Why hard copper to water heater?
Why are there so many installations (and pictures) of water heaters– see- I did not say hot water heaters –hookups showing
hard copper pipe, complete with a bazillion elbows and turns to line up the feed pipes – feed pipes somtimes come from below the heater .
. Why are there not more installations shown with screw on flex copper (the corrugated stuff not soft copper tubing) or the stainless steel looking screw on flex connectors??
Is it a professional plumber – old time thing? The hard copper is probably better but since a water heater probably will not outlast flex copper or stainess flex- why not use those?
And could the flex be connected directly to a short nipple screwed into the top of the tank to avoid having to fight the elbow problem? ??
Anyone got a pix or two they could post?
Edited 3/4/2008 9:50 pm ET by edwardh1
Replies
bump
Peach full,
easy feelin'.
Thanks for not saying "hot water heater". Pet peeve of mine, like calling a boiler a furnace and "un-thawing pipes".
I wouldn't use them because they're not 'professional' looking. Like I don't use those braided ss toilet supplies.
Well, my hot water heater, heats the water to about 140, cools off to 120 and heats it back up to 120.
Sounds to me like a hot water heater.
Then why don't you say hot water reheater?
“The world is a dangerous place, not because of those who do evil, but because of those who look on and do nothing.” —Albert Einstein
All my places got flex.
See the "conduit vs. romex" thread for Chicago area,
union guys dont like their perogatives transgressed upon, $$$$$$ is wut it iz.
BTW, i got my flex at garage sales for < $1, new neoprene washer and good as new, probably some plumber said 'ya gotta replace these' (for $40) 'the seals are shot'
Edited 3/8/2008 7:48 pm ET by junkhound
More than likely he didn't want the liability of re-using them.
My own water heater is hard piped to insulating unions connected to the tank. The only reason I did that I had two insulating unions on hand so I didn't have to buy flexes.
Not counting my million plus BTU domestic boilers I hook up, I can't remember the last time I hard piped a standard water heater.
For the most part small commercial & resi units I have installed for the last 20yrs have been with flex in some way shape or form.
“The world is a dangerous place, not because of those who do evil, but because of those who look on and do nothing.” —Albert Einstein
if you put in a heat trap loop - how high does the loop have to be (above its inlet level) and does it need to be in only the hot water side? assuming there iss a dip tube in the cold water side of course??
... but you pipe the PRV out in hard copper, right?
IIRC the North Carolina plumbing code calls for a pipe approved for hot water delivery. I can not remember which code it follows. Basically would eliminate pvc and abs I guess. They sell a thinwall cpvc here for that. I have used regular cpvc.
Edited 3/8/2008 11:33 pm ET by rasconc
Yup
“The world is a dangerous place, not because of those who do evil, but because of those who look on and do nothing.” —Albert Einstein
i've had 2 of the stainless flex line fail in my own home... they are not code approved here... the the corrugated is .... i used the stainless stuff because... the heater fails... i have to pick up everything on the way home... with the stainless all i need is a tubing cutter and a couple compression fittings and once i roll up... start to finish ... might be an hour max...
with pex here code requires hard copper to the heater
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Flex wasn't an option when my water heater was installed 32 years ago.
But using hard copper isn't that much more work vs flex, if you're plumbing the rest of the house with copper. Just one more thing to solder up.
Woo
32 years, that's gotta be some kind of record.
Flex wasn't an option when my water heater was installed 32 years ago.
10-15 years=happy camper
Our code mandates solid copper from the tank to the wall. The reasons I have been given for this are:
Mounting surface for hammer arrester and vacuum break.
Exposed pex not allowed without protection.
Pex not rated for high enough pressure should the tank overheat.
I have no idea if these are legitimate reasons or not. Here in earthquake country, having some flexibility between the tank and the wall would seem to me to be a good idea.
There is less water flow in a flex connector than a piece of rigid pipe !!! DAN