Water Heaters - GE Smartwater Water Tank Install

Hi Everybody,

Forgive me if my request has already been addressed in a previous thread.. if so, please direct me to the thread in your response.

Yesterday, I purchased a new GE Gas powered 50 gallon 12 yr water heater to replace my old unit that seems to be about 25 yrs old - yep, that's right, it's that old. So, I figured I'd get a jump on it before it destroyed everything in my basement one day. One of the initial challenges I have is the fact that the old unit was about 6 inches shorter than the new units.

I consider myself a intermediate to advanced do it yourself'er, so I feel very capable of doing the install, but would feel so much more confident if I had seen it done atleast one time before. So, in lieu of that, I figured that I would outline what I my plan was and see if I was going it about it the right way.


So, my first step is to basically drain the old tank. My plan is to turn off the gas to the hot water tank and basically give it some time to cool down - how long should I wait before considering it "Safe" against burns - or in reality, it won't cool down quickly anyway, so I should just be more careful about the hot water?

Once I'm ready, I'll open the top faucet in the house, turn off the cold water to the tank, and drain the old tank either with a hose/ bucket/ whatever until it's empty enough to be move out of the way.

After draining, I'll remove the vent from over the tank.

My next step would be to unhook the hot and cold water lines. I have copper lines for both, so I will have to cut them using a pipe cutter. The gas supply line is black pipe and appears to be "continuous" - meaning there doesn't seem to be an easy wat to disconnect a section - so again my plan was to cut that line very carefully as well.

So, now I should have my tank freed from everything that was previously attached.



I now move the old tank and replace it roughly in it's new position. The instructions state that the first step is to attach the vent hood. I have a little "concern" there... as I stated above, my new tank is a little taller than the old. If the placement stayed the same, my vent may end up being either perfectly horizontal or even a little downward. The vent links into an existing vent coming from the furnace that runs right into the chimney. Ideally, I would move the line up in the chimney, but that is definitely over my head. So, I don't plan to do anything until I know if this creates any major issue that prevents me from going forward.

So, assuming I'm ok....
after moving the tank in, my first step was to basically work backwards and secure the gas line first. I purchased one of those kits that includes the flexible supply and gas lines and nipples, etc. So, I wanted to use the flexible gas line, hence the reason I was cutting the line so carefully before. So, I would seecure the gas line and hot water tank using the flexible pipe and male/male adapters if needed. Would I need to use any additional items for the pipe, ie, teflon tape, pipe dope, etc ----- I read to use pipe dope - is that right for the flexible connection? Is that right so far?

Once the gas connected, I would reattach the water lines using the flexible lines mentioned above and that should basically finish the install. Here I would use the Teflon tape for all connections.



The last piece that I would really like to ask for help with is the right sequence of events from there. I know I need to turn on the cold water and gas at some point. So, if anyone can help guide me, that would be great.

can someone please help guide me with the next steps - when do i fill the tank, turn on the gas, light the pilot, etc.

Sorry for asking what might be very routine questions, but again, better safe than sorry.

Just a suggestion here, since you are concerned about draining the tank while its still hot. Why don't you turn off the gas prior to whomever is going to take the last shower before this heater is replaced? That way, the greatest amount of hot water will be used up, rather than being wasted or posing a burn hazard for you.

You also had questions on the start-up sequence of the new heater. After all plumbing connections have been made, both water and gas, and the vent re-installed, you should turn on the cold water, and let the tank fill. You will need to open a hot water faucet somewhere in your house to let the air vent out. When water flows continually out of the open faucet, the water heater tank is full. You should shut off the faucet, and spend a few moments checking for any water leaks in your piping to the heater. Assuming everything is OK at that point, you can go ahead and light the pilot. Instructions are both in the owners manual and on the heater itself. Once the pilot is lit, you can turn the control valve to "on" and adjust your water temperature dial.

1. You should not have to cut the black pipe. There should be a mechanical union closeby. If you cut the pipe, how will you thread it to attach new fittings.

2. Flex gas lines are commonly used. Here in California, they are MANDATORY. But there are places where they are not allowed at all. You need to find out.

3. The flue pipe cannot dip below horizontal. You need to carefully study the flue installation instructions included with your water heater, and for further reference consult the National Fuel Gas Code manual, which is not an expensive book and is readily available.

4. Almost anywhere, you need to pull a homeowner's permit to do this, and then call for an inspection.