# Stairs and Landing & Water Heaters



## Tango (Jan 13, 2018)

I wonder how I can manage the landing at the bottom because I think when I descend with the stair cat the water heater will be jammed against the wall and I may not be able to turn the staircat 90 degree to descend the last step or even get the stair cat out under the heater. It's a 40 CND gallon so I can put some of my copy cat handles and lift it as a last resort but a 60 gallon, forget about it.

Any ideas?


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## skoronesa (Oct 27, 2015)

Tango said:


> I wonder how I can manage the landing at the bottom because I think when I descend with the stair cat the water heater will be jammed against the wall and I may not be able to turn the staircat 90 degree to descend the last step or even get the stair cat out under the heater. It's a 40 CND gallon so I can put some of my copy cat handles and lift it as a last resort but a 60 gallon, forget about it.
> 
> Any ideas?



Use a window.




.


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## skoronesa (Oct 27, 2015)

Tango said:


> I wonder how I can manage the landing at the bottom because I think when I descend with the stair cat the water heater will be jammed against the wall and I may not be able to turn the staircat 90 degree to descend the last step or even get the stair cat out under the heater. It's a 40 CND gallon so I can put some of my copy cat handles and lift it as a last resort but a 60 gallon, forget about it.
> 
> Any ideas?





Well thank gosh there's a handrail!


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## OpenSights (Mar 23, 2015)

Bid $50 high and tell them they can save $50 to help you bring down and up the heaters. Win, win, win!


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## Tango (Jan 13, 2018)

skoronesa said:


> Use a window.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


If that's a joke...I cringe.


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## SchmitzPlumbing (May 5, 2014)

slide it down the steps while in the box. dont overthink it.


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## Tango (Jan 13, 2018)

SchmitzPlumbing said:


> slide it down the steps while in the box. dont overthink it.


That's what we used to do when we did gas water heaters when I was an apprentice, slide them down with the box. I'd forgotten about that one.


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## Tango (Jan 13, 2018)

skoronesa said:


> Well thank gosh there's a handrail!
> 
> 
> .


I guess the guy is a sailor! :vs_OMG:

Anyways I found out he was just price shopping. No problem I have a 60 gallon install tomorrow at a even higher price. She couldn't schedule me fast enough.


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## Logtec (Jun 3, 2018)

I don’t see the problem... 
slide it down the stairs, stand it up, or slide out the bottom at the landing.


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## Tango (Jan 13, 2018)

Logtec said:


> I don’t see the problem...
> slide it down the stairs, stand it up, or slide out the bottom at the landing.


What about bringing the old one out if the landing doesn't fit the heater and staircat at the same time? An old one could weight about 180 pounds or more.


Also I've been in several houses lately doing service jobs and noticing it would be impossible for me alone to bring one downstairs or back up. The stairs are too narrow or the L shape too small. Now I ask pictures because I'm not going to go out there and realize I can't do the job.


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## Logtec (Jun 3, 2018)

Tango said:


> Logtec said:
> 
> 
> > I don’t see the problem...
> ...


Ahhh, 
don’t you have someone to help you? 
I have a gimp who helps me a few days a week..


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## Tango (Jan 13, 2018)

Logtec said:


> Ahhh,
> don’t you have someone to help you?
> I have a gimp who helps me a few days a week..


I'm a one man shop and that's why I have to find ways and tools to be able to.


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## Kstewart61 (Sep 6, 2020)

Need two people for that over the side will work. And you wonder why old plumbers never die they just take pain killers all day. 

Sent from my SM-N981U using Tapatalk


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## skoronesa (Oct 27, 2015)

Tango said:


> What about bringing the old one out if the landing doesn't fit the heater and staircat at the same time? An old one could weight about 180 pounds or more.
> 
> 
> Also I've been in several houses lately doing service jobs and noticing it would be impossible for me alone to bring one downstairs or back up. The stairs are too narrow or the L shape too small. Now I ask pictures because I'm not going to go out there and realize I can't do the job.





I think he meant that's how he would bring the old one out.


With all the new eco regs the new ones tend to be bigger than the old ones so the old one could go into the box from the new one for when you slide it out. After you've wrapped it in plastic of course.





.


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## Tango (Jan 13, 2018)

skoronesa said:


> I think he meant that's how he would bring the old one out.
> 
> 
> With all the new eco regs the new ones tend to be bigger than the old ones so the old one could go into the box from the new one for when you slide it out. After you've wrapped it in plastic of course.
> ...


I cut the whole box to get it out and no way I'm going to try and wrap it back up and try to drag it up the stairs. Hillbilly plumbing at it's best! :vs_laugh:


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## skoronesa (Oct 27, 2015)

Tango said:


> I cut the whole box to get it out and no way I'm going to try and wrap it back up and try to drag it up the stairs. Hillbilly plumbing at it's best! :vs_laugh:



Clearly you have your order of operations backwards. You bring the new one up first in the box. When you cut the box, open one side like a door by cutting the top and bottom edges and one long edge. This will allow you to walk the new heater out. The old heater can be put in the box and slid down the stairs. You can even tie a rope to the relief valve or something and lower it down from the top.


I know it sounds convoluted but I've done basically this a handful of times. Granted we always have at least two guys and tell all customers that hot water heaters are a two+ man job.

Btw, I only mentioned the plastic because you have said you wrap them in plastic to avoid dripping.
.


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## Tango (Jan 13, 2018)

skoronesa said:


> Clearly you have your order of operations backwards. You bring the new one up first in the box. When you cut the box, open one side like a door by cutting the top and bottom edges and one long edge. This will allow you to walk the new heater out. The old heater can be put in the box and slid down the stairs. You can even tie a rope to the relief valve or something and lower it down from the top.
> 
> 
> I know it sounds convoluted but I've done basically this a handful of times. Granted we always have at least two guys and tell all customers that hot water heaters are a two+ man job.
> ...



Your trick would work like you say however water heaters here are always in the basement. Bringing the old one up is not feasible.


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## Tango (Jan 13, 2018)

Another question for you Skoro, since you say to slide the old one down, you guys have water heaters on the second floor or something???


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## Master Mark (Aug 14, 2009)

you just to have an extra helper for that one as you will get jammed into that wall...... someone will have to help turn that heater on a dime and come around that corner down to the floor....

I probably would have to pass on it if I did not have an extra guy


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## gear junkie (Jun 20, 2008)

it's a lot of easier work but what if you built a false landing to increase the size?


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## skoronesa (Oct 27, 2015)

Tango said:


> Another question for you Skoro, since you say to slide the old one down, you guys have water heaters on the second floor or something???



The overwhelming majority of our homes have basements.




Occasionally though you'll have a water heater on the second floor, it's rare though. Often you'll find this in very old seasonal cabins. My guess is it was done due to low water pressure, likely from a gravity fed system.


We do have one apartment complex where each apt. has their own water heater in the pantry. Of course this means something like 15 water heaters on the second floor. You'll also sometimes have over-under duplex houses with a water heater on the second floor. There's also a condo complex that I assume has their water heaters in each condo but we don't usually work for them.


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## Tango (Jan 13, 2018)

gear junkie said:


> it's a lot of easier work but what if you built a false landing to increase the size?


I thought of that a little and I'd have to carry an extra step or 2 to get off the false landing. Doable but a lot of extra planning and to build in pieces so I can bring them over. It something to think about.


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