Water Heaters - Water Heater in Attic
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oldtom
12-14-05, 02:21 PM
My gas water heater is in the attic and after 12 years I think it's time to replace it (even though it's not leaking yet). The existing heater is properly installed in a drain pan. Access is through a trap door on a 10 ft high ceiling.
Does anyone have experience lowering one of these 150 lb old water heater and raising the new one through a trap door?? I have some tall strong friends but none are tall enough to press 150 lbs up 10 feet.
I was figuring on making a harness from rope and using a block and tackle in the attic. What do professional plumbers do ?? Is there a harness system that can be rented??
Does anyone have experience lowering one of these 150 lb old water heater and raising the new one through a trap door?? I have some tall strong friends but none are tall enough to press 150 lbs up 10 feet.
I was figuring on making a harness from rope and using a block and tackle in the attic. What do professional plumbers do ?? Is there a harness system that can be rented??
notuboo
12-14-05, 04:41 PM
That's what apprentices are for...
If you have the funky wooden folding steps from the ceiling, forget about using those altogether.
New one in can be muscled fairly easily using a couple of ladders or even better, scaffolding.
The old one out is much harder as it is usually full of mineral deposits with some water. It will be much heavier than you think on a ladder. You can tie a rope by pulling out the flue baffle and dropping a rope down the middle and out the burner access hole. Retie the rope back towards the top. It will hang sorta sideways but it will not slide. A couple of guys in the attic and couple on the ground and you have it made.
Good luck and don't step through the ceiling, I hate that when it happens....
If you have the funky wooden folding steps from the ceiling, forget about using those altogether.
New one in can be muscled fairly easily using a couple of ladders or even better, scaffolding.
The old one out is much harder as it is usually full of mineral deposits with some water. It will be much heavier than you think on a ladder. You can tie a rope by pulling out the flue baffle and dropping a rope down the middle and out the burner access hole. Retie the rope back towards the top. It will hang sorta sideways but it will not slide. A couple of guys in the attic and couple on the ground and you have it made.
Good luck and don't step through the ceiling, I hate that when it happens....
oldtom
12-15-05, 11:22 AM
Thanks. I knew the lowering and raising wasn't going to be easy since Home Depot charges $400 to install it in the attic.
Yes I have those dumb fold up ladder stairs.
Looks like I'll have to "engineer" a way to do it. Brute force doesn't sound very good.
Yes I have those dumb fold up ladder stairs.
Looks like I'll have to "engineer" a way to do it. Brute force doesn't sound very good.
oldtom
12-15-05, 01:59 PM
Just talked to a local rental place to see if plumbers had a particular item they rented for this job. Water heaters in the attic is a common installation method here in Central TX. The rental guy says that plumbers rent a "genie lift". These come in different sizes. The popular one is a manual crank scissor jack that goes up 10 ft and will lift 300 lbs. It's aluminum, has wheels to help up stairs to the second floor and has a small foot print to fit easily in a hallway; $35 a day. There is als a larger version that goes to 18 ft; $58.
Looks like this is the solution.
Looks like this is the solution.