Have 2 50 gallon water heaters connected in series. The Rheem one (near the cold water inlet in white and blue) is going bad. I can tell because I see some rusty water residue on the top.

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We plan to run with just one heater and spring for tankless soon. Question is what's the easiest way to disconnect the bad heater? Can I connect the corrugated copper line from the inlet to the corrugated copper line going into the second heater from the first using a 3/4 in. union ? The line connecting the two heaters together isn't long enough to reach the inlet and HD/Lowes don't sell lines bigger than 2 ft.

All I want to do is bypass the bad heater after emptying it and let it sit there until we haul both away in a few months and replace with a tankless. Is there a better or easier way? Also is my action plan sound? Thanks

All you have to do is connect the two lines together any way you can do it.

yikes... one draft hood on top of another draft hood with no sheetmetal screws holding anything together?
get that fixed right away !!! in the meanwhile, get a good CO detector

double yikes... the second picture shows the draft hood is not even touching the B-vent chimney..

Thanks Packy. I will get it fixed for the one heater I plan to keep. This is truly shoddy work and the sad part is this was done by a licensed plumber sent by our home warranty company. I guess quality and pride for your work are become my more rare now ...sigh!

There's a brass nipple in the outlet of the rear heater. Remove it and use it to connect the two flexes.

Could someone please explain the double draft hood on the nearer heater?

i can explain.. the same guy did this one..

great pickup Packy! When you have a series HWH is it necessary to have a PRV??? Maybe just one or one on each tank?



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prv is only needed if the pressure is more then 70 PSI. having 2 tanks has nothing to do with increasing the PSI.
remember, the extra pressure created by heated water will expand out to the street as long as there is no check valve at the meter to not allow that.

When they work for a home warranty company, they have two goals;
1. do the 'standard' job as cheap and quick as possible, and,
2. Try to add as many upgrades to the job as possible.
I guess the customer would not pay to extend the pipe to the B vent.

HJ Beautiful observation I mean about the home warranty folks.

When they came out to change mine, he wanted $80 to reroute the T&P discharge even though it was only 2" from the valve, $90 to install a 4x3 flue increaser, because he did not know the diverter was already designed for 3" or 4", and a couple of other things for a total addition of $235. I told him just install the heater and I will do the other things myself, but he said he had to do the whole thing. I told him to forget about it and I will contact the warranty company to do it myself. When I contacted them they told me what they were paying him and I told them I could not even buy a propane heater for that price, and they said he had told them it was a natural gas unit.

HOW they are connected has NOTHING to do with the requirement for a T&P on EACH and every tank.

Stupidity and he did not have a short piece of flue pipe.

Must have had to sit sidesaddle to use it.

YOu are thinking Pressure Reducing Valve. I am thinking Pressure RELIEF valve.

HJ

Have you or anyone else tried out the camera (which is from China of course Thank you china) to do scoping of the pipes?

The price is right for sure It just fits on your laptop usb.

the waterproff one goes 60 ft







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That's so cheap, it's ridiculous. How much does the software cost? Five grand? lol

Software comes with it only small hooks on the end are only tools will give report after using it