I posted previously on a leaking 40 gal gas water heater here:

[www.plbg.com]

Now that I have everything disconnect I am ready to figure out getting and installing a new one. I have to decide if I want to DIY this or hire it out.

I am fairly certain I know how to install a new one, my problem is I recently had cataract surgery and doc said to not lift anything more than 10-20 pounds for a while until he clears it. Obviously lifting a WH is a no no.

So I am considering hiring a pro to come do it. The problem that I did not anticipate, is after calling two companies and inquired, they are basically telling me that they will have to dictate what water heater to supply to me, in other words, I can't tell them I want this brand this model...because they are the one who has to warranty the WH and the labor should something happened. I can understand that, to some extent.

But that puts me in a predicament because I do want to decide which WH to buy. The old one I have is made by State and it lasted 23 years. Vic and Curly also recommended brands such as Bradford White and Rheem. I also heard of AO Smith being reliable. Aside from the brands, I also have some constraints I need to meet.

This is the existing installation:





The existing WH is sitting on two 8" concrete block and a paver, raising it to 17" above the garage floor. This elevation is necessary because the garage does flood occasionally from king tides and rain floods in our areas. I need something that raises it at least by 16". The other limit is the there is a 3/4" copper FIP wall stubout that is 55" above the garage floor, so the new WH's T&P valve must be higher than that. The hot and cold supply lines are placed at 72" so the top of the new WH must stay say 8" to 10" below that.



Given all that, I may not have a lot of choices, to look for a 40 gal gas WH that is about 48" tall, with the T&P valve located such that it is more than 38" from the tank's bottom, but not so tall it is higher than the supplies.

I tried to explain to the WH companies these restraints but they don't want to hear (or more than likely the person on the other side of the phone is a salesperson or receptionist and don't understand) they just said they will need to know how many gallons and that's it, the rest they will just "make it work" which I am not too comfortable with.

Am I better off ordering the WH I want, have it delivered, and when it comes time to install, just hire a handyman to help me lift off the old and put up the new and I do the rest?

One question on WH stands, the metal ones. I saw many of them are 16" or 20" tall. Can you cut the legs off a 20" stand and make the shorter like 18"?

Sum, yes you could cut down the legs of the stands I've seen, but I would stay with the blocks(rust proof). Here are spec sheets for Rheem, AO Smith and Bradford White, to get model numbers and dimensions.

Rheem- [files.myrheem.com]
AO Smith- [assets.hotwater.com]
Bradford White- [docs.bradfordwhite.com]

I second Steve's opinion on water heater stand.

The bottom of the Rheem and Bradford White water heaters are flat as opposed to having 3 legs....makes it easier slide around to position the heater on the stand etc....Not a big deal but I think it makes a little easier. Not sure about AO Smith.

I'm surprised that after all the plumbing work you have done on all your rentals you don't have local plumber you like to work with.

That being said you are more than capable of installing a water heater yourself. Just hire a handyman to help with the lifting.

I use a hydraulic lifting table from Harbor Freight to lift the heaters. It weighs close to 100 pounds. It would not help you this time but maybe in the future.

steve thanks for the lists that's really helpful to quickly narrow down the models.

It seems the only ones that will fit my dimensional constraints are the 40 gallon short models for these brands.

A couple of questions.

A.O. Smith has a very extensive catalog, but weird that their Lowes model number is not even listed on their catalog. Must be a Lowes only model, I wonder what that means, are there some cost cutting like certain components are plastic instead of metal. For example, Lowes has a AOSmith model G6-S4040NVR that I can't find on the catalog.

Some of these WHs come with 6 year, 9 year or 12 year warranties. The model number changes one digit from a 6 to a 9 to a 12. Is it the same thing really? It is on the same page the same WH, but options on how many year warranty when you select the 6 vs 9 the model number changes one digit.

On my current WH, the T&P valve is on the side of the WH and it points "right" not "down". This is because the wall connection of the discharge line is only 2" lower. If the T&P valve comes pointed down, how do I get it to point at say 3 'O' clock? Do I crank it real hard to rotate another 270 degrees? I don't think I can unwind it 90 degrees counterclockwise as that will cause it to break the seal right?



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Curly, I do most of the plumbing repair/maintenance myself except for drain cleaning. So I have a drain cleaning professional I use for major stuff like a main blockage.

For small mickey mouse plumbing stuff like jammed garbage disposer, slow tub drains, slow toilet flushes, appliance hookup etc...I do that myself usually.

Usually you can rotate the T&P to the correct orientation.

From my experience the water heaters with longer warranties have 2 anode rods.

from Bradford White Q&A-

"One of your models comes with a 6 or 10 year warranty – is there a difference?

All Bradford White products are Built to be the Best®. When we offer a product with a 6 or 10-year warranty, the product is of identical quality. The additional warranty period is just an option that is made available on certain products that allows you extra peace-of-mind. We also offer other extended warranty options on recently purchased and installed products through our BUILTBEST® Extended Warranty program. Ask your plumbing professional if your water heater qualifies."

I believe HD and Lowes have agreements with some manufacturers, that they can get a better volume price, if HD and Lowes handle any warranty claims on the models they sell. In order to identify the HD/Lowes sold product and who is responsible for warranties, a different model number or name is given to the (same) product. You'll sometimes see this, if you call the number in the owners manual for a warranty claim and the call is to HD or Lowes, not the manufacturer.

As to factory installed device that doesn't line up as needed and won't turn enough to align, I remove the device, add tape and dope and retighten.

Well I stand corrected.

I looked up the parts lists on the Rheem heater sold through HD. The 6 year and 12 year both have just one anode rod.

The one on the 12 year is a little bit bigger.


In the old days the longer warranty models used to have 2....one built in to the hot side nipple and a separate one.

I'm still learning.

Steve, thanks for the information.

This is the way my old WH was connected to the gas valve. The 3/8" copper goes from the valve to the drip leg to the controller.



I saw a picture on A O Smith web site and they went from the gas line to the drip leg and then the flex line to the controller.



Is one way better than the other?

AO Smith is wrong. The gas inlet to the tee needs to be from the top and outlet to the appliance needs to be on the
branch. The tee needs to be as close as possible to the water heater's gas control valve.

"1212.9 Sediment Trap, .. Where a sediment trap is not incorporated as a part of the appliance,
a sediment trap shall be installed downstream of the appliance shutoff valve as close
as possible to the inlet of the appliance as practical at the time of appliance installation.
The sediment trap shall be either a tee fitting with a capped nipple in the bottom
outlet, as illustrated in Figure 1212.9, or another device recognized as an effective sed1iment trap.
Illuminating appliances, gas ranges, clothes dryers, decorative appliances for installation in vented fire
places, gas fireplaces, and outdoor cooking appliances shall not be required to be so equipped. [NFPA 54:9.6.8]"

steve thanks for the clarification. I will do it the right way.

By the way, I did a little digging, and I think I know why the AO Smith product listing does not include the Lowe's models. Apparently there was a lot of mergers and acquisitions, and AO Smith has acquired STATE (that's the WH I have that broke after 23 years) as well as American. Apparently the American line was rebranded as AO Smith and sold as the "Signature Series" at Lowes, and some Amercian WHs are also rebranded as Whirlpool and sold on other retail spaces. So the Lowes AO Smith are not really made by AO Smith. It's so confusing.

I am now back to thinking about Bradford White, only issue is around here it is only available from local supply houses and Ferguson and they won't deliver only pickup.



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Sum, I worked in the office equipment business for almost 50 years. As an example, the names Royal and Underwood and Victor have been appearing on equipment for decades after those companies closed their factories and then their distribution facilities. The names are now for sale or lease to anyone willing to pay. My screen name Sharp1 refers to one of the brands my company sold and I used it at work. Even Sharp (their first product was the Ever Sharp Pencil) has no production,just rebranded products mostly from China.

That incorrect AO Smith installation image is what happens when you let AI create your product images. The longer you look the worse it gets