When your home is ready for a new water heater, it’s easy to think that you can install it yourself. While not incredibly complicated, there are definitely problems that can arise which can make the “simple task” anything but. While following all of the directions that come with your new system (and turning on YouTube every now and then) can help, there’s still a chance that you’ll have to deal with some serious issues.
- Accessibility. Depending on where your water heater is located, installation can be a real nightmare. In some cases, water heaters are hidden in homes, which isn’t an issue until it comes time for maintenance or replacement. Unfortunately, sometimes water heaters are placed in homes improperly, like not being on a solid wood floor in an attic or not having enough access to reach the power switch. If you find that your water heater is difficult to access, don’t try to do the installation yourself. Call a professional on our team to help you navigate the process and come up with an effective solution.
- Leaks. The process of installing a water heater lends itself to water leaks. Because you’re working on connections at the hot water outlet and cold water inlet, you will sometimes experience leaks or drips once the installation is complete. If you can tell where the leak is coming from, you can usually tighten the connection to stop the leak. Sometimes, however, leaks can be caused by broken fittings around the TPR valve, which will need to be professionally repaired.
- Dry Fires. Even if your installation seems to have gone perfectly, there’s still risk involved. If you don’t get water filling back into the system before reconnecting to electricity in order to use your hot water heater, then you run the risk of causing a dry fire. To avoid this hazard, make sure you open a hot water faucet inside your home and allow it to run for at least 3 minutes before restoring the power to your new hot water heater.
If you have questions about installing a new hot water heater or if you run across problems during your own installation, be sure to call our team! Our experts are here to help you every step of the way!
