Water heaters are a mandatory necessity in almost all mobile homes due to the harsh weather conditions that require the provision of hot water. There are different types of water heaters which one can choose depending on their preference. When looking for an appropriate mobile home hot water heater replacement, one must take a few factors in to consideration to help them pick the best products on the market.
How To Choose A Good Water Heater
Replacement or installation of a new water heater requires one to shop around for the most efficient product around:
1) Fuel: Water tanks are powered by either gas or electricity and each option has its own requirements, pros and cons.
2) Storage: There are two types of tanks, tankless and conventional tank. The tankless heater only heats water when it is in use. The conventional tank constantly stores heated water and whenever is cools off, it gets heated up again.
3) Capacity: A conventional tank holds more water than the tankless one. The tankless heater provides water only at a time when it’s needed while the conventional tank always has constant provision at all times.
4) Space Occupation: A conventional tank will definitely take up more space due to its large capacity while a tankless heater is more compact.
5) Durability: Owing to the fact that a conventional tank always has water in it, it is more susceptible to decay and hence its replacement will be due in a couple of years. The tankless heaters have a longer life span since they only function when needed.
6) Cost: A tankless heater’s initial price is expensive, but in the long run it saves up on energy costs as it only functions when necessary. A conventional tank is initially relatively cheap but the constant heating of water makes it expensive.
Types Of Water Heaters
There are basically three types of water heaters; conventional gas water heaters, tankless and electric water heaters. Each option has its pros, cons, methods of installment and overall requirements.
1) Conventional Gas Water Heaters: A conventional tank stores heated water and heats it up again whenever it cools down.
Pros
· Hot water is always available at all times for usage.
· A gas tank is not affected by electricity black outs due to the fact that it uses gas and not electricity.
· These tanks store a large capacity of water at a time and such can serve several rooms at any given time.
· The initial cost of purchase and installation is relatively cheap.
· The tank is stored outdoors or away from the main house such as in the garage or basement and as such it provides maximum safety to users.
Cons
· The constant storage of hot water and constant heating of water results in wastage of fuel since the water is heated when it cools down and not when it is needed.
Installation
When seeking to replace an old heater or install a completely new gas heater, the following steps should be followed:
a. Remove the old gas tank. Use an open wrench to switch off the gas valve. Make sure that there is no leakage. Turn the pilot switch to off and take out the duct.
b. Switch off the cold water valve, drain water to the floor drain and remove the gas line from the heater. Remove the cold and hot water valves with pipe wrenches. Turn off the main water.
c. With a pipe cutter, remove the valve assembly. Cut out the hot ‘out’ connector with a flex pipe.
d. For installation of the new tank, connect new sections of the flex pipe. Use teflon tape around the hot and cold connectors and tighten the flex pipe onto both with an open wrench.
e. Fix a new flexible gas line to the pilot box with a Teflon dope and open wrench for tight sealing. Take out the old fitting of incoming gas then tighten the new fitting with Teflon dope.
f. Transition the water valve to connect the heater to the water supply. Cut the old fittings, burnish the cut ends and create a solder. Twist the copper with built-in solder. Join pipe segments with unions, liquefy the solder and seal it.
g. Fix the cold water supply with Teflon tape and open wrenches then create a new union between the valve and incoming supply with solder.
h. With the hot water pipe, solder a new fitting to the outgoing pipe that had been cut, roll Teflon tape on it and connect the hot flex pipe. You can now fill the tank with water. Fix the gas flex line as the water is filling up, reconnect the duct and draft hood fot the heater to vent.
i. When the water is full, turn on the gas shut-off valve and pilot light, set the appropriate temperature and the installation is done.
2. Tankless water heater:
Tankless water heaters supply and heat water at the particular time that it is needed.
Pros
· They conserve energy owing to the fact that it heats water only when necessary.
· They are compact and as such occupy a small space.
· They require very minimal maintenance.
Cons
· The initial cost is quite expensive.
· It is affected by power black outs.
Installation
a. Install a vent pipe from the heater to an outside location. Ensure the pipe is vented downwards.
b. Cut holes in the walls for installing thimbles. Proceed to securely fix the vents in to the thimbles.
c. Mount the tankless heater when the piping is done.
d. Run new pipes to supply the heater with water. Fix new copper pipes. Solder each end and slide into the fitting. Torch the fitting, apply solder and fix the joints till they fit.
e. For a tankless gas heater, install a T valve and run a gas line from the valve to the heater.
3) Electric Water Heater: An electric heater uses electricity to heat water when it’s in use.
a. Disconnect power lines and water pipes then take out the old heater.
b. Install the cold and hot water pipes. Fill the tank using the cold water supply. Check for leaks to ensure the tank is completely full.
c. Connect the power wires to the heater, set the thermostat and turn on the circuit breaker. Normal temperatures will be reached in a couple of hours.
Picking an appropriate water heater depends on one’s preference, usage and wallet.
