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Plumbers: Back Then, Today, and Tomorrow

When talking about any profession, most people tend to focus on the here and now. That's understandable. it's really important to know what's going on in the present tense. But you are missing out on some vital information if you never read and learn about the history of a profession. This applies to plumbing, in particular. You can really further your understanding of the profession by knowing how it began and what changes have been made over the years. That's why we sometimes reference the history of plumbing on this blog. We'll also dive into the future of the profession from time to time because, after all, you have to know where you're headed.

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Plumbers: Back Then, Today, and Tomorrow

What To Consider When Installing A New Hot Water Heater At A New Location

by Madison Dean

Do you need to have a new hot water heater installed in your home and feel like this is a great opportunity to move where it is located? If so, you'll need to consider the following things to ensure the job goes smoothly.

What Kind Of Water Heater Will You Install?

The kind of hot water heater you install will play a lot of factors in the entire process. Are you also using the opportunity to upgrade from electric to gas? Will you be going from tank to tankless? It's definitely something that you want your plumber to know from the start since it can change the entire installation process. For example, you may need to run a gas line to a part of the home where there is no existing gas line, requiring a more complex installation. 

Will The New Hot Water Heater Have A Direct Vent Or Power Vent?

One of the reasons that the old hot water heater was placed where it was may be due to how the water heater vented. For example, there may have been a direct ventilation line that went to your chimney, which means that the fumes naturally traveled up a ventilation pipe to leave your home.

If you are moving the hot water heater, it may not require a power vent to get those fumes out of your home because there is no nearby chimney. This often involves putting a PVC pipe through the side of your home and using an electric-powered fan to push the fumes out.

Even if you have a gas hot water heater, this will require that there is electricity nearby for the electric-powered vent. This can lead to additional installation costs that you do not expect to run an electric line and limit your hot water heater in ways you did not realize. For example, while your direct-vent hot water heater would operate even if there was a power outage, a power-vented hot water heater will require electricity to run no matter what.

Do You Have Galvanized Plumbing In Your Home? 

You'll likely not want to run galvanized steel pipes to your new hot water heater, even if the only one was connected with these pipes. That means you need to evaluate what pipes you'll run to the new location. Will you use copper or plastic PEX pipes? If you use copper, you'll need a dielectric fitting where the two materials join so that the copper pipes do not become corroded. 

Contact a water heater installation contractor to learn more.

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