Do you know that tankless water heaters are 24 to 34 percent more energy efficient than regular units? This is according to a study done by www.energy.gov.
Tankless water heaters offer longevity, less time to heat your water, less maintenance, easy installation, and enhanced safety.
If you want to reap the above benefits, read the following guide to learn about the installation process of a tankless water heater.
All you need to do is follow these steps to install a tankless water heater to provide your home with and endless supply of hot water:
- Decided on a type of tankless water heater
- Initial screening and permits
- Shut off gas, electrical, and water supply
- Drain and remove the old water heater
- Install a new water heater
- Install vent
- Connect water lines
- Final verification and testing
The good news is that the installation process of a tankless water heater is convenient if you follow the below-mentioned steps carefully.
Also, the manufacturers provide detailed instructions and other required installation parts to facilitate the installation process.
Types of Tankless Water Heaters
You can find the following two tankless water heaters available on the market.
- Electric tankless water heater - It’s an indoor water heater that doesn’t require an exterior vent. However, you need to plug the water heater into a 240-volt power supply.
- Gas-powered tankless water heater - the gas-powered water heater requires a vent to the outside. Also, you need to connect it to a 120-volt outlet.
Initial Screening and Permits
Before installing the tankless water heater, you should understand local building codes.
Most municipalities and apartments have strict laws regarding the installation of gas or electric tankless water heaters.
Shut off Gas, Electric, and Water Supply
To ensure your safety, you must shut off the circuit breaker before you start the installation process. Next, you should also turn off the gas supply to prevent leakage.
Finally, turn off the water supply if you don’t want to flood your home while replacing the existing water heater tank.
Drain and Remove Water Heater
If you don’t have any existing tank-type water heater, you can skip this step and proceed further. For this purpose, you need the following prerequisites:
- Container or bucket
- Hose
- Screwdriver
The first step is to close the water heater valve; however, if you can’t find it, you can simply turn off the main water supply. Now, open the hot water outlets throughout the home to remove the water from the tank.
You can also open the pressure valve to collect the water from the tank in a container using a hose.
It’s time to remove the connecting pipes, old wires, and other wall-mounting brackets using the screwdriver. However, be careful not to damage the existing wiring and pipes.
Once the water tank is empty, it’s time to remove the water heater after shutting off the gas line.
To minimize mess while removing the tank, you can place a bucket under the water connections to collect the water left in the pipes.
Install New Tankless Water Heater
Hassle-free installation is one of the most significant reasons behind investing in a tankless water heater. Similarly, you can find all the mounting hardware and wall brackets in the water heater box.
All you need to do is follow the instruction manual with the water heater.
You should drill holes in the wall to mount the water heater, keeping in view the following essential points:
- Always mount the tankless water heater near a power outlet.
- You should position the heater near water and gas lines.
- It’s recommended to mount the water heater in an accessible area for future maintenance.
Install Vent
Connecting a vent while installing the indoor gas tankless water heater is essential. For safety and reliability, you should install stainless steel vent pipes to remove excess heat from your home.
There are following two types of vents:
- Direct-vent unit - You need to drill two holes, one for the exhaust vent and the other for the intake vent.
- Power vent - Unlike the direct-vent unit, the power vent requires a single duct.
You can consult the tankless water heater instruction manual to distinguish between the above vents. Lastly, ensure their joint seals are tight between the duct, tube, wall, and the heater unit to prevent any leakage.
Connect Water Lines
It’s an important step where you must install the water lines to distribute hot water within the home.
The tankless water heaters come with two connections:
- Inlet - This connection intakes cold water and passes it to the central heating unit.
- Outlet - The hot water comes out of the outlet to be further distributed throughout the home.
We recommend using stainless steel pipes for water distribution because they can withstand higher temperatures. Alternatively, you can use PVC and copper piping fitting if you are on a budget.
Due to the complicated nature of this installation, it is best to seek the help of a professional if you don’t have a full understanding of electrical wiring, gas or plumbing code.
Final Verification and Testing
If you have installed a gas tankless water heater, the last and most crucial step is to connect the gas pipe.
It’s a tricky process, so it’s best not to do the connections yourself; instead, you can hire a professional to make the secure gas connections.
Next, open the water valves and faucets in the home to check the water supply. However, you don’t need to turn on the electricity and gas supply at this stage.
If the water flows from all the faucets, congratulations, the water heater is installed correctly without disrupting the complete connection.
Now you can check for gas leaks before turning on the supply. Finally, connect the water heater to the power outlet to test the water pressure and temperature.
Always Go for Reliability
If you want to save storage space by installing a tankless water heater, it’s best to call the experts. Lucky for you, Dignity Plumbing offers reliable water heater services for instant water heater installation and other repair services in Las Vegas.
Dignity Plumbing guarantees long-term customer satisfaction by offering exceptional installation services. Also, they take pride in their team of highly-trained professionals having years of experience installing and repairing all types of water heaters.
You can rely on Dignity Plumbing for the following services:
- Quality installation and repair
- Guaranteed satisfaction
- Long-term cleaning services
- Exceptional customer services
- Quick online booking
If you reside in Las Vegas and the surrounding areas, you can call Dignity plumbing or submit an online query to schedule an APPOINTMENT today.