A water heater, especially an electric model, is a very simple device. Unheated water enters one side of the tank. The water is heated by a couple of electric resistance elements that extend from the side of the tank into the middle of the water. And then on demand the water exits from the other side of the tank. Unfortunately, such simplicity doesn’t really extend to its installation. While far from difficult, installing an electric water heater does involve plumbing and electrical work, which may be enough to put off quite a few people. It shouldn’t. The skills required for a job like this are not nearly as demanding as they are for other common homeowner pursuits like refinishing furniture or growing a successful vegetable or flower garden.Plan your installation on paper first. This is a great way to minimize the number of fittings you need and the number of trips to the hardware store to buy the things you forgot.

 

 

For this job, we were replacing a tank and moving its location as part of a larger remodeling job. If you’re just putting a new tank in the same place, you’ll have even less work to do. Begin by removing the tank from its box and reading all the product literature that comes with it. Make sure to incorporate any specific manufacturer instructions into your plans, especially if not doing so voids the product warranty.Select a convenient spot for the tank and place two or three concrete blocks on the floor (Fig. 1). These blocks help prevent damage from minor floods and make getting at the drain much easier.

Next, slide the tank on top of the blocks making sure to keep the drain faucet to the front (Fig. 2). Rock the tank back and forth slightly to make sure the blocks don’t move. If the blocks do move, or the tank rocks on top of the blocks, reposition everything until the tank is stable.


1–Create a platform for the tank on the floor using concrete blocks. This platform protects the tank from water damage.

2–Slide the tank onto the blocks and center it. Align the drain toward the front and make sure the tank doesn’t rock.
Soldering basics Soldering copper tubing and fittings is really one of the easiest building skills to acquire. All you need (besides the tubing and fittings) are a propane or Mapp gas torch (we prefer Mapp gas because it burns hotter and melts lead-free solder better), a tubing cutter, some paste soldering flux, several pads of steel wool, a wire brush to clean the ends of the fittings and some lead-free solder. All of these items are commonly available at local hardware stores and home centers. The rules are simple: The mating surfaces must be cleaned thoroughly and covered with flux, the tubing cuts have to be absolutely square and the fittings can’t be bent or distorted.The place to begin is by cutting a 6- to 8-in.-long piece of 3/4-in.-dia. tubing for the cold water entrance line on the tank. Use a tubing cutter, not a saw, and keep the wheel square to the pipe as you work(Fig. 3).

Next, clean the end of the tubing with a piece of steel wool (Fig. 4). Rub clean an area at least 1 in. long and make sure that only a bright copper color can be seen when you’re done. Then cover the cleaned area with some soldering flux (Fig. 5)and put the piece aside.

You can also use steel wool to clean the inside of all your fittings, but it’s much more convenient to use a simple wire brush designed for the purpose. Just insert the brush into the end of the fitting and turn until the surface is clean (Fig. 6). Add flux to the inside of the fitting (Fig. 7), and then slide the fitting over the end of the tubing piece.


3–Begin installing the cold water copper tubing by cutting a piece to length. Use a standard tubing cutter for the cut.

4–Once the tubing is cut, clean the end with a steel-wool pad. Make sure to clean at least a 1-in.-long section of tubing.

5–Apply paste flux to the polished end of the tubing with your fingertip. Make sure to cover the entire perimeter.

6–Clean the inside of a female pipe adapter using a wire brush. Make sure the entire inside surface is clean.

7–Add flux to the inside of the adapter fitting. Spread it liberally and then slide the fitting onto the end of the tubing.

Begin heating the joint by turning on the torch and adjusting the flame so the inner blue flame is about 3/4 in. long. Bring the tip of the flame to bear directly on the top of the joint and heat this area until the flux melts and burns out. You don’t have to move the torch around the joint. Copper is a great conductor of heat and keeping the flame in one position is all that’s required to heat the entire joint.

As soon as the flux disappears, touch the top of the joint with some solder (Fig. 8) . If the tubing is hot enough, the solder will melt right away. If not, simply lift off the solder, keep heating the joint and try again.

Once the solder starts to melt, keep pushing the solder into the joint until it drips out the bottom. This means the joint is full. Immediately remove the flame and wipe off any excess solder with a soft rag (Fig. 9). Be sure to wear heavy gloves to prevent burns.


8–Heat the joint until the flux burns. Then add solder and keep heating until it melts and runs out the bottom of the joint.

9–Once the joint is full, remove the torch. Then wipe the joint clean with a soft rag to remove any excess solder before it dries.