How To: Replace an Electric Water Heater
Taylor Freeman, a journeyman plumber, uses SharkBite Max to change an electric water heater. Follow as he explains how to install it quickly and easily, with pro tips along the way.
First, assess the state of your current water heater and what needs to change. After you know what to improve in your water heater setup, you’re ready to remove the old unit.
Remove the Old Water Heater
Before starting this project, here is a list of tools you’ll need to complete the job.
- Pressure gauge
- Voltage tester
- Hand pump or air compressor
- Tongue and groove pliers
- Screwdriver
- Pipe dope
- Teflon tape
- CPVC cutters
1. Shut off power and water
Measure pressure. First, check your home water pressure with a pressure gauge. Normal home pressure ranges from 50 to 70 psi. Note your home pressure so you know what pressure to set your new expansion tank to later.
Cut the power. After locating the power breaker, turn off the power to the water heater and use a voltage tester to test that the wires on your current water heater are free of electricity. We recommend taking a picture of your current wire setup so you know how to reconnect them later. After confirming the wires are not live, you can turn the water off.
Shut off water. Locate your main water shut-off and turn the water off so you can start draining your water heater.
Read More: How to Turn Off Main Water Valve for Plumbing Repairs
2. Drain the plumbing system and your water heater
After turning your water off, open a couple of faucets to drain your system. To drain your water heater, connect a water hose to the drain valve on the unit. Open the T&P valve to flush out the remaining water left in your water heater.
There is a chance that it does not drain because of sediment build-up at the bottom. If this happens, your supply lines will be filled with water, so use a bucket when disconnecting your hot and cold lines.
3. Prep the new water heater
While the old water heater drains, unbox your new water heater and use Teflon tape, or plumber’s tape, and pipe dope to seal the threads on the nipples. Make sure to wrap the tape around clockwise, at least three times.
To make your water heater connections, start by threading an Eastman expansion tank tee to the cold supply line so you can easily install your expansion tank. Then, prep a SharkBite Max male adapter with Teflon tape and pipe dope and thread it onto the T&P valve.
4. Remove the old water heater
First, disconnect your wires on the old water heater and cap them. Then, disconnect both supply lines and use a bucket to catch any water that may come out as you loosen the connections. When cutting your pipes, cut just above the connectors so you have plenty of pipe length to make new connections later. After cutting out the old lines, including the relief line, it’s time to install the new water heater.
Connect the New Water Heater
Before you move on, set your new heater on a drain pan. For this installation, the customer also requested the water heater be set on a HoldRite floor stand.
1. Connect supply lines
The most important part of installing your supply lines is measuring and marking your pipe. The SharkBite Max water heater connection kit makes this easy with two flexible corrugated water heater connectors that bend and adapt to your current setup.
To install, measure the height of your two supply lines relative to the ground. This measurement should be higher on the cold supply line because of the expansion tank tee. Then, measure the amount of space you need to connect the supply lines to your existing pipes. The minimum length our connectors can be is around 4 to 6 inches, so consider this, as well as the insertion depth chart below, before cutting your existing pipes.
| SharkBite Fitting Size | Nominal Pipe Size | Pipe OD | SharkBite 1st Generation Insertion Depth | SharkBite Max Insertion Depth |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1/4 in. | 1/4 in. CTS | 3/8 in. | 13/16 in. (21 mm.) | |
| 3/8 in. | 3/8 in. CTS | 1/2 in. | 15/16 in. (24 mm.) | |
| 1/2 in. | 1/2 in. CTS | 5/8 in. | 15/16 in. (24 mm.) | 1 in. (25 mm.) |
| 5/8 in. | 5/8 in. CTS | 3/4 in. | 1-1/8 in. (29 mm.) | |
| 3/4 in. | 3/4 in. CTS | 7/8 in. | 1-1/8 in. (28 mm.) | 1-1/4 in. (32 mm.) |
| 1 in. | 1 in. CTS | 1-1/8 in. | 1-5/16 in. (33 mm.) | |
| 1-1/4 in. | 1-1/4 in. CTS | 1-3/8 in. | 1-7/8 in. (48 mm.) | |
| 1-1/2 in. | 1-1/2 in. CTS | 1-5/8 in. | 2-1/16 in. (52 mm.) | |
| 2 in. | 2 in. CTS | 2-1/8 in. | 2-3/16 in. (56 mm.) |
After cutting out the excess pipe, deburr the pipes with the SharkBite depth and deburr tool and ensure the pipes are free of debris. Then, mark your insertion depths. Now, just push your connectors onto your existing pipe and tighten them onto the water heater. Use channel locks to ensure a snug fit.
2. Install the expansion tank
Use an air pump or compressor to set the expansion tank to the home water pressure. This will prevent your expansion tank from filling with water and becoming faulty. Then, wrap the threads clockwise with Teflon tape and apply pipe dope. Then thread and tighten the expansion tank into the expansion tank tee and secure the tank with a strap mounted to nearby studs.
3. Connect the relief line
Installing a relief line makes draining the water heater easier and without the need to cut the pipe.
First, find out where your T&P valve is located relative to your existing plumbing. For this install, the relief line needed to take two 90-degree turns, but if your setup is different, you may need fewer fittings.
To start, cut PEX pipe to your desired length and deburr and measure and mark the correct insertion depth for both ends. Then, attach a SharkBite Max tee on one end and push the pipe end into the male adapter on the T&P valve. Repeat the pipe cutting, deburring and marking process for the rest of the connections.
- Push a SharkBite Max cap onto the the pipe extending from the bottom of your Max tee.
- Push a SharkBite Max coupling onto your existing pipe on one side and to a new pipe on the other.
- Push a SharkBite Max elbow onto the pipe extending from the side of your Max tee. Connect the remaining end of your elbow to the pipe extending from your Max coupling.
Finish the Install
Turn the water back on. After making your connections, open nearby faucets and then slowly turn the main water line back on. Never turn the electricity back on before filling your water heater with water. This will burn the elements inside and ruin your water heater.
Wire the new water heater. After turning the main water line on, slowly open the ball valve on your water heater. Once you have opened the T&P valve and hear that the tank is full, reconnect the wires on your heater. To do this, reference the picture you took of your old water heater wiring. It’s important to know which wire is your live wire and which one is neutral.
Turn the power back on. Next, tuck everything under the faceplate and screw it down to your water heater. Turn the electrical on and after about an hour, check a faucet to ensure you have hot water.