How to Install a Water Boiler

Seal the copper pipes to the heater using solder and a torch.

Household boilers or water heaters are attached to one of the cold water supply lines in the home. A second water supply pipe comes out of the heater taking the now hot water to the various faucets. A gas supply pipe also attaches to the heater for its heat source. Both hot outgoing and cold incoming water supply pipes are connected to plastic-lined steel nipples that then attach to the top of the heater. The plastic lining helps stop galvanic corrosion.

Things You'll Need

• Water heater
• Pressure relief valve
• White sealing tape
• Pipe wrench
• 2 plastic-lined steel nipples
• 2 copper pipe fittings
• Emery cloth
• Soldering paste
• Roll of solder
• Propane torch
• Rag
• Metal vent
• Screwdriver
• No.6 sheet metal screws
• Yellow sealing tape
• 4-inch gas nipple
• Flexible gas supply hose
• Soapy water

Instructions

1. Place the water heater in position, making sure it is level, upright and braced against one wall. Use shims or blocks if necessary to support it. Wrap white sealing tape twice clockwise around the male thread on a pressure relief valve and screw the valve by hand into the relief valve inlet near the bottom of the heater. Place a pipe wrench around the valve and tighten it in place.

2. Wrap sealing tape twice clockwise around the threads on both ends of two plastic-lined steel nipples. Screw the nipples by hand into into the heater's water supply inlet and outlet that is located on top of the heater. Tighten them in place with the wrench. Screw a copper pipe fitting onto the other end of both nipples and tighten them in place with the wrench.

3. Sand the outside ends of the incoming and outgoing copper water supply pipes, as well as the inside ends of the copper pipe fittings using the emery cloth. Apply soldering paste to all four sanded areas and push the copper pipe ends into the copper fittings. Unroll 10 inches of solder from its spool. Heat around one pipe seam where the pipe enters into the fitting with a propane torch. Touch the tip of the solder to the seam. If it melts apply 3/4 inch of solder all around the seam. Wipe off any solder drips with a rag. Solder the other copper pipe to the copper fitting following the same process.

4. Run a metal vent through the outside wall and position the end of the vent over the heater's draft hood on the top of the heater between the two nipples. Attach the vent to the heater with No.6 sheet metal screws. The screws attach to pre-drilled holes in the top of the heater.

5. Wrap yellow sealing tape twice clockwise around both ends of a black-coated four inch gas pipe nipple. Screw the nipple by hand into the gas control valve on the bottom side of the heater. Tighten it in place with the wrench. Wrap yellow sealing tape twice clockwise around the thread on the gas shutoff valve. This valve will be on the end of the gas supply pipeline running to the water heater. Screw the end nuts on a flexible gas supply hose to both the thread on the gas shutoff valve and the end thread of the nipple attached to the gas control valve. Tighten each nut in place with the wrench.

6. Turn on the gas shutoff valve. Mix soapy water and apply it to the flexible gas hose nuts, as well as where the nipple enters into the gas control valve. If any bubbles are seen, gas is escaping and the nipple/hose nuts need to be tightened until the bubbles cease.

7. Close the newly-installed drain valve and turn on the water shutoff valves on both the incoming and outgoing water supply pipes. Light the heater's pilot light and turn the dial on the gas control valve to the desired temperature. After the tank has filled, wait 1/2 hour and turn on a hot water faucet for hot water to pour out.

Tips & Warnings

• This article assumes that the incoming copper water supply pipes complete with shutoff valves, as well as the gas supply pipe and end shut-off valve, have been installed.

• If the copper water supply pipes are not long enough to reach the copper pipe fittings, sections of copper pipe will have to be measured and cut to reach from one to the other and soldered in place with copper couplings.

References

• The Family Handyman: Replacing a Water Heater