Installing Plumbing For Tankless Water Heater

Plumbing

Step-by-step for installing an electric tankless water heater

Installing your tankless water heater close to the old water heater will minimize plumping work. The heater box and plumbing should be easily accessible and to have the most efficiency should have a short run to your most used faucets.

Measure how much hot and cold water pipe you will need and how many elbows. You can use flexi pipe to match up the tankless water heater with the new piping. These come in lengths between 12 and 24 inches.

You should have a shut off valve on both hot and cold supply. It’s optional but these come with a small drain plug in the side and an arrow showing flow direction. This is handy if repairs are needed. The hot water cut off valve can be used to regulate GPM. Some locales require a pressure release valve be installed.

A few words about joining pipes.

To put together your new plumbing you have two choices.

1) Plumbing - Compression fittings
Compression fittings- this is very easy way to work with copper pipe, but more expensive. The difference being that standard elbows are about $.75 and compression fittings about $7.00.

To construct, cut pipe to length, clean any burr with sharp end of pipe cutting tool. Make a couple of passes with the pot scrubber around the ends of the pipe. Wipe clean and inspect that inside is clean of debris. Mark ¾ inch from ends and, with a twist, push fittings to the mark.

Threaded fittings need about 4-5 wraps of Teflon tape. It’s really that easy.

If you need to take a connection apart and you don't have a release tool, you can substitute a small wrench or plactic grip from a hose repair kit. Press the plastic compression ring in while pulling the pipe out.

2) Plumbing - Sweating
Sweating - is the term used when copper piping is joined with solder. To do this requires a small torch, lead-free solder and flux. For instructions on sweating joints, refer to a good how-to book. Or go to
http://www.popularmechanics.com/home_journal/how_to/4213319.html

Of course, you can use a combination of these two techniques.

TOOLS TO HAVE
Pipe cutter
2 Adjustable wrenches
Channel grip pliers
Ruler
Compression release tool
Felt tip pen
Green pot scrubber
Teflon plumber’s tape