how sturdy is the bottom of a water heater?


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Old 06-21-21, 02:36 PM
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how sturdy is the bottom of a water heater?

Hi, I bought a GE electric water heater model GE50S08BAM01 to replace an old GE water heater that has leaked. Both of them are 50 gallons and of the same height but I didn't know that their widths were different. The old water heater sit on top of a base that has four legs and two horizontal bars crisscrossing, and it fits entirely on the horizontal rods. The plumber came to change the tank but because the new tank is bigger and won't fit inside the base, he rested them on top of the four legs instead of the horizontal bars. It is the outer rim at the bottom (the dark grey part you see at the bottom of the tank), not the tank itself that is making contact with the legs. It looks steady enough, I am not worrying about it tipping over-but i am wondering if these legs will punch through the whole thing over time under all that weight. The plumber told me the rim is steel and it will be ok, but I don't know how to confirm it. I looked through the manual but it doesn't say which part is made out of what. GE customer service doesn't answer either. My guess is the rim itself must be pretty tough to support the weight of the tank.
So I am wondering if you think it's ok to leave it as is or should I call the plumber back and have him fix it-and if so what would the best approach. I would think the best way is to let the tank sit directly on the ground and elongate all the hoses on top so they can reach down to the tank but that probably will add significant cost. Many thanks in advance!






 
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Old 06-21-21, 02:57 PM
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At the minimum, I'd put 3/4" or 1" plywood underneath the tank to lower the chance of point damage from the legs.

Actually at the minimum, I wouldn't support 500+ lbs on such a sketchy setup, but that's just me.
 
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Old 06-21-21, 04:07 PM
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The water heater is fine, but I agree that just seems a little odd.

So as you noted, is there some reason why a stand is even present?
 
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Old 06-21-21, 06:38 PM
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My guess is the rim itself must be pretty tough to support the weight of the tank.
Apparently that's what your plumber is banking on.

The water heater is fine
Not from where I'm looking.
The entire water heater is resting on four legs..... 3/4" or 1" square tubing.
In my book that is unacceptable.


 
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Old 06-21-21, 08:14 PM
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thanks for all of your answers. No ideas why the stand is there but it is there since I bought the house with the old water heater in it. Maybe it was a gas water heater at some point in time. The tubing and stuff on top of the tank are made to only reach down only that much
 
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Old 06-22-21, 07:15 AM
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The following does not need any unhooking of the pipework.

Put a flat piece of wood, suggest at least 6 inches long, atop the metal frame horizontal bar and right next to the vertical metal piece making the 3/4 x 3/4 inch contact with the underside outer rim of the tank shell,

The wood is to spread out the weight of the tank over a larger portion of the tank shell rim.

If stacked pieces of wood are needed to get the needed block thickness at least one piece should be a minimum of 1-1/2 x 1-1/2 x 6 inches.

The piece of wood would have to have a custom thickness to make a tight fit but does not have to lift the tank.

The underside of the rim is permitted to warp slightly but the warp is to be limited to perhaps 1/16 inch by the piece of wood.

Not shown but there should be a strap around the tank near the top and fastened to the wall to make absolutley sure the tank cannot be tipped over. A modest tilt will greatly increase the stresses on the metal stand, possibly causing a buckling collapse that would not occur with the tank upright.
 

Last edited by AllanJ; 06-22-21 at 07:43 AM.
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Old 06-22-21, 07:28 AM
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They're sturdy-
Watch "mythbusters"
 
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Old 06-22-21, 08:55 AM
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In what room of the house is the water heater? Are you in a coastal area or a region prone to flooding?

In coastal or flood prone regions I have seen appliances elevated to keep them out of water. It is also common for gas gas appliances to be elevated in garage and some basement areas for fire prevention but I've never seen it done with a electric heater though.
 
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Old 06-22-21, 01:58 PM
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Eh, I don't see a problem with the ~500 lbs water heater's steel based being supported by the stand,
If anything, I'd be concerned about the wood flooring beneath..
 
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Old 06-22-21, 04:27 PM
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Maybe we're not all on the same page here. That stand is very heavy duty and if the water heater was sitting on the stand properly and not on top of those four pieces of square stock all would be ok. Not only is the integrity of the water heat in question.... it could actually slip off those legs.
 
 

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