An elderly friend of mine who had a new Rheem natural gas hot water tank installed in January was told today by a contractor who was doing a home energy audit that her hot water tank was dangerous and needed to be replaced.

He actually told her that Rheem was a bad company for water heaters and that there was a huge lawsuit going on and that they probably wouldn't be on the market at some point in the future.

When this lady's daughter got involved he back peddled and said that the turned up rings around the inlet and outlet lines had to be attended to especially if the 22 year old house was made tighter, otherwise a dangerous condition would be created due to the house being tighter if they proceeded with their work. He actually said that if the pressure inside the house changed, there would be trouble!

I suggested that the bum be thrown out and that most likely they'd sell the Rheem unit to someone else after installing an inferior unit.

Because I'm not a plumber my elderly friend wanted to see if I could back up my theory about this issue.

Any one able to help?





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I vote for a new contractor. This one appears to be a crook. There is NO carbon monoxide issue with that ring. Most water heaters I deal with, have a plastic trim ring there and they don't seal to the nipple. I do have an issue with the copper fitting screwing directly to the steel nipple, but that still not a carbon monoxide issue.

He must have worked for the Holland Furnace Company at one time, because that is exactly how they worked. But they would take the unit apart and tell the customer, usually an elderly person, that it was too dangerous to put it back together again, but they just happened to have a crew in the neighborhood with a replacement unit that they could install before the house got so cold everything froze. Natually, the price was 2 or 3 times what it should have been and the unit was a "bare bones" model. Throw the bum out and don't worry about your heater. Rheem has been around a lot longer than he has been, and will be long after he is in prison for fraud.

Fyi that's a dielectric nipple

Not really. It's a plastic lined plated steel nipple. The plastic liner does not prevent water from contacting the contact point of the copper and the steel. They're referred to as a dielectric, but they're not.

there is a special place in hell for people like this.
ask him to put his statement in writing...

quote; They're referred to as a dielectric, but they're not.


Neither are most "dielectric unions". They are mostly cosmetic to keep inspectors happy.

quote; ask him to put his statement in writing...

Do you really think that would deter him? All he wants is to sell the person something and he will do ANYTHING it takes to make the sale.

shoot the miserable son-of-a-*&#@^

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"Measure Twice & Cut Once" - Retired U.A. Local 1 & 638

ps.

? hot water heater ?

? why would you want to heat hot water ?

should be: water heater



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"Measure Twice & Cut Once" - Retired U.A. Local 1 & 638

Be sure to drag him into the house afterwards.

quote; why would you want to heat hot water ?

If the water is 118 degrees and the heater is set for 120, you HAVE to heat the "hot water" to make it hotter.

good one, hj



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"Measure Twice & Cut Once" - Retired U.A. Local 1 & 638

so hj, is a tankless a 'hot' water heater?

As the water enters the heater it is a "water heater", but as it flows through the coil it eventually becomes a "warm water heater", and finally a "hot water heater" just before it leaves the heater and flows to the faucet.

and if one has two 'units' in series the second would be (technically) a super-heater


it is Saturday and boredom is rampart

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"Measure Twice & Cut Once" - Retired U.A. Local 1 & 638

quote; would be (technically) a super-heater

What that have to do with the "super"? He doesn't need heating. All he has to do is maintain the building.

Thank you everyone.... I knew I had spotted a bum and hopefully my friend now recognizes it too. I appreciate all the advice on her "water heater"! Lol!



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p.s.

feed the remains to the dogs

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"Measure Twice & Cut Once" - Retired U.A. Local 1 & 638

the remains are not good enough for the dogs...

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"Measure Twice & Cut Once" - Retired U.A. Local 1 & 638