Water Heater Installation

Water Heater Installation

Broken Water Heater?

So, suddenly, you don’t have any hot water. Or maybe you don’t have any hot water AND your basement is flooded. Or maybe you just want to install a tankless hot water system or a larger hot water tank to accommodate everyone’s nighttime showers.

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After decades of award-winning experience in the plumbing industry, we’re ready to apply our knowledge and expertise to your problem. Let us know what’s going on, and we’ll make sure to dispatch the perfect team for the job.

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With a 100% satisfaction guarantee, we’re going to solve your problem. While we do it, we’re going to take great care of your home, teach you about what we’re doing and how to prevent problems in the future, and leave you with solutions that last.

Water Heater Installation

Do your children take long showers, leaving no hot water when it’s time for your or other family members to shower? Have you ever tried to take a warm shower on a cold Pittsburgh morning or after a hard workout, only to discover you have no hot water? Does your hot water in your shower feel like it’s not as hot as it used to be?

If you think “Yes, yes, and yes,” then it may be time to replace or upgrade your water heater.

Most of us take having hot water for granted, but having no hot water is an unpleasant experience for any homeowner. Most of us don’t even think about our water heater until there is a problem. Before you start to panic, there are some things you can do to troubleshoot your water heater.


Should You Choose a Tankless Water Heater?

When it’s time to finally replace or upgrade your water heater, there are two options. The first is the traditional tank storage water heater, and the second is the tankless water heater. Both have their pros and cons, but no matter what option you choose, McNabb Plumbing is the right choice for water heater installation.

Tank-storage Water Heaters

Tank storage water heaters usually range from 30 to 80 gallons. These tanks work by heating the water stored inside the tank. They come in gas and electric models, and both are relatively easy to install and are cheaper than their tankless counterparts. One major drawback to tank storage water heaters is that once the tank is depleted of hot water, you must wait for the tank to reheat the water inside the tank. For smaller households, this might not be a problem, but for larger households, you might have to wait to take shower.

Tankless Water Heaters

Tankless water heaters offer several advantages over tank storage water heaters. The main advantage is that hot water is on-demand, which means that the water heater only heats your water as needed. Tankless water heaters use a heat exchanger to quickly heat the water, providing you instant hot water as you need it.

Tankless water heaters have a lifespan up to 20 years, longer than traditional water heaters. They are also much more efficient than traditional water heaters.

Another major advantage is tankless water heaters take up much less space. Traditional water heaters usually take up useful garage, laundry room, or closet space that can be reclaimed by installing a tankless water heater.

Some of the drawbacks to tankless water heaters are higher up-front costs and longer installation times; however, the longer lifespan and energy bill savings of a tankless water heater usually more than offset the additional money and time spent.


Warning Signs That Your Hot Water Heater May Be Failing

  1. The age of your water heater. On average, a water heater will last 8 to 12 years. If you don’t know when your water heater was last replaced, look for a manufacturer’s sticker on the water heater. The serial numbers usually start with a letter. That letter corresponds to the months of the year. A= January, B= February, and so on. The two numbers that follow represent the year. D08 would mean that it was manufactured in April of 2008. This will give you the timeframe for when your water heater was installed.
  2. Rusty water is another sign that your water heater might need to be replaced. Rusty water could also be due to your pipes, so try to determine if the rusty-looking water comes only from the hot water side of your faucets. You can also try to drain some water from the tank itself to see if the water is rusty. If it is, then it’s probably time to replace your water heater.
  3. Your water is not hot enough or does not stay fully hot long enough. Your water heater may not be heating your water to the desired temperature. This could be due to a faulty thermostat or heating element. This problem can be fixed without replacing the water heater, but depending on the age of the water heater, it may make more sense to replace it. If the water does not stay hot long enough, it may be time to upgrade to a larger tank to meet your household needs.
  4. Your water heater is speaking to you. If you hear rumbling noises from your water heater, it may be a sign of sediment buildup, which can break down the water heater.
  5. Water around the water heater. Water around the water heater can come from multiple sources. These include the supply lines, the temperature and pressure valves, or the drain. A proper inspection of the water heater can diagnose and fix these issues. If none of these sources is the cause of the leak, then the water tank has gone bad and must be replaced.


Why Is My Hot Water Not Hot?

Electric Water Heaters

  1. The first thing to do is make sure you have not tripped the circuit breaker. An electric water heater will have its own circuit breaker. Most likely the breaker will be marked inside your circuit panel. If the breaker is tripped, reset it.
  2. If the circuit breaker is not tripped, then locate the water heater reset button, which is usually red. If the reset button continues to trip, then it may be a sign of a faulty thermostat or heating element in the tank, or loose wiring in the water heater.

Gas Water Heaters

  1. For a gas water heater, the first thing to do is make sure the pilot is lit. The pilot light is located at the bottom of the tank. You may have to remove a few screws to open a small panel to access it. If there is no flame, turn the pilot switch to “off,” and then to “pilot” a few seconds later. Once lit, turn the switch to “on.”
  2. Make sure that the gas valve connected to the water heater is on.

What to Expect During Your Water Heater Installation

When you call McNabb Plumbing, we’ll discuss your problem and look to get a feel for what the cause may be. We’ll gather as much information about your problem as possible and work with you to identify a time that fits your schedule where we can come out to see the problem in person.

Typically speaking, one of our plumbers will arrive on-scene within a day of your call (or sooner, in the event of an emergency) and will look at the problem with you. We’ll provide you an estimate of the work we’ll do and make sure to discuss the project with you in its entirety–there are no hidden fees or charges you’ll “find out about later.”

During every visit, our plumbers wear protective gear that protects your house during our visit, as the last thing we’d ever want to do is create more trouble for you. We go to great lengths to minimize our impact in your home.

During every visit, our plumbers wear protective gear that protects your house during our visit, as the last thing we’d ever want to do is create more trouble for you. We go to great lengths to minimize our impact in your home.

For water heater repairs or installation, we shut off the water and power source (gas and/or electric), drain the water heater, and haul out the old unit.

Installation of a traditional tank or new tankless water heater is usually completed in two or more hours, depending on the code upgrades to gas, water, and vent lines.

After installation of a new water heater, water is turned back on, and pipes, faucets, etc. are opened to purge air from the water lines. After we check for water leaks, we turn on the gas and light the pilot. After ignition of the pilot light, we check the vent for proper venting of carbon monoxide. Finally, we clean up the work area and haul away the old tank, boxes, etc.

McNabb Plumbing will contact you in one year for a free water heater flush, and we will make sure the water heater is operating properly.

Call Us For All of Your Hot Water Needs

If you need your water heater replaced or a looking to upgrade your water heater then contact McNabb Plumbing today. From top to bottom the expert staff at McNabb Plumbing will walk you through all your options. Whether you’re looking to be more energy efficient, save space, or just be able to take a longer shower, McNabb Plumbing has you covered.

100% Satisfaction Guarantee

If you are not 100% satisfied with the service we have provided, (barring cost) we will refund your money. If our plumbers smoke or are disrespectful in your home, are not drug tested, or leave your home without cleaning up, you do not pay for the service. If a repair or equipment that we have provided and installed fails in the first year, we will repair it again–no charge.

Plumber in Pittsburgh, PA | W.J. McNabb Plumbing | Plumbing Company