Get your hot water flowing again in no time
Having running hot water is practically a necessity for everyday living. From bathing to laundry and dishes, the need for hot water on demand is high. When your water heater malfunctions and breaks, it can cause a serious headache.
If you don’t want to wait for a water heater contractor to install your new water heater or pay the cost of a plumber, you might be tempted to replace it yourself. While you can DIY this project, it is not a simple task. It involves complicated steps that can be hard to complete if you don’t have the proper plumbing experience.
We recommend letting a water heater contractor near you replace your water heater, but if you’re looking for instructions on how to install an electric water heater yourself, keep reading.
Before installing a new electric water heater, you should do a few things to ensure a smooth process.
Check the label on the old tank for size and energy specifications. Water heaters manufactured after 2015 require tanks to have more insulation, which can result in larger tanks.
Measure the area where you’ll place the water heater to verify how much space you have to work with. Make sure you know what size of water heater you need before you measure.
Check with your local community or town regarding plumbing codes, ensuring your installation complies with these requirements.
It also helps to gather all of your materials and supplies before getting started. Since you’ll be taking up quite a bit of space where you’ll be installing the water heater, you want to make sure you can easily reach everything when you need it.
Choosing the right placement for your water heater is essential for proper operation. You want to make sure that you have enough space with access to water and electrical connections, and that everything meets local building codes. Generally, if you’re replacing an existing electric water heater, you should be fine to use the current location.
However, you want to make sure that you have at least 6 inches of clearance on all sides of the water heater for proper airflow.
You’ll want to turn off the electricity at the main circuit breaker or fuse box. To really make sure it’s off, use a voltage tester to verify there is no current flowing. This step is extremely important for safety reasons, and if you’re unsure that the electricity to the water heater is off, do not proceed.
To drain the old water heater, you first want to turn on the nearest hot water faucet and let it run until the water runs cold. This makes it much easier and safer to fully drain the water heater without worrying about burning yourself.
Next, you’ll want to turn off the water supply to the water heater using the water shut-off valves, which are typically color-coded (blue for incoming cold water, red for hot outgoing water). Using a garden hose, you can empty the tank into a floor drain, sink, or bucket by attaching it to the drain valve. From there, you can open the drain valve completely to let the rest of the water flow.
If you have a tankless water heater, you can skip this step. This is one benefit of a tankless water heater vs. a heat pump water heater.
After the water heater is completely drained, disconnect and move it out of the way so you can make room for the new one. First, grab your screwdriver and disconnect the wire from the thermostat.
Next, disconnect the overflow pipe and pressure relief valve. The overflow pipe can be reused if needed, so be sure to keep it, but discard the old pressure relief valve and do not reuse it. From here, you can move the old water heater out of the space. It can be heavy–even without the weight of the water–so have someone or a dolly nearby to help with the heavy lifting.
It’s unlikely that you’ll store your old water heater in your home or garage for too long—you’ll probably want to dispose of it sooner rather than later. Check with your waste management or recycling company for information on how to properly discard it, as it most likely cannot go out with your normal trash.
If you plan to have a local water heater contractor replace your old unit, they should be removing it as part of their service. It’s best to double-check with them to ensure this is the case so you’re not left with any surprises.
The final step in removing the old water heater is to clean the floor it was placed on, especially if the new unit will be in the same spot. Working with a clean floor, free from sediment and debris, is the best way to set yourself up for success.
After clearing out the old water heater, you can place the new water heater in the location you chose in Step 1. To make it easy on yourself, you want to position the water heater so you have easy access to the thermostat controls so you can adjust the temperature as you’d like.
Once in place, use a level to ensure that it’s not off balance. If it’s not level (floors tend to shift), use plastic shims to balance it out as needed.
Next, install the pressure relief valve onto the new unit. If, for some reason, your new electric water heater did not come with one, you’ll want to purchase a new one from a hardware store— it’s important not to use the one from the previous tank. Be sure to wrap the threads of the T&P valve with Teflon tape before putting the valve on the tank.
The discharge pipe should be no more than six inches from the floor. It’s important to note that if there is no floor drain under the pipe, place a bucket underneath the discharge pipe to catch any dripping water—after all, you don’t want that accumulating on your floor.
Once you’ve gotten this far, it’s time to install the heat trap fittings and water line connections. Consult the manufacturer’s instructions to correctly connect the plumbing supply lines using solid or flexible copper pipes.
For the heat trap fittings, you’ll need to wrap the threads with Teflon™ tape and install the blue fitting into the cold-water inlet and the red fitting into the hot-water outlet. Remember that these are typically directional, so the blue fitting should have the arrows facing the water heater, and the red fitting should have the arrows pointing away from the water heater.
Connect the water supply pipes to the openings on the tank using pipe fittings and Teflon tape to ensure a tight seal. Tighten all fittings with an adjustable wrench, being extra careful not to overtighten the fittings.
At this point, you’re ready to fill your water heater to get it ready for use. You’re almost there! First, open the cold water supply shut-off valve. This lets water into the tank. To check that your water heater tank is as full as it should be, turn on a few faucets in your home. If you have a steady flow of water, congratulations—your tank is full!
If you notice that you have decreased water pressure in your faucets, remove the aerator on the faucet and give it a good cleaning. Switching out an electric water heater can cause sediment and debris to become unsettled. When you turn on the water, it can become trapped at the faucet.
After a while, turn off the faucets and check the water heater for leaks. You can use a paper towel or rag to see if any water is leaking around the fittings. If water is leaking, you’ll need to drain the water heater, take off and reconnect the fittings, and try this process again.
Connecting the electrical water heater wiring should only be done once the tank is full; otherwise, you might cause the heating elements to burn out.
Follow the manufacturer’s instructions to connect the electrical supply to your water heater. Since the exact steps can vary based on the model, it’s important to defer to the written steps appropriate for your water heater to ensure proper operation and installation.
Ground the water heater by connecting the ground wire to the ground screw. You can change the thermostat temperature in 10-degree increments by using a screwdriver. While the recommended temperature is 120 degree Fahrenheit, you can set it higher or lower–whatever you prefer.
Once you're done with your electrical connections, reinstall all access plates and turn the circuit breaker to the water heater on.
It’s not uncommon to want to do DIY projects to save time or money—especially if it’s for something you need ASAP. However, some projects should be left to a professional, and this is one of them.
Water heaters use many of your home’s most important systems: electric, heat, and plumbing. While Google and YouTube can help you become an expert in just about anything, some DIY home projects, like installing an electric water heater, should be done by a licensed and experienced pro. A mistake made during your installation can be dangerous. It can also impact the efficiency of your system and your future utility bills.
The cost of a water heater replacement varies from $850 to $1720, plus an additional $150 to $450 in labor costs. While this might seem high, you may end up spending more if you have to hire a professional to fix any of your DIY-project mistakes.
The average cost to repair a water heater is around $598. This is a lot to pay additionally, when you could have hired a pro from the start. Plus, with professional installation, you will likely receive some type of warranty on the installation, and the product.
Unless you have previous plumbing experience or extensive experience with water heaters, you should avoid replacing your electric water heater yourself. This process involves disconnecting wiring and parts from the old water heater and reinstalling them onto the new one, among other difficult tasks. This job is best left to the pros to make sure that everything is connected correctly to avoid serious leaks or malfunctions.
The amount of time it takes to replace an electric water heater will depend on the skill level of the individual who is replacing it. For example, if you replace it yourself–and you don’t have much experience–you can expect the project to take a full day.
However, if you have a certified plumber or water heater contractor install your new water heater, it can take as little as 2 to 3 hours.
A water heater is one of the heaviest hitters in your home, and it needs as much power as possible to help it run efficiently and effectively.
Your water heater should be on its own dedicated circuit breaker, with no other power sources running to it. This is required to meet the National Electric Code–and to ensure it runs as efficiently as possible.
Standard electric water heaters (about 40 gallons) typically need a 30-amp circuit breaker. But if you have a newer model, a tankless water heater, or one that’s more energy efficient, you’ll likely need a higher amperage to power it.
Having the right size circuit breaker for your water heater is an important part of making sure it heats water efficiently and runs safely. A licensed electrician can help you navigate your options, and determine what you need for your new water heater.
