A lot of home owners take pride in their ability to do just about any kind of plumbing work or repairs around the house, and water heater installation is no exception. Some plumbing work or repairs, however, are best left to people who are actually skilled, experienced and licensed to do it. Water heater installation is one of those plumbing tasks that need the expertise of someone who actually does it for a living.
The primary motivation for many home owners who go the DIY route to install water heaters is to save money, which is not a bad thing at all. More often than not, however, home owners who opt for DIY first when installing a hot water system end up spending more than originally planned because the work they did fall short of standards, therefore requiring a professional plumber to fix things up.
If you need more reasons why water heater installation should always be done by professionals, read on:
Water heater installation is more complicated than you think
Removing an old water heater and replacing it with a new one may sound easy enough, but nothing can be farther from the truth. When doing water heater installation, there are a lot of steps that you have to follow to the letter. Miss any of those steps, and you’ll end up having an improperly installed hot water system that could also pose a danger to your home.
For instance, many home owners who install water heaters themselves take short-cuts, such as neglecting to properly pipe a pressure relief valve to the outside. If it’s an electric heater, it could easily short out, which could damage the heater and put you in a risky situation. If it’s a gas water heater and it’s incorrectly vented, it can pose a fire danger to your house.
To make sure that your hot water system would not be damaged, cause damage and pose a hazard to your family, it will always be best to leave water heater installation to the professionals.
City and state code requirements for a hot water system
One thing about building codes is that they are almost always changing, and it’s perfectly understandable. Technology, after all, rapidly changes and affects all aspects of life, home plumbing included.
The question is, are you aware of the most recent changes in the building codes of your city and state? Can you honestly give yourself the assurance that your water heater installation will be in accordance with city and state code requirements? Keep in mind that when you install water heaters and they end up not being up to scratch, you are legally bound to make them right. That means you will have to bring in professional plumbers to make sure that the job is done correctly this time and follows the updated building codes.
Professional plumbers, by the way, are of course aware of any floor and ceiling clearance requirements, venting allowances, proper gas line sizing and other requirements stipulated by local building codes. It is their job to know after all.
Come to think of it, when it comes to water heater installation, you will ultimately save more money if you hire a professional plumber straight away. Call us if you need help to install water heaters, and we’ll be there for you the soonest we can.