replacing water heater
 

I need to replace my water heater. Have been limping it along by replacing components, but when the basement floods, it’s time.

It is an AO Smith FPSH50 50 gal gas power vent model. I ordered the AO Smith model that is supposed to be a direct replacement, the GPVT50 50 gal gas power vent model. Supposed to be same gas pipe diameter, same water pipe diameter, same PVC vent pipe diameter. The new one is about 4” taller so I may have to rework the PVC vent pipe a little.

Any tips on replacing a water heater? Just a matter of unstrapping and disconnecting the old one, putting the new one in place, reconnecting and restrapping, and maybe reworking the PVC vent pipe?

Any non obvious precautions when working with gas? The supply valve is right by the water heater and is shut off.

Any little things to do, to help the new ones last longer? The current one lasted 20 years, I’d like to get that long from the new one. Our water is very soft.

I don’t love doing this stuff but the “water heater repair” companies all want $3-4K and I’m not going to pay $1.5-2.5K over the price of the replacement heater. I’m already paying $1.4K to get the heater tomorrow from a local place instead of $1.0K to order it online; I figure supporting a local place and not having to wait 1-2 weeks is worth it. Big party on Friday so would be nice to have hot water for dishwashing etc.

Fortunately my neighborhood is having a “cleanup” next month so for a $100 donation I can get rid of the old heater. Places charge $500 to haul these away!

P.S. Do these this really weigh 200 lb as stated in the specs? Doesn’t seem possible, just a sheet metal tank ...

Trying to figure out if I need to recruit a buddy to help move it into the basement.

A few tips.

1. You need to drain current tank assuming it didn't all leak out. Attach a garden hose to the drain valve . Make sure incoming water valve is closed . Run hose outside and open the drain valve . Slowly open the expansion valve normally on top of the heater . Open some hot water taps in the house this will help empty hot water pipes .

2. Once the tank is empty disconnect all plumbing and gas line and vent pipe .

3. At this point you should be able to move/remove the tank .

Clean up the area and do any maintenance needed like paint or anything you couldn't do because the tank was in the way . Then start the new install . Gas pipe use good pipe sealant and make connections tight . Same for water connections . Good luck

Wow, 500 to haul away a heater? That's nuts....in addition to the above, if you have copper pipes, use dielectric unions to connect to the tank.

Siht, 3-4 k to replace water water? I am moving up to Portland. We charge 400-450 bucks labor plus heater. I don't do water heaters, but will do it s part of the construction package but I will change out heater for the nice old lady in my hood.

You will be very lucky to get your new heater to last longer then 15 years. Avg life span for new heaters is 12-13 years. unhook everything and reinstall. Bleeding air out of the gas line is the most painful. Its a long boring wait of 45 seconds to a min. Change out the old gas line.

Access good into basement? I only had to install a few heaters in my entire life. One of them is for myself and others for my parents. I use a hand truck. The trick to carrying it into place is to do a bear hug and pick up that way. My plumbing can do it all by hid lonesome self lifting it that way.

500 bucks to haul away a heater? Siht, I thought construction was expensive in LA, damn. We leave it out on the curb and the recycling guys in their Sanford and Son truck will snap it up in no time. Normally we just have plumber take it back to plumbing supply and dump it there. Its free, they recycle it.

Don't forget to check your gas line fittings with soapy water after install.

You should get around 10$ for it from the scrap yard.

They're simple to replace. Might need a longer gas line. My did, and only Lowe's carried it.

Burn the lining out and make a smoker out of the old one!

They are glass lined, hence the weight.

John,
I have a utility trailer you can use and take that to the scrapper for free.

You got this. It is very simple. I have done many.

Why not get on demand and get rid of that ancient contraption?

If it has a PVC vent it's a HE unit.

Want the 50 gal water for earthquake . . .

Insane. I live in a big house in a nice area. Water heater companies come here and they think I'm loaded and stupid. I've had 3 come over the years, same result. Each time I've waved them goodbye and found a way to fix the unit. Refuse to give those crooks money.

Thanks and if you don't hear from me again, something went wrong with the gas part.

Use a regular hose to drain it, not an expanding one, with the pressure off the expander will dribble until it 'looks' like it's all empty. BTDT, made a mess.

If your gas line doesn't have a turn off valve at the water heater. You'll have to turn it off at the meter. Gas co will turn it back on when you're ready and make sure you don't have leaks.
The soap water is standard and is in the directions. I'm not sure on the plastic vent, I always go with metal

Soapy water? You guys don't use a lighter or match to test for leaks?

Now that's a guy who been around a few old timers. I used to do that. AS they say, for reals. My guys have the fancy green liquid for that but I still light a match and take my torch to it. They used to freak out when I do that

When I lived in San Jose years ago, we used an off duty fireman to install a new water heater. Overall good Plan I think. Especially of yours is below ground? Ours was in garage.
Lots of earthquake / fire safety considerations.

Luckily there is a valve right by the heater

there should be, code requirement

A match won't catch a very small leak. You need the soapy stuff and some patience. I connect welding hoses all the time and the soap plus watching the gauges over a period of time tells me whether I'm good or not.

Not to mention that the potential for danger is always present. Yeah, old timers did some crazy siht and I'm an old timer.

When I was really little we had an old plumber that was going to do some work on an old WH that didn't have a temp and pressure release valve. It burst nearly driving him through a wall. It was boiling and making steam. He lived but he was a mess.

We've come a long way since then safety wise.

Success, I think. New water and gas flex lines. Home Depot doesn’t carry pipe dope anymore so I used the thicker yellow “teflon” tape designated for gas fittings. Modified the 2” PVC vent, it takes a straighter path now. Filled, no gas leak per nose and soapy water, blower started, burner ignited, status light is making the appropriate blink pattern, and now waiting for hot water. Took about three hours. Restrapping to the wall was actually the fiddliest part.

I set to 130F because everyone complained about the 140F I used before.

Although this is supposed to be the direct replacement, AO Smith swapped the hot and cold inlets. No idea why. Bored engineer? Noticed it on the pre-flight check.

Thanks everyone. That’s $000s the ripoff Water Heater companies didn’t get!

AO Smith has never “swapped” hot and cold feeds to the heater??? I install AO Smith daily and have been for 23yrs. Care to share a pic of the top of heater?

It’s always hot left cold right this is an industry standard across all brands

Maybe the water heater had to be rotated to position the pipe connections correctly ?

California thing? Must only cause cancer in CA as it's available here.

Just a warning if you used the stainless braided flex lines for your water connections, the internal rubber lining will eventually break down and you’ll get little black rubber particles in your hot water. Took me a while to figure it out, I went back with hard copper tubing.

Yeah - my bad, combination of water heater orientation, late night, and general stupidity.

There was a “kit” at Home Depot, corrugated stainless steel tubing, one blue and one red. There was also corrugated copper tubing for water heaters, like what I had before. I got the kit because the colors were pretty ...