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Build your dream home for under $3500, Cobb - reprinted at InspectApedia.com (C) 20118Plumbing for Hot Water Heaters & Storage Tanks
Chapter 13 of How to Build Your Dream Home © 2020 InspectApedia.com

This article series provides an updated version of Hubbard Cobb's Your Dream Home, illustrated by Sigman-Ward, first published by Wm. H. Wise & Co. New York, 1950.

From site selection and obtaining financing through each step in construction of a single family home the simple procedures and drawings in this book are still useful for anyone building or repairing a home or other small structure.

InspectAPedia tolerates no conflicts of interest. We have no relationship with advertisers, products, or services discussed at this website.

Plumbing for Hot Water Heaters & Storage Tanks

Figure 37. Method of connecting lines to gas or electric hot-water heater (c) InspectApedia.com 2019An adequate supply of hot water is a pendent hot-water heater. Of course, “must” in any modern home, and it will certainly pay to get the very best type of equipment for heating it.

The domestic hot water can be heated by the home's heating boiler or by means of an independent heater (Depending on where you live, synonyms for hot water heater include calorifier, geyser, or hot water cylinder.)

Of course if you use some sort of warm-air heating system, you must have an independent water heater.

Many persons have the the idea that water heated by the boiler (typically by a tankless coil) is not costing them anything. This is not correct by any means.

Additional fuel will be required to heat the hot water in winter, when the system is in full operation, as well as in summer, when the system only goes into operation long enough to heat the water for the plumbing system. The only type of furnace that is suitable for heating the hot-water supply all year around is one that is fully automatic, such as a gas or oil burner.

Details about tankless coils are at TANKLESS COILS - home

This is a section of Chapter 13 of BUILD YOUR DREAM HOME at InspectApedia.com - online encyclopedia of building & environmental inspection, testing, diagnosis, repair, & problem prevention advice.

This entire chapter is also available as PLUMBING SYSTEM INSTALLATION [eBook], or as a PDF image at THE HOUSE PLUMBING SYSTEM [PDF] original page images.

Independent hot-water heaters run on either gas or electricity. Both types are very efficient and are fully automatic. The deciding factor as to which one to use is the local gas and electric-power rates. These heaters have a built-in, insulated, hot-water storage tank. The tanks are made of galvanized iron, copper, or steel lined with glass.

The size of hot water storage tank required will depend on the number of persons in the household.

Fig. 37. Method of connecting lines to gas or electric hot-water heater.

Fig. 37 shows the method of connecting up a gas or electric hot-water heater. A tee is attached to the hot-water line at the top of the heater, and to this is attached a hot-water relief valve.

A line is run from the relief valve to the floor, where it empties into a bucket, or is run outside of the house. The purpose of the relief valve is to prevent the hot-water storage tank from exploding if the pressure inside becomes too great.

The line to the floor (TPR valve discharge tube) is necessary to prevent anyone’s being burned by the hot water and steam escaping from the valve.

[Obsolete: When the local water supply has a very high mineral or lime content, the relief valve should be placed on the cold-water entrance pipe to the heater because it will not become coated with minerals in this location as readily as if it were installed on the hot-water line.] - Current plumbing safety codes require the temperature pressure relief valve to be attached directly to the hot water tank.

An good alternative to tankless coils and often to conventional independent tank-type water heaters are tankless water heaters or "demand" water heaters. These water heating systems use no hot water storage tank but rather heat water as needed, on-demand.

Tankless coils and tankless water heaters are both prone to rapid mineral clogging of the water heating coil in areas where water is high in mineral content ("hard water"). For those installations you will want a suitable water softener installed upstream of the water heater.

Details about tankless water heaters are at TANKLESS WATER HEATERS - home

Water Heater Exhaust Venting

Gas-fired heaters should be equipped with a vent from the top to allow the fumes from the heater to be carried outside. The vent stack can be of metal or other code-approved materials. Newer gas-fired high-efficiency condensing water heating equipment may vent directly outside through a side-wall using plastic exhaust venting and no chimney at all.

Details about direct-vent and side-wall vented heaters are at DIRECT VENTS / SIDE WALL VENTS - home

Fig. 38 shows the method of connecting a hot-water storage tank when the water is to be heated by the furnace boiler. A horizontal tank is used rather than a vertical one, and the tank should be insulated to prevent heat loss.

Fig. 38. Connection of hot-water storage tank to furnace hot-water heater using a side-arm coil to make domestic hot water for washing and bathing.

All types of alternative means of making hot water are given at ALTERNATIVE HOT WATER SOURCES - home

Hot Water Supply


...

Continue reading at PLUMBING SYSTEM PRESSURE TESTS - next section of this chapter, or go to book contents at BUILD YOUR DREAM HOME, or select a topic from the closely-related articles below, or see the complete ARTICLE INDEX.

 

Or see these sections of Chapter 13 - PLUMBING SYSTEM INSTALLATION

  1. PROPER PLUMBING WORK is IMPORTANT
  2. WATER SUPPLY SOURCES
  3. TYPES of PIPING MATERIALS
  4. COPPER PIPE INSTALLATION
  5. COPPER FLARE CONNECTIONS
  6. PIPE SIZE SELECTION
  7. CAST IRON PIPE INSTALLATION
  8. PLUMBING SYSTEM LAYOUT PLAN
  9. PLUMBING FIXTURE INSTALLATION BATH KITCHEN
  10. WATER HEATERS & TANKS
  11. PLUMBING SYSTEM PRESSURE TESTS
  12. SEPTIC TANK, DRAINFIELD INSTALLATION
  13. PLUMBING MATERIALS LIST for the basic house

Or see these

Water Heater Articles

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WATER HEATERS & TANKS at InspectApedia.com - online encyclopedia of building & environmental inspection, testing, diagnosis, repair, & problem prevention advice.


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INDEX to RELATED ARTICLES: ARTICLE INDEX to WATER HEATERS

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