5 Common Hot Water Systems Installation Mistakes to Avoid

Your hot water systems installation, whether an electrical system or gas heater is designed to make a steady and reliable supply of hot water for your home.

When performing hot water systems Installation or hot water replacement, there are many small details that are often overlooked and therefore we rounded up 5 common mistakes you need to avoid.

While it may be tempting to attempt DIY for your home water heater, it ideally requires a professional plumber and electrician assistance. Therefore it is best to choose an experienced and vetted plumber like Sydney Plumbing to get the job done right the first time.

Installing Hot Water System? Don’t Make These 5 Mistakes

Many homeowners make common mistakes during installation or replacement that prevent the water heater from working efficiently and at times have catastrophic results, which are hard to modify.

1.    Buying the wrong Sized Hot Water System

Most often, many homeowners buy water heaters that just aren’t the right-sized model for their needs. A typical two and a half shower bath need 50 gallons of hot water, however, based on your needs, choosing the best-fit model will not only help you save a good amount of money on initial and running cost, it will also ensure that you are not left out dry for hot water when you need it the most. On the other hand, buying the too large system, wastes money, water and time. Therefore you need professional guidance on the right hot water system for you.

While the installation is usually easy, water heaters have the highest running cost. Similarly, while solar heaters are expensive, gas hot water heaters are generally cheaper but are often recommended as an option for continuous flows and possible only in locations where you have piped natural gas available.

2.    Soldering Fittings Directly On Top Of The Water Heater

While carrying that water systems installation or replacement, a common D-I-Y mistake is to solder the fittings too close to the tank. To avoid the heat melting the dip-tube or any of the plastic fittings and cause serious damage to the water heater, it is best advised that you unscrew the nipples and solder on the fittings separately away from the water heater.

3.    Incompatible Metal Pipes

Did you know that during a hot water systems installation or when performing hot water replacement, you need to pay close attention to the compatibility between two metal pipes?

The installation of your water heater will relatively be easy if your tank has brass or copper connectors, and the pipes in your house are of copper. However, if the pipes in your house are of galvanized steel, a skilled plumber like those at Plumbing Sydney will always use a dielectric union to prevent these two pipes coming into contact with another and creating an electric and corrosive charge, which in turn could weaken the pipe and result in leaks.

4.    T&P Overflow Valve

Most water heaters come attached with a T&P (temperature and pressure)valve to release high heat or pressure inside your water heater. However, if this safety valve is not installed properly, the water tank may explode or even spray bystanders with boiling hot water if not properly dejected down the pipe. Skilled plumbers at Plumbing Sydney however, go a step further than simply installing the T&P valve, they connect a threaded drain tube to the T&P valve outlet and route the tube to the floor to safely divert any dangerous discharge.

5.    Dry Firing

Once you have installed the water heater or completed gas hot water repairs, it is very important to not turn the circuit on until the heater is completely filled with water. Once your hot water systems installation is complete, ensure to purge out all the air out of the tank by opening the hot water faucet and wait until you get an uninterrupted flow of water. You can then turn the water heater on. It is of critical importance because dry firing the water heater, whether electrical or gas, can overheat and crack the tank, and even damage your heater.

Final Words

You can indeed install the heater yourself using D-I-Y instruction videos but keep in mind to not make these common hot water system installation mistakes mentioned above. It is best advised to hire an experienced plumbing professional like Sydney Plumbing.

Sydney Plumbing is a trusted plumbing company for all your commercial and residential maintenance like hot water replacement, gas hot water repairs and more. Our expert team has worked on high-rise residential and commercial, supervised Olympic precincts during Sydney Olympic Games. We provide well-trained plumbers with a combined total of 46 years of experience and reliable support services.