- Joined
- Nov 24, 2023
- Messages
- 192
Natural gas , mounted on outside wall .
What is involved in winterizing a tankless water heater ?
- Thread starter oldgrayman
- Start date
They are designed to drain all the water out through the normal pipes at the bottom. So rather than fill with antifreeze, simply drain it in place. Flush/drain fittings should have been installed between the bottom of the heater and the house plumbing.
Turn off the gas supply valve, but leave the electrical supply on.
Select "Off" on the control panel.
Turn off the water supply and drain the pipes both hot and cold.
Of course the owner's manual should also be read for any instructions specific to the particular unit.
Turn off the gas supply valve, but leave the electrical supply on.
Select "Off" on the control panel.
Turn off the water supply and drain the pipes both hot and cold.
Of course the owner's manual should also be read for any instructions specific to the particular unit.
Last edited:
What do you mean winterizing? Is this a dwelling you close up for the winter?
If not, you dont do anything but make darn sure the piping is properly insulated outside and I mean no exposed pipe anyplace.
- Joined
- Nov 24, 2023
- Messages
- 192
Full time residence . Not my own . I don't have a manual . Friend .
- Joined
- Nov 24, 2023
- Messages
- 192
Louisiana . Very common to mount gas units externally here .
Nothing to do except make sure all exposed pipes are properly insulated with foam pipe insulation.
Eggzackly
If it's a full time residence then why are you winterizing it .
I think alarmguy got it right . Some of us thought he meant Winterize before vacating but he really means prevent a freeze up . So as suggested ..... insulate the pipes or install styrafoam cover around it . Here we use faucet covers in the winter to keep pipes from bursting . They hold heat around the faucet and piping .
How cold does it get ?
- Joined
- Nov 24, 2023
- Messages
- 192
We just had temps down in the teens and I had heard of them having issues with really cold temps . Trying to figure out if it's even necessary .
- Joined
- Nov 24, 2023
- Messages
- 192
We use those for faucets here . Not applicable for this .
You used the wrong word which was where the confusion came from.
Winterizing means draining it for the season.. Think RV, lake house etc.
This article seems relevant.
https://www.navieninc.com/blog/notice/tankless-water-heater-frozen#
The faucet cover was an example . How about getting an styrafoam cooler and cutting it to fit and attaching to the house some how .
The only reason some have issues on cold single digit or teens temperature is the plumber who put the insulation on the pipes outside the water heater on any particular house did a sloppy job.
It's a common issue for the last almost two decades. Just happened on our block this week in the cold 20 degree temps, all new homes in the last year and it happened in our last community that was new 16 years ago previously.
I already put in a warranty claim 2 months go before any freezing temperatures on our new home of 9 months and told them to come back and do it right. They did, anyway, a few homes had frozen pipes the other day with the dip down to 20, we were good, no issues.
It's really that simple, don't over think it, make sure no exposed pipes, if you want to get crazy add some of your own pipe wrap over the foam insulation they installed, or have them come back and do it right, if it isn't. (repeat, don't over think it)
The water heater itself has a built in safety that will keep the unit itself warm during extreme cold to prevent the unit itself from freezing, it's just the water pipes feeding it and feeding the home that freeze.
Good news is plastic PEX pipe it has a high burst pressure and much stronger than copper so pipes bursting are rare and this is why I think plumbers got lazy with cold temperatures, including running pipes in attics with sloppy pipe insulation on them.
Similar threads
