Good morning everybody Roger Wakefield here the expert plumber coming to you to tell you or talk to you about
Why are water heater is so expensive?
So
We get that call often
People call they need a new water heater the thing is
Water heaters are expensive. They are one of the most expensive plumbing products you'll put in your house
they
They serve a great purpose and a great need and also buying a good water heater a quality water heater
it
And it makes your life better. I you get hotter water you get better water
You know the problem is that you can buy cheap water heaters and
I'm gonna go through a few things just to talk to you about the different things that we have to factor in
While we're putting together our pricing for water heaters so number one is the cost and time to pick it up
We've got the water heater itself, but also there's other things. We like to use hard copper pipe
We don't want just that flexible
Nylon hose that it's got a wrap or something around it or even the copper ones and nothing wrong there not bad
we prefer a
rigid copper pipe connection, it's
Number one it's more professional it looks better it lasts better
We've seen those flexible copper lines and even the flexible stainless steel braided ones that
Whoever put it in let it get up against the flue or let it touch another pipe and every time that water goes through that
Maybe it moves a little bit, so you've got problems
We've gone over and literally
Had people call us
They look my water heater's leaking we go over there to work on the water heater
And a funny thing is it's not the water heater
It's the hose on top
but where the hole is it's playing spraying into the flue that water is going down through the water heater or
The top of the water heater, and they don't already think they need a water heater to be replaced
Really neat because I want on one just a couple of months ago the lady's already like okay look
It's a 70 got 75 gallon water heater. You know it's gonna cost me three or four thousand dollars
I'm already aware of this I went out there in for
three hundred and something dollars we were able to get her fixed up, so it was really a good deal
But you've got the cost of water heater
You've also got we can't carry around every water heater in our vans or trucks
That people may want you've got electric you've got gas. You've got 40s. You've got 50s. You even got 30s. You've got 75
There's so many different water heaters. We can't carry them all around now
What that means is that when we come out to your house look at it diagnose it
See what I was going on and talk to you about it. Now. We need to get the materials
We need to get that water heater. We need to see if you needed code upgrades
We needed to see if you needed to add an expansion tank. There's a lot of different things that go into that but
let's just start right there the cost of the water heater and
The materials and everything else that goes with it to install it the other one is time to drain the water heater if
Your water heater is over ten or twelve years old that booger may take a long time to drain
You've got all the calcium and magnesium that have built up in the bottom of it any
If you hadn't been flushing your water heater like you should when you go to open that drain valve you're not going to get much
Out so there are certain things that we have to do or can do
We've done different things we can hook up a pump see if that'll take it we can open it up try and insert something into
That valve to see if we can clear a pathway
We've even gone so far as to cut the water lines off the top
Stick a half-inch line in there with a pump and suck it out from the top
because our your corrosion of course it settled down to the very bottom so
Time to drain the water heater, and not just time to drain it you've got to hook up the hose
You've got to get it out to a safe spot if the water heater is warm
If the water in there is hot you can't just put it out in the backyard you'll kill the grass
so there's a lot of different things to look at and a lot of time that it can take I
Guarantee one time we had a water heater that took us a little over an hour to drain because it had so much
Sediment in it, but it was about 20 years old the other thing for why is the water heater so expensive code upgrades
you know it doesn't matter whether you want a
Tankless water heater or a tank type code upgrades
Are something that may have to be done if you're going from a tank water heater to a tankless water heater
You're gonna have to do a gas load calculation chart if your plumber is not doing that he's not being honest with you
If he is just coming in there and saying oh, yeah
We can put a tankless water heater in right here where your tank type water heater is chances
Are you're gonna have problems in the long run
We want to be honest with you. We want to be fair with you
We want to give you the information you need but somebody needs to go through your entire gas system draw it up
Look at the entire system from one
End of the other how many BTUs are you using? How long is your system? What what is your total gas demand?
Is your gas meter big enough? Is the supply line from the meter to your house big enough?
there's so many different things to look at
That a lot of handy men don't even know how to do it
Don't even know what they are, but I'll get into handymen in a minute guys on a water heater always use a trained professional
Code upgrades are important because a plumber has to go to continuing ed every year, and this is where we learn about those things so
Not to bust the handyman again, but you know there is no continuing education. There's no training
They just walk in and say oh I can do it
But they don't know what the right thing or the best thing is for you
so
Access on 4/16/2015 which was the first time since 2003
Upgrades were done on water heaters they put more insulation in them they gave them a higher efficiency rating
They created these higher efficiency standards for you the homeowner these help you save money
Now that water heater in your tank will stay hot longer
the
Insulation around it will keep it hot longer so your water heater is not having to cycle near as often as it as it used
to
What's good about that?
You've got hotter water because the insulation keeps it warm
It stays hot or longer so you're not spending gas
You're not spending electricity you're not spending money to keep that water
Hot as long or hot is often because you're not reheating it near as often so what you're doing there
You're putting it in a big thermally
Insulated tank the longer you can keep it hot and the less it has to kick on the less money. You're spending for yourself
Another thing as to why water heaters are so expensive
if that water heater is up in the attic not only do we have to drain it and get the materials and make sure we
Get the right water heater, and what I?
Now we've got to get that water heater down
That is normally not a one-man job
It normally takes at least two people depending on size of the water heater and something else to remember
from 4/16/2015 with water heaters getting bigger
will that water heater fit in the same spot if you've got it in a closet if
You've got it up in an attic how wide is your opening?
And when you take that other water heater out will the new one fit in there?
If it's in an attic getting that other water heater up in there it takes two people
Somebody's got to pay for those people and that's part of why water heaters are so expensive
So we got the removal done now you've got permit you've got inspections. You've got insurance you as a homeowner
You can change your own water heater here in Texas if that is your homestead
Legally you can change the water heater yourself
Now what you need to do is you still need to pull a permit you still need to get it inspected
Guys that's part of the water heater process you want to get it inspected water heaters
And I read a deal online the other day. That said you know people will make water heaters so expensive by
scaring the customer
Make them them worry about a gas line and making them worry about flooding
Guys if you don't think a gas line can leak and kill somebody you're wrong if you don't think a water heater
Not installed properly can leak and cause flooding you're wrong
Guys these are things that can happen. I'm not trying to scare anybody. I'm just trying to tell you the truth
Sharkbite fittings, I really don't like I don't let my guys use them. They're very
unprofessional
We may use them for an emergency just to stop water from flooding
That is not a permanent installation
I know a lot of handy men think they are and they sell it that way I feel sorry for their customers
Your permit you get it pulled with what city you're in
Make sure that you are per that city's codes with your water heater installation
Make sure you get it inspected
Okay, the inspector should actually come out to the house look at the water heater verify everything's done and say yes
This is a good installation, then give you a green tag
Why is it important to call a plumber a
plumber
Has insurance here in Texas it's required although
I have looked up some master license and seen that their certificate of insurance has expired so they may or may not have insurance
you can go online to the Texas State Board of plumbing examiners check the COI the
Certificate of interest and see if that plumbing company is covered is
it a big deal, if that water heater leaks are floods and creates damage and
You hired a handyman
Chances are it's not covered chances are the warranty is not covered because per the manufacturer's
Recommendation is to be installed by a trained professional
By a licensed plumber so if you have an unlicensed person install your water heater
You know you kind of get what you asked for you kind of get what you pay for so
Let's go back to the last one handyman
guys in
Texas a handyman cannot legally advertise sell install or anything on any of your plumbing system
okay, the Texas state laws and
board rules clearly state you have to be a master license in order to advertise or
Sell or anything plumbing
You have to be a master license in order to reach it into a
Contract whether it's verbal or written if I agree to sell you a plumbing product
I have a master license you know the Texas State Board of plumbing examiners and look it up anytime
Guys I've seen a lot of issues where handy men have gone in they they don't want to run a TMP
So they plug it off they cut it off at the wall guys that becomes a time bomb
I'm not trying to scare you. I'm just telling you the truth
When it comes time to invest in your house make a wise investment
Don't just go the cheapest investment. Don't find the cheapest person to do anything
Chances are it's not gonna be right
And don't get me wrong. I've seen some handyman. Do some work that look pretty good
but guys the Texas state laws and license board rules say you've got to be licensed in order to do it so
All I say to you is please if you have a water heater and need one installed
at least ask your plumber is he licensed as to see is licensed as to look at it if
They advertise call them say hey, do you have a license are you registered?
Are you licensed through the Texas State Board of plumbing examiner's do you have insurance?
If they're installing a water heater in your attic and it floods and damages everything you're gonna end up being the one responsible not him
May not even answer his phone by the time you get around to calling him
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But teach them what plumbing they can do around their house to take care of their own plumbing system
My name is Roger Wakefield with Texas Green Plumbing saving you money one drop at a time