How to Set Up an Electric Water Heater in 10 Steps

A water heater, specially an electric version, is actually a simple device. However, such simplicity does not actually encompass the installation of an electric water heater. Although installation is far from challenging, it requires a bit of plumbing and electrical work, which is a piece of cake to electricians and not the average homeowner. However, if you want to learn how to set up your own electric water heater, read on to learn the steps to do it.

Step 1: Turn off both water and power supply to the water heater. Power is typically switched off at either the inside or outside breaker box.

Step 2: Empty the water heater completely. Use a hose attached to the drain valve and set open.

Step 3: Once the water is emptied, use a hacksaw or a reciprocating saw to cut across the pipes. Contractors makes sure that they leave adequate pipe length on the wall side to append a pipe fitting.

Step 4: Disengage the power. A small panel normally exists where the electrical wiring enter the water heater. Unscrew the panel and disconnect the wires, while taking note of the wire colors and against which terminals they are connected.

Step 5: Lift the water heater off the pan to remove it. Given that the old tank is drained completely, you should have no difficult task of removing it.

Step 6: The new water heater tank replaces the old one in the same space. It is centred on the pan.

Step 7: The next step involves pipe installation. First, take the correct measurements to decide on the required pipe lengths and also decide on the position of the angles. While cutting the pipe, the pipe ends are dressed with a pipe reamer to eliminate any burrs and unevenness. Sands the pipe ends as well as the interiors of the fittings to allow for effective soldering.

Step 8: The pipes are soldered together. Begin at the water heater all the way to the house pipes. Here are some basic procedures to observe when soldering:

1. All the pipes should be well configured and coated with flux in every joint before you can start to solder.
2. The joint to be soldered ought to be heated well and uniformly in order to let the solder penetrate inside the joint.
3. On one hand, use a propane torch to heat the joint while using the other hand to apply solder to the joint.
4. Allow the joint to cool and inspect it to establish whether or not the solder penetrated all across it.

Step 9: Once the joints are soldered and cooled, open the water valve in order to test for any leakages on the pipe joints.

Step 10: Power on the electricity to the water heater. You can now enjoy hot water inside your home.