In this era of YouTube video, Pinterest, and eHow, it seems that everyone can simply forego the professionals and take on all of their home improvement projects themselves. For some simple things, it’s possible, but knowing the mechanics of a situation and how to tighten a bolt is no replacement for experience. In the case of water heater installation, you really want to search plumbers Oakland Ca has available to tackle the job. You can perform preliminary tasks with the installation, but leave the final hook up to someone who is safety certified, licensed, and has a vast repertoire of experience under their belt for when something goes wrong.
What you can do
The first thing you can do to save a little time and money is to research the options for your replacement unit. There are several on the market, and each have a specific purpose and value for your needs. Your first concern is your fuel source - are you on natural gas or propane? How about electricity? Oil? Maybe your power source comes from a solar array… whatever your fuel, you need to match an appropriate water heater that will run off of it.
Second, you will want to balance out what you need your water heater to do. If you have a family of four, and three of those members like to take 30 minute showers, you’ll need a large capacity water heater. If it’s just you and your spouse, a smaller unit will suffice and save you money. Your research will uncover various degrees of functionality, and you will be able to pass this information along to any plumbers Oakland Ca searches come up with.
The last thing you can accomplish before contracting a reliable and certified professional to perform your water heater installation is to measure out the space to insure you can fit your newly selected unit within. Clean out the area surrounding your old unit, including dust and debris so the plumber can work safely. Remove any cleaning solutions or paint cans than can be flammable, and be ready to find a solution for disposal of your old unit. Many times your plumber can take it, but if not, you will be responsible for disposal yourself. If that’s the case, contact your local public works department and get yourself a dump sticker.
The main thing to remember is that you can do some legwork to save a few dollars, but leave the installation to a professional. This will save you time, money, and repair bills down the line in case something goes terribly wrong and you have only yourself to blame.
What you can do
The first thing you can do to save a little time and money is to research the options for your replacement unit. There are several on the market, and each have a specific purpose and value for your needs. Your first concern is your fuel source - are you on natural gas or propane? How about electricity? Oil? Maybe your power source comes from a solar array… whatever your fuel, you need to match an appropriate water heater that will run off of it.
Second, you will want to balance out what you need your water heater to do. If you have a family of four, and three of those members like to take 30 minute showers, you’ll need a large capacity water heater. If it’s just you and your spouse, a smaller unit will suffice and save you money. Your research will uncover various degrees of functionality, and you will be able to pass this information along to any plumbers Oakland Ca searches come up with.
The last thing you can accomplish before contracting a reliable and certified professional to perform your water heater installation is to measure out the space to insure you can fit your newly selected unit within. Clean out the area surrounding your old unit, including dust and debris so the plumber can work safely. Remove any cleaning solutions or paint cans than can be flammable, and be ready to find a solution for disposal of your old unit. Many times your plumber can take it, but if not, you will be responsible for disposal yourself. If that’s the case, contact your local public works department and get yourself a dump sticker.
The main thing to remember is that you can do some legwork to save a few dollars, but leave the installation to a professional. This will save you time, money, and repair bills down the line in case something goes terribly wrong and you have only yourself to blame.