Proper Water Heater Installation
Proper Water Heater Installation
There are numerous ways in which to plumb a Water Heater based hot water system. The following guidelines are based on over 20 years of experience and extensive observation as well as ongoing logging of water heater problems.
For purposes of illustration we will use the following example:
Where to put a Return Line?
The correct location for return line is when it is plumbed into the cold water feed. This will pre heat the new water coming into the system, and prevent temperature shock. DO NOT plumb the return line into the heater drain. Plumbing the return line into the heater drain my cause problem with clogging. This is because heater drain is the lowest part of the heater tank and can become clogged with sediment. Experience has taught us that the best place for the return feed line is into the cold water feed line.
Why a spigot on the return line?
Air in the return line will stop the flow through the system. Any time repairs are made to the hot water side of the system the system should be bled at the heater room to ensure proper flow of water through the return pump. Further, on systems that incorporate a water cooled pump design this is critical to continued pump operation. All return lines should have a means for bleeding the entire return system without back-flow from the heater.
Recommended shut off valve locations:
Heater Drain
Return Bleed
Each side of the return Pump
Recommended check valve locations:
heater drain
return bleed
Recommended spigot locations:
heater drain
return bleed
The proper gas line size:
To get the full Btu performance from the installed heater make sure to install the correct gas line size to the heater. If your heater / boiler is whistling, chances are that the gas line is likely undersized, as a rule of thumb the inlet size of the heater gas valve is the correct size opening do not undersize the pipe into the gas valve.
Return Pump Installation:
Water cooled return pumps must be installed with the motor horizontal if installed vertical with the motor up air can become trapped and over heat the pump, with the motor down sediment can gather at the bottom and impair cooling of the pump DO NOT use aqua-stats on the return line for return pump control, there is no effect on energy savings by doing so. If you do, each time the pump comes on it will fill the heater with cooled water from the loop that must now be reheated. For optimum energy efficiency, keep the return line as close to delivery temperature as possible.