QA

Question: How To Install Flexible Water Heater Connectors

Can you use flex hose on water heater?

You can use flexible gas tubes or water pipes for a gas water heater in most states. In states with earthquakes, they can even be mandatory. If your existing gas pipe has CSST (corroded stainless steel tubes) or has not been glued, the connection should be replaced right away.

Can you use SharkBite fittings on a hot water heater?

SharkBite hot water heater connections are approved for use on electric or gas water heaters with a flu vent.

How tight should water heater connections be?

Hand Tight is Right. In fact, pipes should only be hand tight to help aid the flow of water throughout your home. Over-tightening will also warp the rubber fittings inside the pipes over time, which can increase the risk of leaks. Turn a plumbing fitting only until you feel it tighten, then stop.

Can you connect PEX pipe directly to water heater?

PEX can’t be directly connected to a water heater. from your water heater and connect the PEX to the pipe.

What type of pipe is used for hot water heater?

CPVC (schedule 80) pipe is rated for use up to 200 degrees Fahrenheit. This makes it ideal for use on hot water lines in homes and businesses.

Where should you not use SharkBite fittings?

A SharkBite fitting contains a rubber O-ring, which is not best for permanent connections. We don’t recommend using a SharkBite fitting outside because sunlight can dry out the rubber O-ring and cause it to crack or split.

How long will SharkBite fittings last?

How long do SharkBite fittings last? SharkBite fittings last a long time. In fact, SharkBite warrants the fittings for 25 years when used with SharkBite tubing.

Do SharkBite fittings work with copper?

SharkBite brass push-to-connect fittings are compatible with PEX, Copper, CPVC, PE-RT and SDR-9 HDPE pipe. The PEX stiffener does not need to be removed for Copper or CPVC applications.

Do you need Teflon tape on water heater connections?

GAS HEATER SAFETY Use stick pipe dope (not Teflon tape) on gas connection threads. Don’t use oil-based compounds. Double-check to see that the type of gas you have is suited to the new heater.

Do you use Teflon tape on hot water heater fittings?

What is this? Use Teflon tape (but not pipe dope) on the male threads entering flex-connectors. If your water heater has female-threaded tapping, you’ll need a pair of short 3/4 inch nipples to accept the flex-connectors at the bottom. If the heater comes with 3/4-inch male-threaded stubs, the nipples are not needed.

Can plastic PEX fittings be used for hot water?

PEX is a flexible plastic material made from medium- or high-density polyethylene. PEX piping has been used in hot- and cold-water distribution systems and for hydronic radiant heating in Europe for decades.

Where is PEX not allowed?

PEX can’t be installed in high heat areas. You can’t install PEX in high heat areas like near recessed lighting. This also means you can’t connect PEX directly to a hot water heater, but you can use a connecting material to do this.

What are the connections on a water heater?

Four pipe connections: a range boiler typically has four pipe connections: two circulating water through the heatin boiler heat exchanger or a side-arm coil to heat the water in the tank and a cold water inlet from the building water supply along with a hot water outlet supplying building water fixtures.

What size fittings are on a water heater?

Most of the water heater inlet size comes with ¾” or ½” diameter. ½” is a common measurement for old households. These days most water heater supply lines require ¾” diameter inlet size. For a tankless water heater, the size mostly varies from ¾ inch to 1 inch.

Can you use PVC to vent a water heater?

PVC is fine. As Jason mentioned, plastic (PVC or ABS) is ok to use as a venting material on powervented hot water heaters. They work by sending a huge amount of air in with the flue gases that it decreases the temperature of the exhaust going through the vent enough that it will not comprimise the vent.

Which pipe is best for hot water supply and why?

With thorough researches and observations, PEX stands to be the best choice for hot water systems within your domestic environment; its ability to preserve energy and resist detrimental effects from hot water and its added benefits of being cheap and easy to install makes it a strong candidate when considering pipes to Jul 24, 2019.

Is PEX pipe better than CPVC?

CPVC Pipes Offer Better Water Pressure Than PEX With PEX, the pipe fits around the outside of the fitting so the internal diameter of the pipe is reduced at each fitting—even when “full flow” expansion fittings are used. Depending on the fitting used, this can reduce the internal diameter of a ½” pipe by 21% to 35%.

Why do plumbers not like shark bites?

Soldering has been around much longer than push-fit fittings. Another possible disadvantage to using SharkBite fittings is that many plumbers feel that these fittings simply aren’t strong enough to create a tough, durable connection.

Are SharkBite fittings as good as solder?

The collet has a ring of metal teeth that strongly grab the pipe, the O-rings create a waterproof seal, and the locking system keeps all elements together. SharkBite fittings work well with PEX, CPVC, and copper. This is much faster than soldering your pipes together.

Is PEX better than copper?

We generally belive that Plumbing PEX Tubing is much better than Copper for most, if not all, plumbing systems. PEX Tubing is much more resistant to freeze-breakage than copper or rigid plastic pipe. PEX Tubing is cheaper because it takes much less labor to install. PEX Tubing is quickly becoming the industry standard.

Can you bury SharkBite?

Underground burial of SharkBite brass fittings requires that the fitting be wrapped in an impermeable material to protect the connection from ground contaminants. Stretches up to 300% for easy use and creates a watertight and airtight seal. Non-adhesive silicone material bonds to itself within minutes.

Do shark bites leak?

SharkBite fittings can leak due to one of these reasons: The pipe was not properly deburred prior to installation. The pipe was not properly inserted. The pipe has scratches or debris on the outside that is preventing the O-ring from getting a watertight seal.