Moving a water heater (floor, water tank, vac, drain)

[littlelou]

I know I'd have to call in a plumber, I'm handy with somethings, but plumbing and electricity are 2 things I won't touch!! I'm looking at a house that has a squatty water heater in the corner of the Kitchen under a cabinet and I'd like to move it to the Laundry room. I'm really considering the Rinnai system that heats when you need it instead of having a tank, but wanted to know if the process of moving it is a major headache.

any suggestions?

[Barking Spider]

You have to move two water pipes and the electrical connection.

This could be fairly easy, or it could be the job from hell. But remember, "you can do anything you want if you have enough money".

If your laundry room and kitchen happen to share the same wall, then it could be very easy. What I mean is if the water heater is on the other side of the wall from where you want to place it.

If it's not.....
If you have a crawlspace or basement where someone can get under the areas needed, it still is not that big of a job. That's assuming the wires and water pipes are running under there.

If you do not have easy access to the pipes and wiring, then the job just got more complicated.

Hope this helps

[tamcim72]

if you do add a timer so that water is only heated when you need it.

[littlelou]

thanks for the help, after having my apartment squishy when the water heater gave up a few months back (lousy maintenance men didn't even bring up a shop vac to remove the water in the carpet) I'm very leery of a tank type water heater. This hous has the water heater tucked in the corner cabinet and for my own comfort sake, I'd like it more accessible "in case". Gives me something else to consider during the purchase.

[Donn2390]

Originally Posted by tamcim72

if you do add a timer so that water is only heated when you need it.

Tankless heaters only work upon demand.

[Donn2390]

Originally Posted by littlelou

thanks for the help, after having my apartment squishy when the water heater gave up a few months back (lousy maintenance men didn't even bring up a shop vac to remove the water in the carpet) I'm very leery of a tank type water heater. This hous has the water heater tucked in the corner cabinet and for my own comfort sake, I'd like it more accessible "in case". Gives me something else to consider during the purchase.

If a hot water heater is properly installed, it will have a catch pan under it, and a drain line leading from the pan to a safe place outside, thus no squishy carpet.
Tankless are great, but expensive to purchase, and expensive to install.

[littlelou]

Originally Posted by Donn2390

If a hot water heater is properly installed, it will have a catch pan under it, and a drain line leading from the pan to a safe place outside, thus no squishy carpet.
Tankless are great, but expensive to purchase, and expensive to install.

now I have the catch pan, no drain line though. I live in a cheap apartment and the maintenance men are lazy and cheap. Of course the water heater is in a closet in the MIDDLE of the building too, so the layout isn't the best. I'm so paranoid, I check it at least twice daily to make sure it's not leaking. The leak happened near the end of April and the guy downstairs is still waiting to have the ceiling of his closet repaired. I keep telling myself I live here to save money, and I don't have to pay for these repairs, but it gets frustrating!

[Donn2390]

I bet if you check your City code, the pan and drain line are required by law. Perhaps a little birdie needs to whisper into the City Code enforcement officers ear...?
If you are renting an apt, you definately don't want a tankless heater. They are wonderful, last for 20 years, all the good stuff, but extremely expensive to instal. They require a larger NG line, a stainless steel vent pipe, both of which double the cost of the tankless heater. Then you decide to move in two years, then what?
A new W/H should be trouble free for at the very least, 5 years, probably twice that. You just need to get over your fears.

[littlelou]

Originally Posted by Donn2390

I bet if you check your City code, the pan and drain line are required by law. Perhaps a little birdie needs to whisper into the City Code enforcement officers ear...?
If you are renting an apt, you definately don't want a tankless heater. They are wonderful, last for 20 years, all the good stuff, but extremely expensive to instal. They require a larger NG line, a stainless steel vent pipe, both of which double the cost of the tankless heater. Then you decide to move in two years, then what?
A new W/H should be trouble free for at the very least, 5 years, probably twice that. You just need to get over your fears.

Thanks for the advice Donn, no the tankless is what I'm considering for a house I am looking at. I am trying to prepare before I move, because this particular house is at a great price, will need some minor rehabbing....more for my comfort/taste, but the water heater is fresh in my mind and it just puzzled me being in the kitchen, under a cabinet top. strange place I thought and wondered about the difficulties in moving it.


There are soooooooo many thing I could call Code enforcement on at these apartments, along with Family and Childrens Services, GF/BF and 5 kids in a 3rd floor 2 bedroom apartment? and on weekends/summer cousins are there too.....one weekend last summer 9 kids under the age of 10. They live in the front of my building and luckily I'm in the back, but the noise in the breezeway is enough to wake the Dead in China,.that's one example....meth lab in the building next door twice in the last 2 years. I just keep telling myself, you're saving money, cheap rent, you don't have to pay repairs, they don't live above you, etc!!

[shhensl]

I need to move a hot water tank 30'. The water supply lines run from an outer wall in the concrete slab. The area I am moving the tank to is next to a sink in the laundry room. Do I have to jack hammer up the concrete to move the water heater or can I hook up to the existing water lines to the sink?