Moving water heater


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Old 08-28-14, 08:39 AM
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Moving water heater

Hello,

I've read up on moving a water heater but haven't found a detailed answer to my thought.

I am buying a new house and the water heater is currently outside. It's in an unpleasant location because the back walkway is fairly narrow and the water heater takes up a lot of space where it is at. The vent is also by a window which may be a code issues.

Anyways, I would like to move the water heater into the garage. Now, this seems easy because the garage has water and gas hookups for clothes washer and dryer, and the water heater could just sit right next to the washer/dryer.

So, my question refers how to hook up the hot water supply from the heater to the main house plumbing. Could the hot water line for the washing machine just be easily T'd off right there? If so this would require such small amount of work to do. Or, would doing this somehow cause pressure issues in the house? Would I need to hook into the house hot water line some other way?

Thanks.
 
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Old 08-28-14, 09:23 AM
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What is the size of the water lines near the washer? What is the size of the water lines connecting to the water heater in it's current location?

Also, check your local codes for installing a water heater in a garage. They may specify that it be a minimum height off the floor, be strapped and have flexible connections. The height is for protection against igniting gasoline vapors which are heavier than air and hug the floor. The strapping is to prevent the heater from falling over if it gets bumped or during an earthquake. The flexible connections also help protect in an earthquake against water and gas leaks.
 
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Old 08-28-14, 10:08 AM
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Ya all the code stuff (venting, straps, height) is fine. My main concern is with the lines.

I'm fairly sure it's currently 3/4" galvanized, and the line to the washer is 3/4" galvanized. But yes, that is something I'll verify.

So, the main question is if it is a 3/4" galvanized steel line to the washer, and all safety code requirements can be met, is that 3/4" line good to tap into?
 
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Old 08-28-14, 12:35 PM
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If you have 3/4" lines all around it should be. Often a larger 3/4" trunk line is run and smaller 1/2" lines branch off to each fixture. In that situation simply tying into the 1/2" trunk lines would not be a good idea. It would work but your flow would be reduced.
 
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Old 08-28-14, 12:49 PM
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How old is the house? I didn't think galvanized had been used in a long, long time.
 
 

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