Hello, my name is Lelani O’Malley. Welcome to my website about keeping your plumbing system in great shape. When I bought my first home, I was shocked to learn that it was built in the early 1900s. Another shocking discovery awaited as I learned that the plumbing system remained from its original build. Upon learning those facts, I dedicated my time to learning how to keep that system in great condition. I developed this website to bring that knowledge to you as well. I want to help all my readers maintain their existing plumbing system for years to come. Thank you for coming by.
Inlet In, Inlet Out: The Simple Installation Process Of A Tankless Water Heater
With the exception of having to remove a traditional water heater, the installation of tankless hot water heaters is quite simple. In fact, you could easily install a tankless heater in the same area where your old traditional tank heater once stood. Just to get an idea of how easy this process is, take a look at the following.
The Mounting
The tankless heater is the size of a small microwave, if you were to flatten the microwave slightly against the wall. It is also commonly mistaken for a large electrical switch box, just to give you an idea of the size of this appliance. You can mount the box to any wall or any vertical surface created with the intent of hanging the box. The mounting has to be as close to the water inlet pipe as possible.
The Inlet In
The inlet pipe that controls water flow into the heater is inserted into the bottom of the appliance box. A plumber may need to add a few new pipes to get the cold water pipe to come down and meet with the inlet, or the box may need to be elevated high enough so that not a lot of additional pipe is necessary to meet the inlet opening. After the "in" pipe is connected, the "out" pipe is connected next.
The Inlet Out
The opening at the top of the heater is where the heated water exits to run to the open hot water taps in your home. Only one pipe exits this "out" inlet, but it may be connected to several other hot water pipes throughout your home. If you have more than one bathroom shower, sink, and hot water appliance in use at any one time, you may need an additional tankless hot water heater to handle the hot water demands. This is especially true of very large homes and mansions. Your plumber can connect one or more tankless heaters in the same fashion, but reroute some pipes to just one heater and the rest of the pipes to another heater.
Maybe a Few Extra Pipes...
For the most part, the above process is relatively quick and easy. Your plumber may need to install a few extra pipes here and there, but he/she can tell you ahead of time if that will be needed. The conversion to a tankless heater is more process-oriented where removal of the traditional water heater tank is concerned.