If you scroll through our Facebook or Instagram feed, chances are you’ll see plenty of pictures of different water heater installations we’ve had. Whether it be Rheem, Bradford White, AO Smith, Ruud, State or any other major water heater brands, it’s one of those projects our service team does every single week. That brings us to the topic of this week’s blog, “10 Reasons to Hire a Professional for a Water Heater Installation.”
Assuming you have a reliable plumber install your new hot water heater and you continue to maintain it over the years (i.e. annual flushing of the sediment), you should expect to see at least 10 years (if not more) out of a tank-style water heater. While there’s some other variables to keep in mind and the realization that most heaters will go longer than 10 years, this is a solid base to start with. Having said that, it’s not entirely uncommon for a lackluster installation to result in a bevy of headaches and issues before that 10 years hits and likely lead to an early failure.
With this in mind, let’s go ahead and dive right into this week’s blog to see why it’s so critical to invest in a licensed plumber for your next water heater install.
1. You Know Who’s Installing It
First and foremost, a major advantage to hiring a professional is that you’re able to do your due diligence prior to hiring them. Trust us, in any major market, you’ll likely have more than a few to pick from! You’ll have the opportunity to check reviews online and ensure you’re hiring someone that truly knows what they’re doing. Take a look through their social media pages or website as well. Do they have water heaters featured throughout? If so, that’s probably a good sign of their reliability!
2. Warranty
The large majority of professional plumbing companies should have some sort of warranty in place. It likely won’t cover drain cleaning, but any type of installation will likely have a warranty. For any service-based business, reviews and reputation are critical to growing one’s operations. If a customer isn’t happy with an installation or something goes wrong immediately, the service provider should stand by their work. Keep in mind that this is something you’ll want to clarify, as every company is a little bit different, and some failures may need to be resolved with the manufacturer’s warranty.
3. Advice on Best Practices
Perhaps one of the most valuable advantages to hiring a professional plumber is that they can fill you in on all of the best practices for maintaining your new water heater. While water heaters are certainly considered a necessity, the investment of replacing them is not something you want to turn into a regular routine!
After the plumber is done installing the heater, make sure to ask them questions like:
- How often should I flush out the mineral build-up? (If this is not something you’d like to do yourself, it wouldn’t hurt to get a price estimate on what that particular contractor charges to do so.)
- Under normal circumstances, roughly how many years can I expect to get out of this new unit?
- What temperature should I keep the unit at and how can we change it if needed?
4. Local Code Requirements
For anyone that’s worked in construction or taken on a remodeling project, you know there are plenty of local code requirements to be mindful of. A professional local plumber should understand all of these concepts, including knowing if a permit needs to be pulled, safety requirements, ventilation standards or any other parameters pertinent to that specific area.
5. Size, Type and Brand Needed
In case you missed it, we did a blog towards the end of 2020 about the many different kinds of water heaters. To sum it up, there’s quite a bit to be mindful! From all the different brands currently available to finding the perfect size for your household, it can seem a little overwhelming.
Rather than trying to personally pick between Rheem and Bradford White, or if a power vent is needed, a professional plumbing company should be able to walk you through all of this in the introductory call. They’ll ask you some basic questions, such as household size, distance traveled to fixtures and peak demand usage, to determine what makes the most sense. And when it comes to finding a reliable brand, most service-focused plumbing companies have plenty of experience with water heaters and will be able to provide quality recommendations.
6. Taking Care of the Old Tank
If you chose to replace the water heater tank yourself, a major question that’ll likely arise is what should you do with the old unit? To ease your concerns on this matter, most licensed plumbing companies will haul off the old tank when they come for the new installation. They’ll make sure it’s properly and safely disposed of, so there’s nothing to worry about for the client.
As an additional piece of advice, it wouldn’t hurt to clarify with the plumbing company up-front whether or not this is included in the bid. We can only speak from our own experiences, in which the haul off and disposal is always included at no additional cost.
7. Potential Hazards
If you’ve noticed a theme thus far in this blog, a major factor has revolved around ensuring you get the max years out of your water heater and a solid overall return on investment. However, this next point is going to solely be focused on your safety! If a water heater isn’t installed correctly, you’re leaving yourself and everyone in the house susceptible to some potential safety hazards.
Even though it doesn’t happen too frequently, water heaters are capable of exploding. Scary, right? While this can be due to a few different factors, one of the most common reasons is pressure. This increased pressure could be a result of too much sediment buildup in the tank, worn-out anode rod or even a gas leak.
A second potential hazard is carbon monoxide poisoning. You’ve likely heard of the health risks present when exposed to higher levels of carbon monoxide. Well, in terms of your water heater, this hazard is directly tied for ventilation. If there isn’t enough airflow or proper ventilation (i.e. blockages or incorrect installation practices), you run the risk of exposing residents to carbon monoxide.
8. Peace of Mind
Yes, hiring a professional plumber to install your water heater is going to require an investment on your part. This is inevitable! However, for our final reason on this blog, the best advantage to hiring a pro is to give you the peace of mind that everything is hooked up correctly. You don’t have to worry about whether or not you included all of the necessary safety measures. You don’t have to worry about if there’s proper ventilation to prevent a carbon monoxide leak. When working with a professional plumber, you’ll have the peace of mind that a reliable unit was installed and everything is set up correctly according to code!
Water Heater Installation Services in Kansas City
As I mentioned in the opening paragraph, water heaters are a major part of our service business year in and year out. It’s of those plumbing elements that’s always needed and certainly can be considered a necessity. If your current water heater is starting to show signs of failure and has been used for 10-plus years, it may be wise to get a few quotes for a new installation.
Here at Stine-Nichols Plumbing, we service the entire Kansas City area, as well as all of the surrounding cities. Whether it be Lee’s Summit, Olathe, Overland Park, Liberty, Kearney or anywhere else, we’re always happy to help! To request a free quote, feel free to fill out this form on our website or give us a call to learn more. We look forward to working with you!