-efficient home. The installation of tankless water heaters is easy and quick and does not require any special skills. So go ahead and switch to the tankless water heater!
