Things To Consider Before Installing A New Hot Water Heater

Few homeowners have to deal with water heater replacements unless they have owned their home for many years. If you've never had a water heater fail on you, then you might not know what to expect from a new hot water heater installation. When your hot water heater starts acting unpredictably, it's time to consider having a new one installed. Here are some things to think about leading up to the installation.

What Size Water Heater Will You Install?

Perhaps one of the biggest decisions that you need to make is what size hot water heater you're going to install in your home. Think about how your current one has performed and whether or not it has met your needs. If it's produced sufficient hot water for your family's needs and your hot water demand isn't going to change in the foreseeable future, a tank the same size would be sufficient.

However, if you have frequently run out of hot water, you may want to consider taking this opportunity to install a larger hot water tank to expand your hot water supply. In fact, you might even want to consider a tankless hot water system to eliminate the storage tank and meet your family's hot water demand with ease.

How Will You Drain The Old Water Heater?

For hot water heaters that have burst, you obviously don't need to worry about draining the tank before you install a new one. However, most hot water tanks will be replaced before they fail completely, and most are replaced before they burst. That means having to drain the water from the water tank first before you can install your new one.

You'll need to have an outlet to drain the water into. Consider investing in a hose long enough to run out a window or into a nearby sink. Connect the hose to the drain port of the water tank, open the port, and let the tank drain completely before you try to remove it.

Will You Seek Professional Installation Services?

Many homeowners enjoy taking on repair, replacement, and improvement tasks on their own. However, there are certain jobs that you shouldn't do around your home by yourself. Installing a new hot water heater is one of those tasks. Any time you're dealing with both electrical and plumbing, it's in your best interest to have a professional install it.

Planning for professional installation when you buy your water heater will give you the peace of mind that your water heater and the plumbing connected to it are installed safely and properly. You may even find that you have an installation guarantee so that any problems resulting from the installation will be addressed right away.


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