Water Heater Made In USA

[Ernesto]

Had to buy a new water heater, gas. The old one was only 27 years old and started leaking. Surrounded by a hardwood floor, yikes!

But I found one made in USA by American. Man does it heat up water quick! The pilot light is powered by a Honeywell thermopile system that needs no electricty and has some sort of electronic stuff in it. I've never been so excited about a new appliance since the new toilet I installed.

The ones over at sears and box stores were made in Chine.

Oh forgot, $350 ish for the heater, $100 ish for the extra parts, lines new valves and $350 for the plumbers labor!. 1 1/2 hours. I asked him if he needed a new employee.

 

[DarisMulkin]

Why didn't you install it yourself? There is nothing to it.
I did my own. The hardest part is getting the old one out, in my case the basement.

Daris

 

[Floorist]

I installed a new one a couple months ago. Had to replace the inlet and outlet pipes, Did it all myself. 3rd one I have put in here in 20 years. Nothing to it.

 

[Ernesto]

My wife said no F'in way are you installing a water heater, she doesn't even like me doing faucets

This all was due to a misfortunate incident where I tried to replace a washer in a 30 year old faucet. Broke the handle off, then trying to replace the faucet I broke the wall mounted sink. Fitty cent repair turned into a $200 repair.

I do toilets though!

It was leaking from inside the outer skin. I'm glad I did have a professional do it cus I woulda tried to drain it with a hose. The plumber dude thought it was leaking from the drain faucet seal thingy......he was right. He took the whole heater outside with water in it and when he tried to turn on the handle to drain it it popped off and out came 40 gallons of hot water. It was made of plastic. This new one is brass welded to the steel tank.

That would have been a bad mistake. I can just picture me trying to deal with 40 gallons of water running down my hardwood hallway and into the livingroom. Sometimes it pays to hire a pro.

 

[DarisMulkin]

Here ia am replacing my water heater and fooling around. Can you hear me now.

 

[Darol Wester]

$350 for the plumbers labor!. 1 1/2 hours. I asked him if he needed a new employee.

Really!!! He got that much for 1 1/2 hrs.? I'll fill out an application too. Unbelievable!!! I wish I'd gotten that much money for all the W/Heaters I've installed.

Glad you got'r done. A nice feeling.

 

[Ernesto]

Here ia am replacing my water heater and fooling around. Can you hear me now.

Yea, those braided flex lines don't pass code here buddy. I'll try and post pics of real ones for ya. I seen them leak.

Anywho. The intent of this thread was about the fact you CAN find an American made water heater. But you will probably have to go to a local home town hardware/heating/cooling retailer. Not box stores.

 

[Ernesto]

Really!!! He got that much for 1 1/2 hrs.? I'll fill out an application too. Unbelievable!!! I wish I'd gotten that much money for all the W/Heaters I've installed.

Glad you got'r done. A nice feeling.

Hey darol, it is a relief. I certainly entertained installing it. But I am not all that skilled at sweating copper pipes and woulda probably started the house on fire to. I definetly coulda done a Daris to it.

Not sure he got all the dough but it is a family run plumbing business, his dad owns it and his brother is a plumber too. Nice guys. People like us can tell a pro in a heartbeat from a hack, you can smell a hack a mile away. I bet he gets at least 40 bucks an hour. I would hope so.

Oh, reminds me I have to go "like" them on FB.

 

[Ernesto]

Daris, is that a Dick Tracy watch yer a wearin in that pic?

 

[Floorist]

Many places you can't use sweated copper anymore. The lead can contaminate your water. Copper hasn't been used for water here for years. Those aren't flex lines, they ae called plex. They are stronger than copper and flexible.

 

[Ernesto]

Lead smead. Ain't no lead in the stuff nomore.

Here is how we do it here and pretty sure in CA. We is pretty high tech here.

 

[Floorist]

Only copper used here is with compression fittings. That safety pop off would not code here either. Too short.

 

[Ernesto]

Whats wrong with the copper flex lines? The old ones lasted 27 years. Those braided steel lines would not last. Can they even handle the pressure? I saw a client of mine use those and they leaked. Besides thats American copper yer lookin at buddy.

 

[DarisMulkin]

Daris, is that a Dick Tracy watch yer a wearin in that pic?

Nope its my Rolex-Timex-takes a licking and keeps on ticking watch.

The braided lines I used are susposed to shut off water flow incase of a burst line. Pricey little buggars they were.
My last heater lasted just a week short of 24 years. It was a cheap $125 heater at the time. The one I just put in[3 years ago] was almost $400. Any bets on if it will last as long?
Sweating copper is really quite easy. You can even make the solder go up hill.
Trick is , is to put the torch on the backside of the joint and the solder on the opposite. Solder goes to the heat source.
Man I'm cheap, about the only thing I won't do around the house is fool with gas. Gas leaks are known to cause houses to blow up.
Lead wass taken out of solder in the 80's I believe. Of coarse there still could be some attic stock. I think I still have a roll.

Daris

 

[havasu]

Why does the gas line have a tee and nipple past the gas coupling?

 

[DarisMulkin]

Whats wrong with the copper flex lines? The old ones lasted 27 years. Those braided steel lines would not last. Can they even handle the pressure? I saw a client of mine use those and they leaked. Besides thats American copper yer lookin at buddy.

Don't want to use copper around here. The thieves break into the houses to steel it. In a few cases when the home owner was in the house.

Daris

 

[Ernesto]

Sounds like somone is dumbing down the code back there.

I got some old soder round here, my dad's shed is full of it, probably a hazmat zone in there.

havasu...... Why does the gas line have a tee and nipple past the gas coupling?

@ havasu, thats in case you want to hook up a Barbie in the house, ha ha, really, thats for the krap in the gas line, it falls down in there instead of going though the system and clogging it up. Newer code. See, I would not have done that either.

 

[Darol Wester]

The old ones lasted 27 years. Those braided steel lines would not last. Can they even handle the pressure?

The stainless braided has been used here for quite a while now for hot and cold supply from the angle stops under sinks. So far, so good. Haven't heard of a problem yet, though we do use the flex copper on w/heaters.

 

[Ernesto]

The stainless braided has been used here for quite a while now for hot and cold supply from the angle stops under sinks. So far, so good. Haven't heard of a problem yet, though we do use the flex copper on w/heaters.

Yup, I use them there as well but at the source? Never seen that before. It's a continious heat stream out of the heater, and even the inlet portion stays hot all the time.

BUY AMERICAN MADE WATER HEATERS!

 

[DarisMulkin]

Sounds like somone is dumbing down the code back there.

I got some old soder round here, my dad's shed is full of it, probably a hazmat zone in there.




@ havasu, thats in case you want to hook up a Barbie in the house, ha ha, really, thats for the krap in the gas line, it falls down in there instead of going though the system and clogging it up. Newer code. See, I would not have done that either.

We've had that code for years.

Daris