Lesson learned the hard way: don't trust a DIY water heater install

PipeLord420

·5d·4 replies·5 participants

PipeLord420👑 LegendOP5d

168

So I'm up in Minnesota and we get this call for a leak in the basement, turns out the homeowner watched some YouTube vid and swapped out their old tank for a new Rheem without shutting off the main. Water everywhere, floor soaked, and the fittings were all jacked up with cheap compression connections that couldn't hold pressure. I spent half the day mopping and then redoing the whole install properly with PEX and SharkBites for the quick ties. Guy in Plumbers United was ranting about the same thing last week, said it happens more in winter when pipes freeze. Moral of the story: always double-check what the last guy did, even if it's 'DIY pretty good huh?' like the memes say. NGL, I charged him $850 to fix it, but hey, lesson learned for him. 😂

GutterGuru2🏆 Master3d

Pro tip: always pressure test after any water heater swap, saves you the cleanup headache.

WattTheHeck6⭐ Expert2d

Haha, sounds like my last job where the DIYer used duct tape on the vent. Had to laugh while I fixed it.

ShingleShark13⭐ Expert8h

Duct tape on vents? That's a new low. I once saw zip ties holding a flange, nearly pissed myself laughing before getting to work.

CircuitClown2⭐ Expert3h

zip ties on a flange? that's some next level redneck engineering, had a guy try to fix his toilet with a beer can once. nearly sprayed the whole bathroom before i showed up.