Why You Shouldn’t Install a Water Heater Yourself

When it comes to home improvements and repairs, many people have a tendency to overestimate their abilities on the handiness front. (Sorry men - this means you). While certain home projects might be okay to tackle on your own, one aspect of home improvement that you’re better off not attempting is water heater installation. Daniel Fish is the owner of Daniel Fish Plumbing, a business serving Los Angeles and Ventura counties, and according to him, the act of installing a water heater on your own could come with some serious repercussions.

First of all, water heater installation can be complicated. Even the most seasoned professionals will admit that under certain circumstances, water heater installation can be tricky. By handling the task on your own, you could damage your home. What type of damage? Improper installation can result in everything from a carbon monoxide leak to a full-blown explosion. Therefore, by installing a water heater yourself, you could end up not only putting your home at risk, but putting yourself at risk.

Even if you do happen to be confident in your ability to not blow up the house, you should be aware that water heaters are heavy and cumbersome. By installing one on your own, you could injure yourself in the process. So while self-installation might help you avoid a plumber’s fee, what you save on that might be swept away by medical bills and time taken off of work to recover from injury or strain.

Another reason why it’s a bad idea to install your own water heater is that unlike professional plumbers, most people aren’t familiar with their local county, city, or township regulations. As a result, many homeowners who attempt to install their own heaters do so in a manner that isn’t up to code. Depending on your location, if you’re discovered to have improperly installed a water heater, then you could find yourself faced with a fine. Also, while some inspectors might allow an improperly-installed water heater to stay provided that the necessary installation adjustments are made, in areas with stricter guidelines, you might be forced to bring in a professional to have the heater removed and reinstalled from scratch.

One thing that many people don’t realize about water heater installation is that it requires a certain set of tools, some of which the average person doesn’t tend to have. Sure, you could go out and purchase all of the materials you’ll need for installation. But instead of doing that, why not just pay a professional to come in and install your water heater instead? The great thing about experienced plumbers is that they’re bound to have all the right tools for the job; and from a monetary perspective, it might not even cost you that much more to pay for professional installation.

Something else to consider about hot water heaters is that proper installation usually requires a certain degree of expertise. Believe it or not, it is possible to install a water heater in a manner that won’t necessarily cause damage, but that will end up preventing the unit from functioning to the best of its capacity. By hiring a plumber for water heater installation, you’ll get the benefit of having the unit installed in a manner that will allow it to operate efficiently. Another thing to keep in mind about new hot water heaters is that many come with warranties, some more limited than others. By installing your water heater yourself, you could end up nullifying the warranty and cheating yourself out of parts and labor that would otherwise be covered in the event that something does happen to go wrong with the unit in the future.

One final thing to remember about water heater installation is that if you’re not a plumber, then this type of thing is not what you do for a living, and as handy as you might be, you’re not nearly as qualified as a licensed, experienced plumbing professional. By installing a water heater on your own, you could end up causing more harm than good and might find yourself paying extra for a plumber to come in and fix your mistakes. Furthermore, if an insured plumber happens to damage your home as a result of a mistake during the installation process, then you, as a homeowner, will be covered by his insurance policy. However, if you choose to tackle the task yourself, then you alone will be on the hook for any financial consequences.

Remember, water heater installation isn’t easy. So rather than expose yourself to the many things that could go wrong as the result of your lack of experience, hire a plumber and rest assured that your heater will be installed safely and reliablely.