Common Water Heater Install Improvements

When we replace water heaters we often make some basic improvements to the install for easier maintenance and better protection from future leaks. Here's a quick rundown of the changes we made in this install.

Expansion Tank Relocation

We moved the expansion tank to a location that is more accessible for checking and managing air pressure and installed it in a way that is properly supported. Your expansion tank should match your house water pressure in order to properly act as a buffer. If your expansion tank fails, it will fill up with water and turn into a 20 lb weight which can cause a break if it is not properly supported, like hanging in space on the end of a copper or plastic pipe.

Reliable Shut Off Valves

We also added 1/4-turn brass ball valves to both the hot and cold water lines. These valves are more reliable than gate valves and adding them to both lines allows for full isolation of the tank if needed in the future.

Gas Line Sediment Trap

A gas line sediment trap was added to catch debris before it enters the water heater.

Drain Pan & Line

The drain pan and drain line will catch and route any potential future leaks to a less hazardous location.

Optimal Sizing

And since there was plenty of space to accommodate a larger tank, we also upgraded the tank from 40 gallons to 50 gallons to give the home more available hot water.