# Tough WH Installs



## ROCcity88 (May 13, 2016)

What a headache: I had a water heater install today in which the tank was positioned IN THE CORNER behind the furnace, and also blocked off by the gas line (for both the WH & furnace) as well as the condensate drain. It was also blocked by the crock/pedestal sump pump. To make it even better, the supply house sent me the wrong size tank, it was too wide to fit in the space, I had to return the new tank and pick up a "tall/slim" AO Smith tank that would fit.
I then needed to rebuild all the gas lines and condensate drains, then I replaced the pedestal pump with a submersible Liberty pump and re-piped to the main storm sewer.
Luckily all the venting was up to code and I had a pro press kit with me 

I attached a pic of my finished product

Tell me, what's your worst/most frustrating Water Heater Install?


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## ShtRnsdownhill (Jan 13, 2016)

that looked like fun...lol..gas line looks nice and neat. what is the white pipe coming down from the water heater?


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## ROCcity88 (May 13, 2016)

I see both the drip tube from the T&P relief valve on the water heater, and the condensate drain from the air conditioner, it's draining into the crock


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## OpenSights (Mar 23, 2015)

ROCcity88 said:


> I see both the drip tube from the T&P relief valve on the water heater, and the condensate drain from the air conditioner, it's draining into the crock


Code for approved materials can differ. We can use the same tube here.

Honestly I enjoy those difficult heaters, keeps you on your toes and makes the next dozen seem easier. 

I had one where we had to get a 50 gallon 20' up with only a ladder and no chance for a lift truck. Thank God for those plastic electric heaters!


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## OpenSights (Mar 23, 2015)

Oh, gotta love the new insulation requirements when it comes to the already tight spaces. Feds really ****ed us with that one.


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## ROCcity88 (May 13, 2016)

OMG, 50 gallon up a ladder??? wow, i cant complain now hahaha
I hope you had at least two other guys to help


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## bdaltonph (Nov 23, 2014)

I had one like that once, jammed between a furnace and wall. To make matters worse the house was a slab with the water lines under slab. Well the genius or jerk off that did the house built the water manifold right in front of the water heater. It took up the entire space in front of the heater and was about 18" high. He had to know he was screwing whoever was going to have to replace it


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## ShtRnsdownhill (Jan 13, 2016)

OpenSights said:


> Code for approved materials can differ. We can use the same tube here.
> 
> Honestly I enjoy those difficult heaters, keeps you on your toes and makes the next dozen seem easier.
> 
> I had one where we had to get a 50 gallon 20' up with only a ladder and no chance for a lift truck. Thank God for those plastic electric heaters!


geez, good thing you didnt drop that, get a few guys and a rope to hump it up...hopefully you charged accordingly...$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$


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## Master Mark (Aug 14, 2009)

it amazes me how many times we tie into something like this..
We dont get any attic units in this area....

We try to get pictures sent to us to look at the mess we are walking into to attempt to bid the job correctly..... 

I always love when you politely ask the customer on the phone simple --easy to answer questions like ....

Sir...do we have easy access to the unit...anything in the way??....

Sir, Am i going to have to tear your mechanical room totally apart to remove the heater??? 

Can I walk up to the heater and give it a big hug and dance with it.???

IS THERE ANYTHING IN FRONT OF THE UNIT that will have to be removed first????

Will I have to remove your washing machine and dryer to get to the water heater????

Sooooo many of them lie through their teeth about the job on the phone... .:furious:.. 


If I go to the home and find out its a full days work and they lied to me, I just usually cry FOUL and walk away...normally I tell them that I am not* "Conan the Barbarian" * and can somehow lift that old heater up out over the top of the washing machine and put the new one in the same way......


I cant afford to be tied up on a total re-model for the standard price.......:yes:.

Just wondering ... did you cry foul when you saw this heater and raise your price accordingly or had you looked at this mess first ?????


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## OpenSights (Mar 23, 2015)

ShtRnsdownhill said:


> geez, good thing you didnt drop that, get a few guys and a rope to hump it up...hopefully you charged accordingly...$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$


Hoisted it up by a rope, pivot and balance on a railing till my boss at the time got up the ladder. The old heater still sits next to it's predecessor. This was at the Humane Society... they didn't like it when I asked if they had a bag of cats to put down in case it dropped.


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## Pacificpipes (Oct 1, 2013)

Attics are the worst out here or the double wide with the water heater outside 5ft up in a closet. With cpvc wrapped around it


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## ShtRnsdownhill (Jan 13, 2016)

they didn't like it when I asked if they had a bag of cats to put down in case it dropped.

LMFAO!!!!!!


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## dhal22 (Jul 30, 2010)

I've used a chain hoist a few times. 100 gal commercial in a ceiling over a bathroom was the worst.


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## mtfallsmikey (Jan 11, 2010)

Have 80 gal., 480V electrics suspended above the cafeteria kitchen ceilings in both of my buildings.


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## hanzkunzel (Feb 24, 2017)

Had this one once. Ended up having to get the HVAC people in to remove the line for me to change the tank. Sad part is they just replaced the furnace a week before. They should have known better then to do that.


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## Oorgnid (Apr 5, 2016)

Makes me think of trailer water heaters. Almost always in a closet behind the well pump/electrical panel with an access half the size of the heater.

Just realized this thread was necro'd.


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## Alan (Jun 18, 2008)

Beyonddriven13 said:


> I install on average 2 water heaters a week, the One Man Water heater lift makes getting a water heater in and out of tight spots easy. Check it out.


Spam


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## Logtec (Jun 3, 2018)

Alan said:


> Beyonddriven13 said:
> 
> 
> > I install on average 2 water heaters a week, the One Man Water heater lift makes getting a water heater in and out of tight spots easy. Check it out.
> ...


Agreed.
That guy in the red shirt is bufty! What plumber can’t lift an empty HWT 2’ without a “as seen on tv” gimmicky strap? 
You can see he is smiling/giggling as he “just couldn’t lift that pesky HWT without a simple solution! 

Hi folks, “Billy Mays” here, have you ever had to lift a HWT 2’ and just can’t do it? (Pussy)
Dont want pay those expensive plumbers to do it for you?
Not to worry, the ez-lift HWT strap is here! 
It’s only $19.99 + SH!
but wait there’s more, call in the next 5 mins get a second useless strap- free! just pay shipping handing! (*ships from Canada, but pay in US funds.)
And as a second bonus, we will throw in a red shirt and some black dye so you can blacken in your beard so you look like billy Mays and the guy in the Facebook video!

Call now supply’s are limited!


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## exclamation (Mar 11, 2013)

Probably the one I had to bring an extension ladder into the attic to get to an upper level of the same attic about 10’ above the normal attic floor - or the one that had fiberglass duct board ac ducts all about 3’ above the attic floor and no way around, except there was no floor - just joists to walk on. Also could have been the one house that had 3x50 gal heaters in the attic above the 3rd floor with the farthest one like 70’ from the attic stairs up and down over 2 vaulted ceilings - narrow L shaped stairway on one of the floors, and also no walkway in the attic..


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