Tankless Water Heater Installation: Common Problems, Suitable Alternatives, Required Components, and Detailed Procedures
The Tankless Water Heater: Always Hot Water When You Need It
When you turn on the hot water faucet, the tankless system just heats the water you need, rather than heating the entire tank. Unlike conventional water heaters, tankless models only heat water as needed. “On-demand” water heating is another name for this method.
Though initially more expensive, tankless water heaters typically recoup their higher upfront cost within three to five years through reduced energy bills.
Plus, the biggest benefit of a tankless water heater is that it never runs out of hot water. Get a size that can keep up with your anticipated need for hot water.
The maximum BTU output for a tankless water heater is 200k. They can heat up to 9.5 gallons of water per minute, which is more than enough to keep two or three faucets or appliances running (even a shower) at once.
There are even larger models that can heat water for an entire home. There are also more affordable “point-of-use” types that are designed to provide hot water to a specific place, such as a restroom. These compact devices are easy to hide away in a closet or cupboard.
How to install a gas-powered, condensing tankless water heater is detailed here. Since condensing units are more energy-efficient, we’ve decided to install one.
Fueled by Gas or Current?
To properly vent a gas-powered appliance, you’ll need to drill two holes in the wall or climb onto the roof and attach two PVC pipes. There is also an electric variety that needs no air circulation at all. If you want to utilize an electric unit, you’ll need a 240-amp circuit to plug it into.
It is likely that you will need a permit from the local building department, and if so, your finished work will require an inspection to ensure that it was installed in accordance with the applicable codes.
Choose the Appropriate Area
Make a decision on where you want to put the unit. It is recommended that you install it close to your existing water heater tank. The unit must be positioned in close proximity to both the main cold water supply pipe and a hot water pipe that supplies the house’s sinks, showers, and appliances.
A gas line must be installed because of the unit’s fuel source. Vent pipes must be installed either through the wall or the ceiling. You will need to put up an electrical outlet if there isn’t already one in the area. To reduce the amount of work required to relocate water and gas lines, place the new water heater as near as possible to the old one’s location.
Materials & Equipment
You’ll need the following equipment and supplies to set up a tankless water heater:
Thermostat-controlled tankless water heater.
Screwdriver and hole saw bits for the drill.
Tools: – Channel-type pliers – Pipe wrench – Tubing cutter – PVC pipe saw
Firestarter (propane) Spirit level
Power sources and gadgets
Piping Straps
Nuts and Bolts
Priming and cementing using PVC
– Roof jack or a vent termination kit.
Copper water mains
Flux and solder
Pipe drugs and black gas pipes.
Water and gas supply cutoffs.
Today, we’ll be installing a gas-powered condensing unit.
Two vent pipes are needed for condensing units, but only one for non-condensing units. Outside the building, vent pipes must be slanted downward. Gas, cold water, and a hot water line all have their own connections and valves to enter the house. After setup, simply plug the item into a standard 120-volt wall outlet.
Tankless Water Heater Setup Instructions
Make sure you put the unit in the right spot.
Put the water heater somewhere so that maintenance won’t be a hassle. Keep the unit away from anything that could catch fire. Use the provided brackets to safely install the unit on a wall, and make sure to screw into studs. Use masonry screws or lag screws with shields if the wall is made of brick or stone.
Identify potential airflow and exit routes.
Draw up a map of where the air intake and vent pipes will go. These pipes need to go outside in a code-compliant place, and if they do so via a wall, they need to be far enough away from windows and eaves. Next, primer and cement are used to assemble PVC pipe fittings. Place the condensate drain fitting on the air intake pipe where it will be most practical to lead the drain tube to a floor drain.
Bring the drains outside.
The piping should now be routed outside. Make a tiny downward slant in all horizontally-run pipes, and use straps to brace pipes. To get the pipes out of the wall, you’ll need to cut two holes, slip on inside flanges from a “termination kit,” and then pass the pipes through the flanges. Screw a termination cap onto the exterior. Caulking the seams is a must.
Rooftop ventilation
It may be necessary to run the pipes up and over the roof if venting through a wall is not an option. All horizontal runs must have an upward slope in this situation, directing the condensed water back into the water heater. Using a Y-fitting, connect the two pipes in the ceiling of the attic. Install an adjustable roof flashing, cut the pipe to the required height above the roof, and finish it off with a cap that meets building codes.
Join the pipes for the cold water supply.
The cold water connections should be made now. Do not use heat to sweat copper pipes or fittings attached to the tankless water heater to avoid damaging the heater’s internal components. Get the valve servicing kit that corresponds to your machine. Prior to connecting the components, a cold water shut down valve must be installed. Join the sections that use cold water. Copper pipes that have been sweating need to cool off. The valve on the unit must be linked to the pipe.
Check it by filling it with cold water and looking at it.
Run cold water through the machine for a few seconds to ensure smooth operation by opening the appropriate valves. Turn off the water supply to the water heater and clean the filter within. If there is a lot of trash lying around, do this again and again until everything is clean.
Join the rest together
You can now attach the remaining components of the service valve kit, such as the second hot water shutoff. A relief valve must also be set up. The pipe connecting the relief valve to the floor drain has to be extended. Then, connect the unit’s drain hose to an existing floor drain or utility sink.
Hook up to the home’s hot water supply.
Join the device to the supply of hot water. You should install a drain valve so that the fluid may be removed before servicing the unit. Similar to the cold water line, copper pipes, and fittings should not be heated while attached to a heater.
Get the gas turned on.
Finally, you can connect the gas. Install a gas shutoff valve close below the device using a black gas line to collect sediment. The next step is to put in a union, which will make future pipe disconnects and maintenance much simpler. Join the remaining tubes together. Incorporate a nipple for vertical drip irrigation. The next step is to switch on the gas and use a leak-detecting solution to check for any problems.
Join the Thermostat Together
Join the thermostat’s wires together. To manage the water heater from a more convenient position, connect the two-wire thermostat cable and run it there. Now you may pass the cord through the thermostat’s plate and mount it to the wall. Then, secure the wires to the thermostat’s back plate. Close the cover now.
Try Out the System
Please check the water heater now. Reconnect the machine to its water source and its power source. The new water heater requires that you locate the breaker that controls it. An electric spark ignites the gas in the water heater whenever there is a strong demand for hot water, such as from a faucet or an appliance.
Change the temperature settings.
Now it’s time to set the thermostat. Close all the water and gas shutoff valves to the water heater and adjust the temperature as directed. While lowering the temperature will reduce energy expenses, keeping the water at least 85 degrees Fahrenheit is recommended to prevent the growth of harmful bacteria.
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