# Looking for a good water heater lift



## revenge

Like title says any body know of lift I could use to lift 40 50 and 80 gallons heaters


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## johntheplumber

Do you want a hand crank or motorized?


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## gear junkie

what are the job conditions?


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## gear junkie

https://www.ridgidforum.com/forum/t20570/


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## revenge

mainly inside homes to get it over stand into pan


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## johntheplumber

You started this same thread last year!


http://www.plumbingzone.com/f2/what-good-water-heater-lift-17774/


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## revenge

.......


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## revenge

Yes i did and if you read it i didnt get that many options but thanks bud for pointing that out. btw its been a year and the boss hasnt bought any so now i am gonna buy one my self so i need options


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## johntheplumber

http://www.virax.com/index.php/en/p/34109/boiler-radiator-lifts/cylinder-water-heater-lift


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## johntheplumber

I also have a supply house I can call tomorrow who used to sell them. Ill check it out tomorrow.


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## revenge

I found two different straps a one man water heater lift and as lifting solutions the one man uses tsraps that goes under and around heater and az uses magnets and straps around has any body ured either or the difference is thirty ollars between them


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## rjbphd

revenge said:


> Like title says any body know of lift I could use to lift 40 50 and 80 gallons heaters


 Empty or full ??


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## damnplumber

I am a one man band too but installing water heaters is easy and you don't need any stinking lift to clutter up your van....
Here's how to do it...
1, place the unit on the cardboard it came in with the top facing away from the opening.
2, lift the bottom up and rest it on the edge of the stand or closset.
3, now swing the top up and in.
Simple levorage use your brain not your back!
I do 4-6 each month like this...judt be carefull with those flimsey metal cheepo stands


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## dclarke

If its a 40 or 50 I use my belt. Rarely see an 80.


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## Phat Cat

damnplumber said:


> I am a one man band too but installing water heaters is easy and you don't need any stinking lift to clutter up your van....
> Here's how to do it...
> 1, place the unit on the cardboard it came in with the top facing away from the opening.
> 2, lift the bottom up and rest it on the edge of the stand or closset.
> 3, now swing the top up and in.
> Simple levorage use your brain not your back!
> I do 4-6 each month like this...judt be carefull with those flimsey metal cheepo stands


How do you accomplish not damaging the drain pan?

A word of warning with water heaters - one of our PZ members was offered help with a water heater, then customer let go or slipped. Can't remember exactly. What I do remember is that the plumber was out of commission for quite some time.

For that reason alone, I send two plumbers on heavy lifts and the customer is charged accordingly. I don't know of any plumber making so much money that they could afford a long term injury.


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## gear junkie

revenge said:


> I found two different straps. A one man water heater lift and as lifting solutions the one man uses straps that goes under and around heater and az uses magnets and straps around has any body tried either. The difference is thirty dollars between them


I have this one. Works great but you need a bungee cord to maintain tension on the strap while setting it up. Biggest I ever lifted was 75 gal and that felt easy and stable. Bought mine at a supply house and can't remember what I paid for it.


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## A Fast Plumbing

I have the same belt that gear junkie has shown in his pic. But I must warn the user that it is all in the set up of the strap(s). I am able to use it for "empty" 30 through 50 gallon water heaters with ease. The funny thing is, the strap that goes below the base actually became redundant. Although it came with it, I eventually removed it. But I can't tell you to do the same. You'll get use to using it and won't want to do one without it. Keep the blue vinyl "very" clean. This aids in the gripping of the outer sheet metal. 

You need to adjust it so that the handles are "almost" outside of your reach behind the tank and it keeps your entire chest and stomach pressed against the front side of the tank. Bend your knees and plan to lift it 3-4 inches above the deck it was sitting on. Understand that at some point you will have to lean back slightly and allow some of the weight to be transferred onto your chest and stomach. Now, bend bown at the knees, pull the strap tight towards your body just below your chest. Stand up and begin your "slight" lean back. A 10 to 15 degree lean is all I use. If you understand that the strap is used to compress the tank between the lifting tool and the front of your body you will succeed it grabbing it tight. If it is slipping you have not adjusted the belt correctly. Decrease its length between the handles. It should force you to press your face and body against the tank when reaching for the second handle. 

I find that I must bend my knees to where the waist band strap is just at the mid point of the water heater. This is easy when removing it from the elevated stand. (Hint - Wipe down the top of the old unit before lowering it. Duh!!) Walk backward until the water heater is clear of the stand and allow the tank to slide down along the front of your body to the floor. Try not to allow it to "hit" the floor at this point. Dropping it freaks the client out even though it is the old damaged water heater. 

Now the fun part. You just lowered the old unit full of scale and crap approximately 20 to 22 inches to the floor, 18 inches for the stand and a 2-3 inch tall drip pan. The good news is, the new water heater will generally weigh less than the old unit. 

If you do not bend your knees deep enough when lifting the new unit into place, you will immediately find it out when you walk forward to place it in the drip pan. I find my self placing the strap 4-6 inches lower on the heater when lifting the new unit into place. But not to low, you do not want the bulk of the water heater to high above the waist strap. When you lift and lean back 10 degrees, the weight is being transferred. It transfers from your legs making the lift, to more of your lower back once standing up. Walk forward and watch the front lower edge of the water heater enter the pan. Now let it carefully slide down into the drip pan and straighten it out to the upright position. 

I've spent some time and words writing this up only because it is a great tool and love it. I believe it will save some backs out there "*if used properly*". 

I am frustrated watching my employee(s) struggle with water heaters. No one wants to see anyone get hurt. You can explain it all day long, but if the employee uses it adjusted improperly for them, they will get frustrated and throw it on the ground and say it doesn't work for them. Although my current employeeand I are approximately the same height and can reach the same arms length it seems to be more difficult for him to use. I think this is because I have it adjusted for me, compensating for my "old guy" belly and he does not have one. So it is likely he just needs to shorten the distance between the two strap handles (or grow a belly). I am getting to old to lift the 75 gallons but I have done it with this lifting tool. 

One of my competitors does his lifting using his electric extension cord. He folds his 50 foot cord in half and then in half again. So that he has a total of four strands behind the tank. He claims he can do the same basic thing as my strap with just wrapping the ends of the extension cord over his hands in a circle then gripping the cord. If you did not have my fantastic lifting strap, this might work in a pinch but I'd wear gloves.


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## plungerboy

We use this. 

http://www.escalera.com/moving/appliance.htm


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## sierra2000

Nothing's easier for lifting water heaters by yourself than the cinch and lift.









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## Will

The problem with lifting water heaters is the easiest way is to pick up heater and set the bottom in pan first. Then lean the top in. Unfortunately this is not always possible in my service area as there is usaly a closet built around the water heater. There is usaly a header in the way of preventing this to happening. Only way to get them in is to put the top in first and then pick it up with all your might up and over the pan sometimes it's impossible to do for one person


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## Tango

I've always declined water heaters as I don't want to risk hurting myself. This time there are steps involved so I accepted.

I have a 60 gallon electric water heater to replace this next Thursday. I wanted to buy the cinch and lift about a year ago but the guy never replied, maybe he's out of business?

Anyway I have to install a new pan. Either I try to make my own handles. The problem is obtaining magnet backing. Is there a trick to put the heater in the pan with an appliance hand truck. I was thinking of putting bricks in the pan and a wood ramp under the tongue of the truck so it would be about the same level. I would leave the bricks in the pan?


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## Tango

If you guys want to share info in private I'll gladly take your advice!


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## Master Mark

Tango said:


> If you guys want to share info in private I'll gladly take your advice!



I got this Mule lift truck and used it to install 4 gas heaters in garages last week.... It will do a 75 gal gas too but needs an extra guy for that size..

I got mind off craigs list for 500 bucks... The price looks like it has gone up since I got mine about 3 years ago.... It is pretty sweet and has saved me a lot of time and misery,,,,

https://handtrucks2go.com/The-Mule-48-Lift-with-Platform-Stacker-electric-hand-truck.html


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## Tango

the Mule lift truck is not bad at all. 

I'll have try my truck technique because I won't have time to build handles tomorrow. I have to transfer some tools in my suv for a faucet repair or replacement in the morning. I also got a more flexible drain pan than what we usually see.

I was super lucky not to have 2 nasty accidents this morning. A bus cut me off and I had to jam the brakes in my van. The brake line blew up and the brake pedal went to the floor. I got some brake back a little then going down the hill there was a red light. I made it through and I idled 2 blocks to where I was going.

I was able to do the job and call a tow truck afterwards. I found out looking for brake lines that GMC made a freaking mess in sizes. I'll be searching high and low to find brake lines and I'll need to modify the ones they sell at the auto parts store.

What a day!


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## GAN

three bricks in the pan, set it in, rock the heater one by one remove the bricks. Easy Peasy


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## Tango

GAN said:


> three bricks in the pan, set it in, rock the heater one by one remove the bricks. Easy Peasy



Back in the day most heaters were placed on pieces of wood and not on the concrete floor. Since the guy doesn't have a floor drain I have to cap the pan and if it is raised by bricks it would give him a little more time to notice a leak compared to all the filled space if the tank rests in the bottom of the pan.


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