True, I added a circuit breaker in my breaker box- ran some wire(Romex) through the attic and bought a 4ft appliance whip that has flexible metal tubing around it to come down from the ceiling to the water heater (adding a junction box in that location). - Mike
I did get in the attic to run wiring to the water heater. Also, I ran tubing to the circuit breaker panel for the wiring, which was on the side of the house. Good luck! - Mike
If you check out the reply to ScottBarnett8231 post, I explain some of the things I used to run power from my circuit breaker box to the water heater. To sum it up, I ran wire and conduit from my circuit breaker panel to my roof's sofet vent area, wiring through my attic, then added a junction box above the water heater. Then, I bought a 4ft appliance whip(wiring in a flexible conduit) to wire into the water heater. Good luck with your project!- Mike
I just learned that I have a power vent gas water heater which is 20 years old and more expensive than I thought to replace. Can I just replace it with an electric water heater?
Thanks for your reply! Very helpful! I have more questions also....like...I need to change my water heater from gas to electric, im not sure what size breaker to use or the proper wire gauge to run it with. Think you could help with those questions? Im fairly new to the "electrical" world, but am descent in other things. I should be able to do the swap in a day easily right? Project is tomorrow.
I used a square D breaker- two pole 30 amp breaker because you most likely need 220 volts running to the water heater. I used a 10 AWG stranded , 4 foot appliance whip in a 1/2 inch flexible conduit going to the water heater with a junction box in the attic- solid 10 or 12 awg going from the circuit breaker box to the appliance whip. The hardest part of this was pulling/feeding the wires through the tubing- so make sure you have large enough tubing to feed your wires through. Of course, your requirements may be different. Good luck!
Converted my LP hot water heater to electric water heater. Electric heater installed but only have hot/cold water in the shower; cold water in the bathroom and kitchen sinks, but no hot water in the bathroom or kitchen sinks. Please advise.
I would call a plumber or technician because that shouldn't be possible if you're getting hot water in the shower and not your bathroom sinks. I can see it taking a while to get hot water to the kitchen if it's far away from your water heater. You should get hot water eventually to the kitchen. Maybe you're having an issue with the water heater that is not heating the water fully, or the hot water tank is smaller than what's needed for the house, and it is running out of hot water too quickly. Good luck with your project!- Mike
The gas shut off valve is missing from our old gas water heater. It's a 56 gallon 1995 model. Horrible shape. Just started leaking from the bottom. It's stored in an out door closet on our porch. We live upstairs in what's called a carriage house, garage is below us. I set the dial to pilot and turned off the water valve but I don't know how to shut gas off. Gas company is coming out in the next week to disconnect our service since landlord wants to covert to all electric appliances.
Hi, thanks for the video! We are about to do the same thing due to the previous water tank requiring a power vent, which I've always found to be too loud and the cost to replace would run about $2,000 for both parts. Going with electric is more in the budget at this time. My question is what do you do with the cooper that still shows there? Once the gas is turned off is the stub safe to just stay that way forever? And the other long piece of copper from the wall that doesn't tie in to anything, does that just stay as well?
Hello Tracee- Yes, the gas stub, once it's disconnected, is safe to stay there as long as the turn valve isn't leaking. The previous copper drain line that leads to outside of the house was capped (without soldering) inside the garage. I guess you could take it out of the wall but some wall repair would be required. Thanks for the comments! - Mike.
You are missing the most important thing. Where do you get your electric wire going into your new tank? there was no wire from the old tank, this video is incomplete.
True, I added a circuit breaker in my breaker box- ran some wire(Romex) through the attic and bought a 4ft appliance whip that has flexible metal tubing around it to come down from the ceiling to the water heater (adding a junction box in that location). - Mike
The gauge size was 0.117 inch, lead free solder- and yes, I did use the push on a quick connect fitting for one of the supply lines, so there are many options including PEX materials for plumbing different projects. I did solder the pressure relief line on top of water heater but I have seen in some instances where this is PVC because this line should never see water unless there's an issue with your water heater- so you do have flexibility in the products that you use. Thanks for your questions and good luck with your project!
Why did you not consider another gas hot water heater? Everything you needed was already there.. It is cheaper to operate, plus you would not have to run a heavy gauge wire from the main box and another breaker... There must be a reason not covered here?
Hello Dennis - yes indeed it would have much easier to install and less expensive to run a natural gas water heater but when this house was built, the gas company ran a smaller gas line than normal to the house. In the future, probably during a kitchen remodel, there will be an addition of a gas line to run a natural gas stove/ oven. To avoid a problem with gas flow, it was decided to remove the natural gas water heater and put an electric one in. Now, the only appliance using gas is the heater in the attic, which rarely gets used. Thanks for the question! Good luck on your future projects. - Mike.
In this case, it was around $15 to $20 extra per month- you can take the yellow energy efficiency stickers from the water heaters that show the yearly energy usage and divide by 12. Water heaters will vary by model and usage. Good luck with your next project! - Mike
Mike, thanks for your video. I'm looking at a small 675 sq ft home to purchase and just don't want a gas oven or a gas water heater. How difficult in cost and work would it be for a new homeowner to have gas replaced with an electric oven and water heater in a home? Thanks again.
That depends on if the oven area already has an electrical outlet (50 amp) on its back wall and if you have the right electrical outlet or wiring by the gas water heater. Otherwise, wiring may have to be run through the ceiling, walls, etc.- wiring, circuit breakers, and outlets are not very expensive if you can run those yourself. Good luck!- Mike
Stop doing videos if you can't give detailed instructions. Your explanation on how to run a new electric line to the the breaker panel is simply "I connected it to the breaker." Wow, thanks for that! Doesn't it need to be on it's own breaker? For installation of the water heater you should of just said "I connected a new water heater!"
Fantastic! Glad I could help! But seriously, this is a brief overview of the project. There are electrical videos from actual electricians that can show you how to add a 220/240v breaker into your breaker box, run conduit from your breaker box to a junction box above your water heater, and then connecting the appliance whip(wiring) to the wires in the junction box.😏- Mike
You probably still would have enough gas for all of your appliances, that was a dumb decision to switch to an electric water heater, I am guessing you enjoy high electric bills.
You missed a video on electrical box, breaker and romex or whatever you use to get electric to new unit.
True, I added a circuit breaker in my breaker box- ran some wire(Romex) through the attic and bought a 4ft appliance whip that has flexible metal tubing around it to come down from the ceiling to the water heater (adding a junction box in that location). - Mike
Very helpful! Thank you!
Very helpful, thank you. QUESTION PLEASE: Did you need to access anywhere other than the garage to replace the heater ?
I did get in the attic to run wiring to the water heater. Also, I ran tubing to the circuit breaker panel for the wiring, which was on the side of the house. Good luck! - Mike
Do you have to add an explanation tank or is that just optional?
Hi,Great video,Where did you get/run the power from? ,To POWER the electric water heater? I guess i missed that,THANKS
If you check out the reply to ScottBarnett8231 post, I explain some of the things I used to run power from my circuit breaker box to the water heater. To sum it up, I ran wire and conduit from my circuit breaker panel to my roof's sofet vent area, wiring through my attic, then added a junction box above the water heater. Then, I bought a 4ft appliance whip(wiring in a flexible conduit) to wire into the water heater. Good luck with your project!- Mike
I just learned that I have a power vent gas water heater which is 20 years old and more expensive than I thought to replace. Can I just replace it with an electric water heater?
Shouldn't be a problem. Good luck with your project!- Mike
Thanks for your reply! Very helpful! I have more questions also....like...I need to change my water heater from gas to electric, im not sure what size breaker to use or the proper wire gauge to run it with. Think you could help with those questions? Im fairly new to the "electrical" world, but am descent in other things. I should be able to do the swap in a day easily right? Project is tomorrow.
I used a square D breaker- two pole 30 amp breaker because you most likely need 220 volts running to the water heater. I used a 10 AWG stranded , 4 foot appliance whip in a 1/2 inch flexible conduit going to the water heater with a junction box in the attic- solid 10 or 12 awg going from the circuit breaker box to the appliance whip. The hardest part of this was pulling/feeding the wires through the tubing- so make sure you have large enough tubing to feed your wires through. Of course, your requirements may be different. Good luck!
Converted my LP hot water heater to electric water heater. Electric heater installed but only have hot/cold water in the shower; cold water in the bathroom and kitchen sinks, but no hot water in the bathroom or kitchen sinks. Please advise.
I would call a plumber or technician because that shouldn't be possible if you're getting hot water in the shower and not your bathroom sinks. I can see it taking a while to get hot water to the kitchen if it's far away from your water heater. You should get hot water eventually to the kitchen. Maybe you're having an issue with the water heater that is not heating the water fully, or the hot water tank is smaller than what's needed for the house, and it is running out of hot water too quickly. Good luck with your project!- Mike
The gas shut off valve is missing from our old gas water heater. It's a 56 gallon 1995 model. Horrible shape. Just started leaking from the bottom. It's stored in an out door closet on our porch. We live upstairs in what's called a carriage house, garage is below us. I set the dial to pilot and turned off the water valve but I don't know how to shut gas off. Gas company is coming out in the next week to disconnect our service since landlord wants to covert to all electric appliances.
Hi, thanks for the video! We are about to do the same thing due to the previous water tank requiring a power vent, which I've always found to be too loud and the cost to replace would run about $2,000 for both parts. Going with electric is more in the budget at this time. My question is what do you do with the cooper that still shows there? Once the gas is turned off is the stub safe to just stay that way forever? And the other long piece of copper from the wall that doesn't tie in to anything, does that just stay as well?
Hello Tracee- Yes, the gas stub, once it's disconnected, is safe to stay there as long as the turn valve isn't leaking. The previous copper drain line that leads to outside of the house was capped (without soldering) inside the garage. I guess you could take it out of the wall but some wall repair would be required. Thanks for the comments! - Mike.
Ok, thank you very much for your reply :-) Your videos are very helpful!
You are missing the most important thing. Where do you get your electric wire going into your new tank? there was no wire from the old tank, this video is incomplete.
True, I added a circuit breaker in my breaker box- ran some wire(Romex) through the attic and bought a 4ft appliance whip that has flexible metal tubing around it to come down from the ceiling to the water heater (adding a junction box in that location). - Mike
I'm dying trying to go electric to gas
what gauge solder wire is being used? And is it absolutely necessary to have to solder the pipes together? is there another method?
The gauge size was 0.117 inch, lead free solder- and yes, I did use the push on a quick connect fitting for one of the supply lines, so there are many options including PEX materials for plumbing different projects. I did solder the pressure relief line on top of water heater but I have seen in some instances where this is PVC because this line should never see water unless there's an issue with your water heater- so you do have flexibility in the products that you use. Thanks for your questions and good luck with your project!
You only need the heat from the bottom and you only need about an inch of Sauter
Why did you not consider another gas hot water heater? Everything you needed was already there.. It is cheaper to operate, plus you would not have to run a heavy gauge wire from the main box and another breaker... There must be a reason not covered here?
Hello Dennis - yes indeed it would have much easier to install and less expensive to run a natural gas water heater but when this house was built, the gas company ran a smaller gas line than normal to the house. In the future, probably during a kitchen remodel, there will be an addition of a gas line to run a natural gas stove/ oven. To avoid a problem with gas flow, it was decided to remove the natural gas water heater and put an electric one in. Now, the only appliance using gas is the heater in the attic, which rarely gets used. Thanks for the question! Good luck on your future projects. - Mike.
@@mikesdoityourself How much more has your electric bill risen? I am looking at going the opposite way and converting to gas.
In this case, it was around $15 to $20 extra per month- you can take the yellow energy efficiency stickers from the water heaters that show the yearly energy usage and divide by 12. Water heaters will vary by model and usage. Good luck with your next project! - Mike
What is that noise?
Might be the autofocus on the camera lens. Sounds like a small mechanical grinding sound.
Why can't we have a electric element in a gas water heater so that it is duel energy sources
Mike, thanks for your video. I'm looking at a small 675 sq ft home to purchase and just don't want a gas oven or a gas water heater. How difficult in cost and work would it be for a new homeowner to have gas replaced with an electric oven and water heater in a home? Thanks again.
That depends on if the oven area already has an electrical outlet (50 amp) on its back wall and if you have the right electrical outlet or wiring by the gas water heater. Otherwise, wiring may have to be run through the ceiling, walls, etc.- wiring, circuit breakers, and outlets are not very expensive if you can run those yourself. Good luck!- Mike
Not helpul at all.didnt show anything
More like Mike's Figure It Out Yourself, amiright?.
You use entirely too much flux
Stop doing videos if you can't give detailed instructions. Your explanation on how to run a new electric line to the the breaker panel is simply "I connected it to the breaker." Wow, thanks for that! Doesn't it need to be on it's own breaker? For installation of the water heater you should of just said "I connected a new water heater!"
Fantastic! Glad I could help! But seriously, this is a brief overview of the project. There are electrical videos from actual electricians that can show you how to add a 220/240v breaker into your breaker box, run conduit from your breaker box to a junction box above your water heater, and then connecting the appliance whip(wiring) to the wires in the junction box.😏- Mike
You probably still would have enough gas for all of your appliances, that was a dumb decision to switch to an electric water heater, I am guessing you enjoy high electric bills.
Chill out dude. If he wants to change it up he can.
It makes sense though if You have solar. Electric bill since switching is next to nothing. Only bill that is negligible is the gas bill.