WARNING!! Natural Gas Can Explode! Make Sure the Gas Is OFF!!! The Hot Water Can Be VERY HOT!!! WARNING!!!

Removing the Old Water Heater.

Removing your old hot water heater is part of a gas hot water heater installation. The first thing you want to do is turn off the gas to the water heater. You should have a shut off valve in the gas line near the connection to the gas valve. You turn the valve ninety degrees until it is perpendicular to the gas line. Next run some hot water in a sink nearby until the water cools down (if the water heater is not working you can skip this step).

Shut off the cold water inlet valve and leave the hot water faucet open in sink nearby. Hook a garden hose up to the drain valve near the bottom of the tank. Run the hose to a floor drain or outside and open the valve. After it has drained down a little way, you can open the pressure relief valve and shut off the faucet.

At this point you can unhook the gas line. You should have a union below the shut off valve. Use pipe wrenches to loosen it. You want to hang onto the nipples and fittings that are connected to the hot water tank. Remove and save everything up to the gas valve.

Next would be the water lines. The cold water inlet and the hot water outlet. Again you should have unions not to far above the tank. Loosen the unions with two pipe wrenches. Unhook the first section of vent pipe from the fume hood and the first fitting. Save this piece also. At this point the tank should be free.

You should remove the fittings and nipples at the top of the tank as long as they are in good condition. One more item you will want to salvage is the drain tube that extends down from the pressure relief valve.

This is where you need the helper. Get some help to remove the old tank. Disposing of it might be a chore in itself. For now you want to get it out of the way.

Placing the New Water Tank

The next step in a gas hot water heater installation is unpacking the new unit. It is best to do this out away from the area it is being installed. There should be some instructions that come with it. Read through the instructions and look for any special items that need to be attended to. Be aware of any temporary plugs or shipping braces that need to be removed.

Are you installing a drip pan. Put in place before you try to set the water tank. Using some help again carry the new water tank into the location and set it in position. Turn the tank so that it is oriented the same as the old one. The hot and cold water lines and the gas line all need to line up.

At this point you find out how much trouble you are going to have with the fittings. Try dry fitting the gas line parts from the old water tank. Do they line up? Yes, great, this is good news. No, Take some measurements. Remember to allow 3/8" to 1/2" of additional length for each threaded end. You might want to make a sketch of what you will need.

Now check out the water line nipples. Are adjustments needed. For a tank that has dielectric nipples installed you will need a coupler and possibly a reducer. The nipple length may be off. Measure from the inlet and outlet on the water tank up to the bottom of the union. Make yourself a little sketch with the dimensions. You may have flexible connections here. Some building departments allow it. If you do that is a lot easier.

Mark your sketch with the fitting types, male, female and union and to what point on the fitting you are measuring to. Oh, almost forgot, size of pipe, either 1/2" or 3/4" or a combination of the two. I know this is a little tedious, but it is a necessary step in a gas hot water heater installation.

Last you want to put the new fume hood in place on top of the tank. How does your vent pipe line up. Is the old piece long enough and the right size? Yes? Good news. No, then you will have to get another piece of vent pipe.

Are you ready for a trip to the supply house? Take your sketches with you and go to a home supply store that does pipe threading and has a plumbing department. Ask for help and explain your situation. They should be able to cut and thread the pipe for a nominal sum. In addition they can get you the right fittings to make the connections. Get some suitable joint compound while you are there.

Installing the Gas Line

With the right fittings in hand this step of your gas hot water heater installation should not be hard at all. You use pipe wrenches to tighten gas line. You want to use a joint compound on the threads that is suitable for gas connections. Start with the nipple going into the gas valve. Remove the plastic cap first. Tighten the fitting snug. Put the tee on next and then the upper and lower nipples. The lower nipple should have a cap on it. The upper nipple goes into the union.

Make sure all the connections are tight and then tighten the union. Turn the knob on the gas valve to off. You can turn the gas on at this point. Use soapy water to check for leaks. Never use an open flame to check for gas leaks. Find a leak, you know the drill, take it apart and tighten it.

Hooking up the Water Lines

Water line hook up in a gas hot water heater installation is e lot easier when you have the right fittings. Again you should use pipe joint compound on the threaded connections. Be sure to remove the plastic caps. Work from the water tank up toward the unions when tightening things. Make sure the connections are tight. Hook up the unions and that should be it.

Then last item would be the pressure relief valve. Again use some pipe joint compound on the threaded connections. Tighten the relief valve with the outlet turned down. Install the outlet tube that you took off the old unit.

Hooking Up the Vent

Did you listen and get a water heater with the same size vent? Good, your gas hot water heater installation is a lot simpler! You will have to replace all the vent pipe up to the chimney if you got one with a larger diameter.

Install the fume hood on then top of the tank. The fume hood should set level and the legs should be straight. There should be some holes for the legs. Get the legs in place and hold down on the fume hood. You want to run some sheet metal screws down into the holes next to the tabs on the legs.

Cut your vent pipe to length, remembering the parts that slip over. Screw the vent pipe into place using sheet metal screws.

Starting it Up

You have to fill the hot water tank before you can turn on the burner. Open a hot water faucet nearby and turn on the water. Let the tank fill until all of the air is bled out of the tank.

Check for leaks and tighten anything that is leaking. Read the instructions for lighting the pilot. Every water heater varies slightly on this procedure. With the pilot lit you should be able to turn the gas valve to on and the heating process will begin. A hot shower is not too far in the future.

Gas Hot Water Heater Installation Summary

Now that was a big job. You might be a little tired, but you likely saved $300 to $500 doing the work yourself. Was it worth it? You will have to be the judge of that. I have heard horror stories of homeowners that were sold hundreds of dollars of additional parts when the plumber came out to actually install the heater. You may have saved even more.

With this experience under your belt you are ready to tackle just about any home repair project. What will you do now? For today a little rest is in order. Tomorrow, who knows.

WARNING!! Make Sure the Power is OFF!!! BEFORE You Work on Electrical Devices!!!

Stuck Objects

Removing objects from a disposal may be needed when the disposal can't grind them up. As a rule you're careful. Once in a while something gets in the disposal that it can't handle.

Silverware, coins or other metal objects are quite popular. The noise usually sets off the alarm and you know you got a problem. Other things like plastic bags and bones may not be as loud but are just as annoying.

Unless the handle of a fork is obviously sticking up out of the opening you want to make sure the power is off. Always shut the power off before attempting any garbage disposal repairs.

With the power off try to take the rubber strainer out. Take a look and see if you can identify the object. You may need a flashlight.

With tongs or a pair of pliers get a hold of the object and remove it. Check again and make sure you got it all. Satisfied everything is clear? Put the stainer back in and turn the power on. Try it and see if it runs quietly again. Yes? Great, you have completed your garbage disposal repairs, at least for now.

WARNING!! Never Put Your Fingers Inside the Garbage Disposal!!!

Jammed Garbage Disposal

Fixing a jammed garbage disposal is a common problem. Most of the time it is not too difficult to correct.

When you turn the switch on to get that loud electrical sound and no action from the disposal? Shut the switch off quickly, you don't want to burn up the motor. Something has gotten into the unit that it cannot handle. Now it has jammed.

For complete coverage of this topic, see the article 'Fixing a Jammed Garbage Disposal'. This series of articles discusses the methods that can be used to free up a jammed disposal. It also covers the tools you will need, one of them should have come with your disposal.

Dealing with garbage disposal repairs of this kind are just one click away. Follow the above link to read more information on this subject.

Summary

Your garbage disposal repair may have been fairly simple. Perhaps a tripped reset or popped GFCI. Even using an allen wrench to free up a jam is not that hard. I wish I could put a good face on unclogging a drain, but I can't. I hope that if you did deal with a clog that you have found a support group. The worst news would have been replacing your old garbage disposal.

Whatever you faced, we hope that is over now. Your garbage disposal repairs are complete and new horizons have opened up to you. At the very minimum you are free to move onto other repair projects in your home.

 

WARNING!! Keep Your Fingers Out of the Disposal!!! Turn the Power Off Before Working On It!!! WARNING!!!

Plunging a Garbage Disposal

Plunging a garbage disposal is usually not a good idea. For a clog in the drain that won't go away when the unit is turned on, you cannot generate enough pressure.

Plungers work by creating pressure against the clog. Since the disposal has blades and a turntable in the way it tends to diffuse the pressure created by the plunger. Either that or garbage disposal clogs are harder to free up than other clogs. The plunger is certainly worth a try, since it is easier than the alternative.

A word of caution here. It is possible to blow the fittings on the drain apart with a plunger. If that happens you will have a mess on your hands. Clean the area out under the sink and have a pail in place under the drain. Keep some rags handy for any splashing that may occur.

Make sure you have enough water in the sink to cover the base of the plunger. Make sure the plunger is seated and then push down quickly and firmly. Give it a several good tries to see if you can break the clog free. It worked? Great, you have taken care of your garbage disposal clog. No? Bummer, go to Step Three for further instructions.

Checking the Disposal Drain

Checking a disposal drain is the first place to look for a clog. There is a tailpiece that is attached to the disposal and a waste arm that connects it to the sink drain. This short section of pipe is where the problem will be.

Before you do anything you will need to examine your sink drain. Is it white or black plastic? Yes, that is good news from a repair point of view. The plastic is easier to work with. Is it brass or chrome metal? Yes, not so good.

For a sink drain that is metal you will need to examine it to see how bad of shape it is in. Does is look corroded? Does it look like it will fall apart when you touch it? Yes? You probably need to think about replacing some or all of the drain parts. Don't get too upset, they are not that expensive.

Make a list of what you think you need. If you go to a home supply store you may find kits that deal with your situation. A word of caution. The kits always seem to be short a nut and washer. Buy a couple extra ones at the same time. For a drain that is not exposed to view plastic is the way to go.

For more information on working with sink drains you want to see the article 'Sink Drain Plumbing'. This article will give you tips and tricks for cutting, tightening and checking your drains.

Make sure the power is turned off to the disposal before you work on it. With a pair of adjustable pliers you want to loosen the nuts on the tailpiece for the disposal.

The tailpiece may be attached to the disposal via a plate that has screws holding it in place. Loosen the screws. make sure you have a pail under the drain to catch the water. Loosen the fittings enough to let the water drain out. Let it drain completely before proceeding.

After the water has drained out you should be able to remove the tail piece and the pipe that leads to the tee. Do you see the clog? Take a stick and clean out the clog. Into the trash is a likely choice. With the clog removed you can put the drain back together. Install the existing or new pieces as required. Tighten the fittings snugly and then try the disposal. Run water down it gingerly until you are sure it is draining correctly.

The disposal is running and the water is going down? Great, you are done fixing this garbage disposal clog. Checking a disposal drain did not turn out to be that difficult.

Maintenance

Garbage disposal maintenance does not need to sound ominous. Caution with certain material and a lot of water are mostly all that is needed.

I had a disposal that would clog every time you put a lot of raw vegetable material in it. The fibers would bind up into a tight ball inside the drain. The obvious solution would be to throw material like that away. Or to grind it up slowly with a lot of water.

Any material that you know will give your disposal trouble should be fed in slowly with a lot of water. The more water the better. Let the water run for several seconds after the disposal is done grinding. This will help to flush out the pipes after each use.

Newer heavy duty units have two stage grinding capabilities and are less prone to clogging. They grind the food up finer, so that it flushes through drain better. Replacing you garbage disposal is an option but usually not a necessity.

Summary

Hopefully you were able to take care of your problem in a half an hour or so. Maybe you had to buy a few parts. Not too expensive I hope. You may have been among the fortunate few that succeeded with a plunger. I never could get a plunger to work. I just gave up after a while.

Worst case is that you took a look at your disposal and decided that it was beyond hope. Even replacing a garbage disposal is not that hard. With your garbage disposal clog gone you can now move on to other rewarding pursuits.