Water heater installation can be tricky , which is why Barry Jolly is here to explain what homeowners need to look for to keep their family safe. Jolly is a graduate of Northern Kentucky University, and the owner of Jolly Plumbing, which serves clients throughout the Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky area.
It is really important that water heaters are installed by a professional and that they are installed correctly, because a number of things can happen if they aren’t.
If you have an improperly installed water heater sitting in your home, then we have to be concerned about the exhaust. If a gas water heater is not vented properly, then of course we could have some seriously carbon monoxide problems. And those are things that could result in serious consequences, or even death. That’s why the exhaust feature, and making sure that the water heater has proper ventilation, is first on our list of things to check out.
The second thing to look at is the pressure relief valve on the water heater. If the pressure relief valve is not installed properly, then the tank can actually explode. Once again, that is obviously a dangerous situation, and one that can also cause death. So when we go in to look at a hot water heater, that is another important thing we are looking for.
Finally, the third major thing we are looking at with water heater installations is the maximum water temperature. We want to avoid scalding. If the water lines are not installed properly, and the water heater is not set at the correct temperature, then that could result in extremely hot water, which can scald any adult or child. Parents especially want to be sure that this is not a problem in their home as a way to protect their children.
In any new installation of a water heater, people have to go through a required inspection and permitting process. So if you are a homeowner who is having a new hot water heater installed these days, then you will have an inspection by a state plumbing inspector, which will ensure that the heater has been installed properly.
However, if you are a new homeowner who recently purchased a house, then you have no idea whether the water heater was properly installed or inspected during its installation. Here, I recommend calling your plumber or contractor and having someone from his company come over to your new house and check it out for you.
Our company offers whole house plumbing inspections, so checking out how a homeowner’s water heater set up would be part of that inspection. We also have what is a called a Preferred Customer Plan, which gives our customers the option of paying $199 for a lifetime plan that includes a free annual plumbing inspections of your house’s entire system. It also includes a 10% discount on all the labor charges for any problems that come up, as well.
So these plans are something that a lot of our local folks around here enjoy and appreciate, and they are definitely a good idea for anyone who is moving into a new home and needs a way to make sure everything is set up correctly and functioning properly, both now and continually in the future.
