Electric Hot Water Heater: Installation Guide!

It’s undeniable that the demand of hot water will increase significantly during winter season. And as well we know, in line with technological developments, there are now also available a lot of choices to produce hot water, and one of popular choices is by using electric hot water heater. Some people say it is safe heating appliance since it uses electric energy as source power and therefore there is no Carbon Monoxide as well as like if we use other heating appliances that use gas or oil as source power. However, in fact heating appliances can result serious risk accident if users ignore on how to operate and maintain those appliances properly.

Moreover, the installation is also the vital step that must be concerned carefully. Wrong installation is not only will make the unit work improperly and inefficiently but also can result high-risk accident that can be so harmful for you and your family! For electric hot water heater installation, you must have adequate skill for plumbing and also have adequate knowledge about electricity. If you are not sure to do the installation by yourself, it is better to contact and hire a professional HVAC contractor. Below are pieces of basic information on installing electric hot water heater:

1. First, make sure you have sufficient electrical power to run the unit. To get more detail information about how much the high electrical power that must be covered, each unit of electric hot water heaters usually has the specific level of electrical power level that you can find in the box or casing of the unit or in the manufacture’s guidelines. For standard size, it is around 30-60 A and 220/240 V! Or you can upgrade the electrical power of your building if necessary. But it is better to consult and discuss with a licensed electrician in your local area before upgrading the electrical power.

2. The unit must have a platform to protect it from flooding & also to make easily drain access! For the platform, you can use 2 cinder blocks! And then try to slide the unit on top of those blocks.

3. For the required length & cold water, take a look at the copper tubing and then cut it properly. Use a steel-wood pad to clean or rid one end and then apply flux to pipes & a female ‘adapter-fitting’. Then take fitting and slide it onto end of tubing properly.

4. Then solder the female ‘adapter-fitting’ to the copper-tubing & the -male end of a -union onto other end. Take a look at the Teflon tape and then wrap it around thread of pipe nipple on top of the heater unit. You can use a wrench to make sure all in the right place strongly and tightly!

5. Solder a short piece of piping and add it to the union! Don’t miss a ball valve, install it properly! Take away the pressure relief valve & temperature! Take Teflon tape and add it to the threads & reinstall it!

6. Well, the opening points should be toward the room floor. Around 3-4 inches above the room floor, from the relief-valve try to solder on a length of pipe!

7. Take a look at the cover plate (it is usually located on top of the unit) and then remove it carefully. There is usually a knockout and it is usually located above the cover plate. You can use screwdriver & hammer to pull out a knockout. Take a look at the conduit connector and then put the threaded end of it into the hole of the knockout. Don’t’ miss the connector nut, tighten it as well.

8. Now, consider the electrical wires! Feed them through conduit –> connector –> and the tank! Put on the conduit to the connector. With wire nuts, join or connect the wires that have white color to other wires that have same color. Repeat the same procedure for black wires!

9. For additional information, you can read in the manufacturer’s instructions for the proper installation.

10. Finally, now try to turn on the power and check the heater running properly or not!

Image source: Waterheaterny.Com

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