Why You Shouldn’t Install A Water Heater Yourself
Thinking of installing a new hot water heater in your house? Here are some reasons you need to hire a professional for installation, repair and maintenance.
Having a well-functioning water heater tank makes life so much easier. However, installing a hot water system can be a complicated affair.
Water heater installation can be tricky without a licensed professional’s help. Even though many homeowners prefer to try installing the system to save the installation cost, it can be dangerous. It would be best if you had advanced equipment and proper knowledge about the technical functioning of the system.
In most cases, DIY electric water heater installs do more harm than good. So, today, we’ll discuss why you must avoid installing a water heater by yourself and always hire a professional plumber. Let’s take a look!
You need to have sufficient knowledge about the capacity of a water heater to choose the correct size of the system that can be suitable for your family. If you install a small system, you’ll continuously run out of hot water, putting excessive pressure on the water heater.
The water heater size will vary depending on your household’s water usage. Usually, electric water heaters ranging between 182 and 284 litres work well for a family of three to four people. On the other hand, a 151-litre gas water heater can be enough if your household’s water usage is low.
However, choosing the exact size without guidance from a professional plumber can be difficult. You might research for hours and still install the wrong-sized water heater in your house.
You can’t install a water heater wherever you want. It is impossible to know all the legal guidelines and building codes if you’re not a professional, making the DIY installation of the system much more troublesome. If you want to install your own water heater, it’s crucial to consult with a licensed plumbing company to ensure that you’re following all the necessary regulations and safety measures.
When installing a gas water heater, it is imperative that proper venting is in place. A licensed technician from WP Plumbing knows precisely how space should be ventilated to ensure the safety of the homeowners. This is crucial so that toxic gasses like carbon monoxide are forced outside. A professional plumber will also know how to secure the water heater to prevent potential hazards properly.
Installing a water system under challenging locations, like attics and basements, can get tricky without a professional plumber. If you want to install or move a water heater weighing 55 and 70 kilograms, you cannot do it alone and must hire someone to help maintain safety. It’s always best to install water heaters from a licensed and experienced plumbing company to guarantee that the job is done correctly and safely.
You must contact a professional plumber in Australia to install a water heater. Even though you don’t need a specialised permit for the installation, your plumber must submit a notifiable work form to the Victorian Building Authority (VBA). The notifiable work form includes installing, removing and replacing a water heater in any existing property or building extensions.
Without a proper understanding of tankless water heaters, you can make several mistakes during installation and cause long-term plumbing damage. You need a licensed plumber to register the notifiable work form and complete the job correctly and efficiently.
The heating elements of a water heater are designed to operate when fully immersed in water. If they receive any heat when the water heater is empty, they’ll melt because of dry-frying. However, most DIY installers are unaware of dry-frying risks and often forget to switch off the power source while installing a water heater.
If the water heater is dry and the water heater power is turned on, the copper heating elements can heat up and start melting. Once the copper elements are dry-fried, the system will fail within seconds or after a few uses. Hence, hiring professional help is best to avoid dry-frying risks during installation.
Many DIY plumbers choose flexible plastic PEX tubes to install the water heater and connect it to the main water supply to avoid the complicated soldering process. But, they don’t understand that the flexibility of these PEX tubes can be a huge liability.
Since the tubes are not rigid, they tend to flex like a regular garden hose while the water flows in and out of the tubes. They also expand and contract with the change in temperatures, causing the PEX pipes to move constantly and leading to their wearing.
Additionally, unlike copper pipes, PEX tubes are vulnerable to rodent damage and UV rays. So, the best course of action is to hire a professional plumber who can apply accurate soldering techniques to install durable copper pipes for the water heater.
Installing a water heater is not child’s play, and DIY plumbing techniques won’t do you much good. You need the extensive knowledge of licensed professionals with years of experience and exactly what they do. If you need a water heater installed in Melbourne, please speak to our team!
It’s likely to falter when you don’t practically understand how water heaters work. Always contact your local plumber to take care of the entire process to avoid any plumbing damage because it’s better to be safe than sorry.
With that, it’s time for us to sign off. Until next time!
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