Selecting a Replacement Water Heater

[mcp6453]

My State Industries electic, low profile, 40-gallon, six-year water heater is almost 10 years old. I'm going to replace it before I have a failure.

Are the water connections on the top of the unit standard spacing? I'd like to install the replacement without having to do any plumbing. The spacing appears to be the same as the ones I've seen at Lowes, but it's really hard to tell for sure. The water heaters at Home Depot were in cardboard boxes, so I could not see the connections.

Are the State units any better or worse than others?

[casey]

Chances are you will have to do plumbing. I have a Bradford White, and had to do plumbing on it, even tho it was a 40 gal, just like the previous Bradford.

You didn't say if it's gas or electric, if gas, maybe more plumbing.

I'll tell ya, where I work, they have a 13 yr old State, which was rated as a 9 yr. I do believe I may go with State, my next time around.

I think the engineers sit there and think, how can we piss off our residential customers. So they will make things 1" shorter or taller!

[Percival P. Cassidy]

In some places it is *required* to have flexible water connections to the water heater, and even if it's not required it's probably not a bad idea. If you have flexible connections there shouldn't be much of a problem even if the connections on the new heater aren't exactly the same as the those on the old one.

Perce

[Jon Danniken]

Aye, flexible is good. Get the corrugated copper ones, and make a mandrel out of something to bend them around (like a round post or 3"-4" pvc/abs pipe).

When you buy them, make sure you get the ones that haven't been "pre-bent" by bored customers.

Jon

[Oren]

I use this type. No corrosion and NOT a leak in 5 years.

[Steve Barker]

Has anyone ever looked at the inside diameter of those flex hookups for water heaters? I won't use them just because they are tiny inside. Even the biggest ones i've looked at are only 1/2" inside. Kinda voids out all the 3/4" plumbing, doesn't it?

[Tony Hwang]

Hi. Last time when tank was replaced I used corrugated copper ones. Swell job.

[Jon Danniken]

I bought one of those for my recent installation, but I didn't use it because it kinked when it was bent (so did the stainless-jacketed version as well). Probably wouldn't make a difference in the application, but I didn't like that.

I also didn't trust it, as it stated it didn't want to be exposed to a constant (IIRC) 115F (although there are stainless steel jacketed versions without that warning), and I feel a lot more secure about using the corrugated copper sections.

I'm sure they work fine, though, or they probably wouldn't sell them with the cold water heater supplies, but my inner plumber made me get the copper bendies instead.

Jon

[Tony]

Dang! Did you wash and wax the heater before taking the pictures? They come out of the box dirtier than that!

[Robert Neville]

That was my issue with them. Hooking up a water softener for a relative and didn't want to break out the torch, so I thought I'd use water heater flex lines. Ha! Anything more than a vanity faucet running would max out the capacity of the line. Ended up sweating the connection.

[Tony]

I was doing a job for a friend and the new heater was about 1.5 inches taller. The bad part is that almost immediately after attached to the old heater, the hot pipe had a T in it so I couldn't just cut the pipe and raise the fitting. There wasn't an easy fix (I should have taken a picture). I ended up making a double U up and down to the new heater. Sure wish I would have known about those flexible hoses, although I don't think there was enough clearance for the bottom hose or pipe to flex enough without a kink anyway.

Must be something about trailers, my house trailer has one flex copper pipe, and an old camper trailer had the same thing but the local plumbing supply at the time said they never saw one. (the old one in the camper had froze and burst before I bought it).

[hallerb]

upside down U sss are ideal heat traps. heat only rises, saves some energy.

solid copper is a bit more work but does help support the tank.

i have seen tanks with flexible lines rock easily just by touching. motion might cause a flex line blow out

[mm]

You guys and hallerb make me feel better about my using non-flex. It's really not that hard, and the only times I've ever sweated pipe are the 2 water heaters.

[Oren]

If the heater rocked when touched, I think there would a problem other than flex lines. Our code now requires an "earthquake" strap. I skipped that step for now..

See: SharkBite® Flexible Water Heater Connectors

"Commercial or residential connections using copper, CTS CPVC and PEX."

Spec sheet:

Maximum pressure . . . . . . . . . . 200 psi Maximum temperature . . . . . . . 200°F (93°C) Service . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Potable water

[clare]

If you want a water heater that YOU will not need to replace again, get a stone-lined tank. Conservatively rated at 25 year lifespan. But DON'T drop it!!!!

[hallerb]

self installs are rarely code compliant. a good friends husband used the flex couplings the heater can easily rock, he didnt bother putting a line on the TP valve, saying it wasnt necessary. major scald issue, the TP points toward a hallway of sorts in the basement

a real hack job that could hurt his family

[Oren]

Seems like your friend did a hack job, if the heater rocked easily - regardless of flex lines?

All I lack is an earthquake strap. I'll put one on one of these days.

In the mean time flex lines mentioned above work fine. I know youse guys in Philly do things different.

The Op is absent, but he wanted to avoid sweating/cuttin' copper on a unit. Flex will work!

[mcp6453]

It sometimes takes a day or three, but I read every response to each post I make. This newsgroup is fantastic. It has a wealth of information. Thanks.

[Oren]

Actually, my thanks. We never hear from many posters, here. They post and run off.

[Percival P. Cassidy]

I replaced our WH earlier this year, using flexible connections. No rocking that I can detect, but I'm sure it wouldn't hurt to add an earthquake strap. But what do I strap it to? The original WH was not up against a wall, and I put the new one in the same place. I guess I could install a stud between a joist (unfinished ceiling) and the floor and strap the WH to that. Comments?

We're in the Midwest.

Perce