New Hot Water Heater Installation Guide & Condo Inspection Tips

The following water heater installation guidelines will most likely apply in any jurisdiction (please double check)

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To start your inspection of a new water heater installation in your condominium or home you have to determine what type of water heater you actually have.

The following water heater installation guidelines will most likely apply in any jurisdiction (please double check). The only difference or rather an addition would be water heater strapping and flexible gas connectors that are required in seismic areas.

Below are 4 most common types of water heater installation in Chicago new condos:

  1. Tank type /natural draft water heater with a metal vent pipe (galvanized steel – make sure there is no aluminum vent pipe used)
  2. Tank type / induced draft / power vent water heater with a PVC vent pipe installed
  3. Electric type water heater
  4. Tankless type gas water heaters – depending on manufacturer and design it might be plastic or metal vent pipe

Chicago condo inspection - water heater installation must have a shutoff valve installed on cold water supply lineChicago condo water heater installation inspection - water main shutoff and water heater cold water shutoff valveWater supply line for your Chicago condo water heater installation – it must have a shutoff valve so in case your water heater or any hot water line starts leaking, you can  turn it OFF. The WH water shutoff valve is required on the INLET (cold) pipe only.

Main water shutoff (to turn off water for the entire apartment)  is usually installed close to the water heater valve. If you can’t see the shutoff valve ask for it because it might become handy in some situations.

Condo water heater installation requirementsChicago condo inspection - dielectric unions are required on water heater inlet and outletWater heater installation – hot and cold water supply lines.

Those will be most likely made out of copper (no flexible connectors permitted in Chicago). Because water inlet and outlet of the water heater are galvanized steel, there must be some kind of a separator installed between copper and galvanized. In most cases brass or dielectric union connector (pipe union connector with a plastic insert). Without it, the pipes will eventually corrode and start leaking.

  • Check union connections for leaks on the water heater installation
  • Water heater temperature settings – this is of course totally your choice, but most experts recommend staying below 125°F (48,88°C) – even that temperature could cause second or third degree burns if the child continuously exposes skin to water at that temperature.

1. Natural draft type water heater installation, tank type water heater with a metal vent pipe inspection

Water heater installation vent pipe inspection - always secure with screws to draft hood and never downsizeCheck if the water heater installation metal vent pipe is the same diameter as the draft hood collar diameter (at the connection). Some draft hoods are designed for 3″ and 4″, but if it is only 3″ diameter, and 4″ pipe installed – vent pipe requires reducing coupling. If the draft hood has a 4″ diameter connection – do not reduce it to 3″ because it will compromise proper venting – Carbon Monoxide poisoning hazard.

Water heater installation inspection - vent pipe must never be downsizedChicago condo water heater installation inspection - no tape of any kind on water heater vent pipe connections, they must be secured with screwsWater heater vent pipe should never be downsized along its run!!! If your water heater draft hood was designed for a 4″ vent pipe, it cannot be downsized along its entire run.

  • Every single wall vent pipe connection must be secured with 3 sheet metal screws / no tape of any kind. It’s not because the tape doesn’t seal the connection, it’s because you can’t see through the tape. This sometimes prevents early discovery of a corroding pipe, holes, leaking condensation – they are all signs of a draft problem, which should be spotted as soon as possible and corrected by a professional.

Water heater installation inspection - double wall vent pipe connections are twist and lock type, no screwsCondo water heater installation inspection - gas water heater single wall vent pipe must change to double wall before penetrating ceiling or wallDouble wall (B-vent) water heater vent pipes use twist and lock design / no screws on connections are permitted except for a single wall to a double wall vent pipe type joint.

If your water heater installation has a single wall vent pipe, it must change to a double before wall or ceiling penetration.

  • Minimum 6” clearance to combustible materials is required for a single wall pipe, which must never be installed inside the wall, ceiling, unheated or inaccessible areas.

Chicago condo water heater installation inspection - vent pipe connectionNatural draft water heater vent pipe and an induced draft motor equipped furnace vent pipe must be connected together and to the chimney flue with a “Y” shaped connector

“T” shaped connector installation poses safety hazard, because furnace induced draft motor could push exhaust gases back into the water heater vent pipe and contaminate your condo.

2. Tank type / power vent equipped water heater installation and a PVC vent pipe inspection

Water heater installation vent pipe inspection - make sure that all PVC vent pipe connections are tightAll power vent equipped water heaters PVC vent pipes connections must be glued / air tight (with PVC pipe cement / not silicon), secured at power vent with metal clamp on rubber connector (unless differently specified by the manufacturer)

  • PVC vent pipe size (2″, 3″ or 4″) – you have to check that in water heater manual, it will depend on the water heater size (how many gallons), BTU input, and vent distance from the water heater connection to the exterior wall termination
  • There are louder and quiet water heater power vents but all should be tolerable – if the noise is annoying, there’s usually something wrong with it

Tank type water heater installation – safety drip pan

Condo water heater installation inspection - drip apn required under the water heater where leakage could cause damageWater heater installation in a condominium requires a drip pan where leakage could cause damage (basically every floor above the basement installation)

  • Water heater installation drip pan must be plumbed to the floor drain or other approved location (indirect connections only / it cannot be tied to a sewer line, plumbing vent pipe, etc.) using at least the same diameter pipe as the TPR valve discharge end diameter size (3/4″ in most cases) – check if drain pipe connection to the pan is tight and sealed to prevent leakage.
  • Any water heater installation inside a cabinet, under the counter must include a drip pan

Water heater installation – TPR valve  (Temperature Pressure Relief valve)Water heater installation inspection - tank type water heater always requires TPR valve and a discharge pipeThe discharge pipe from the relief valve on the water heater has been incorrectly plumbed uphillThere must be a safety discharge pipe attached to the TPR valve, same size as the valve discharge end (usually ¾”)

  • TPR valve discharge pipe must never be downsized or run uphill
  • No traps, kinks or any restrictions (such as shutoff valves) are permitted along the TPR valve discharge line

Condo water heater installation inspection - no threads are permitted at the discharge end of TPR valve pipe

  • There must be no threads at the safety pipe discharge end – people are tempted to cap it when it starts leaking. Because leakage is always a sign of a problem – faulty valve or excessive pressure inside the installed water heater tank – it must be fixed immediately. Capping that safety pipe might result in tank explosion.
  • Water heater installation safety valve (TPR valve) pipe must be made out of copper, galvanized steel or CPVC (no PVC pipe permitted – temperature rating too low) – there’s usually marking along the pipe wall

Chicago condo water heater installation inspection - TPR valve discharge pipe must terminate within 6 inches from the floor surface

  • TPR valve discharge pipe must terminate within 6” from the floor surface or continue into the floor drain or other approved location / only indirect connections are permitted
  • No white Teflon tape is permitted on water heater gas pipe connections – small pieces of tape can get shredded during assembly, break off, and flow downstream to block a gas valve. There is a special yellow Teflon tape and compounds / paste available for gas pipe joints.

The flexible gas connectors are not permitted in Chicago and Illinois for water heater installation

  • No flexible gas appliance connectors are permitted on Chicago (and Illinois) water heater installations. Peoples Gas allows CSST (Corrugated Stainless Steel Tubing) as a final connector for permanently installed appliances, such as water heater or furnace but those are still rare in Illinois.

Chicago new condo water heater installation inspection - gas line shutoff valve and drip leg are required

  • Water heater installation gas supply line must have an emergency shutoff valve and so called drip leg installed to collect moisture from gas lines before it contaminates water heater gas valve (where you adjust temperature)

Extremely important and already covered in a different part of this Chicago condo inspection manual – Combustion Air.

3. Electric water heater installation inspection (tank type)

Water heater drip pan, TPR valve and discharge pipe requirements are the same as above.

Chicago condo electric water heater installation inspection - all wiring must be contained within the designated compartmentElectric water heater installation power supplying conduit must not touch water pipe

  • Electrical conduit should be secured to the water heater with a connector and all wiring concealed inside the water heater connection box / other side of the conduit is usually attached to an electric junction box. There should be no loose conduit, exposed wiring, loose connection box / junction box covers.
  • Check electrical panel for a breaker marked “WH” or “water heater” – it will look like (but it should not be) two single breakers with handles connected together (for 220volts).

Electric water heater installation grounding terminal screw and grounding wire installed - water heater inspectionElectric water heater installation grounding requirement - water heater installation manual picture

  • Check for a proper grounding of an electric water heater installation – there should a ground terminal with a screw (usually green color) on top, next to, or inside the wiring box cover. If you can’t see it, turn off the electrical circuit breaker marked “water heater” or the main breaker (safer method) prior to removing the box cover.
  • There should be a green wire or other color wire marked with a green tape attached to it. I would suggest a licensed electrician to trace the other end of the wire (to ensure proper connection) or to install one if missing.

4. Tankless water heater installation inspection

If you have a tankless water heater installation in your condo, you will need a manual included with this appliance. There are too many variables involved / different requirements from different manufacturers.

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