One of the most common home repair jobs that need doing is installing a hot water heater. It can be very difficult if you don't know anything about hot water heaters. It is actually rather easy to install a hot water heater by yourself. As long as you read all of the instructions it shouldn't be that much of a problem. You need to make sure that you can do this task before starting, being left without hot water is not a fun time!



The very first thing which you need to do is remove your old hot water heater. This isn't actually that difficult, you do however need to be very careful. Chances are your heaters tank will still be full of very hot water. You should first disconnect your heater and then drain the water from the tank. You may have to hunt around for it but you should find a drainage valve somewhere. If you are using a gas heater take the cover off and make sure the pilot light is not lit. If all is ok remove the heater and cap the gas line.

You should now take the water pipes out from the heater, remember that the water in these will still be hot, so you must be careful. You might need to use pipe wrenches to remove the pipes, this shouldn't take very long because there are normally only two water pipes which need to be disconnected. The old heater can then be lifted off the wall and discarded. You must check your states laws as many of them dictate how to dispose your old heater.

Once you have finished removing the old unit then you just need to fit the new one. Use a dolly to move the hot water heater, you don't want to risk damaging it. There are very delicate parts which are inside which can be damaged if the heater is subjected to any shocks. You should put your heater where it is going to be located so that the pipes will reach it easily. If you're using gas to power the heater then you will need to make sure it is connected carefully so that there are no leaks.

Next you should connect the hot and cold water pipes, hopefully you won't need to reroute the pipes and they will fit in the right place. Take a look in your user manual so you can find out where the connections go.

You need to look in your user manual so you can find the relief system. The pressure and temperature system are very important parts of your hot water heating system. This relief system automatically releases any excess heat and pressure so that your boiler doesn't explode.

The last thing you need to do is connect your hot water heater up to the electricity or gas line. Read the instruction manual so you know how to do this.

If you are careful and follow the instructions then you should be able to do this successfully. It was much easier than , I can tell you from experience. It's not really that difficult a job, it's possible for anyone!