Need tips installing tankless water heater

[Al 96 Ram Air T/A]

After 23 years, the old water heater finally took a dump. I was trying to hold out until September, but I guess that's that.


Anyway, I'm going with a Rheem high-efficiency tankless Natural Gas indoor unit. I will be mounting it to 2x4 studs screwed to the poured concrete walls in the basement. I picked up some trick hot and cold divertor valves with 3/4 threaded fitting to facilitate draining and bypassing the unit if need be. For gas, I'm going with black pipe to a flexible, high-flow line, to ease disconnecting in the future. (same reason I'm using 3/4 threaded line for the water - ease of service next time)


Anyway, I have a 1" NG line running to the unit, so I'm fine there. The unit requires 199,000 BTU, and reduces down to 3/4" line.

I need to run electric over to the unit to power the exhaust fan (draft inducer). Should be easy - only needs 2A. Will use a GFCI.

Anything I'm forgetting?

[Jeff_in_Atl]

That's a LOT of BTUs. Wow it's a blow torch.

The advice I have is put a whole house water filter to protect it from sediments getting into it. They are only about $30. Just make sure you have no more than 60 PSI going into the filter or the Omni filters will split at the mold seam and leak big time. I now have a GE filter rather than the Omni. The other thing is if you put a filter in put a shut off valve on both sides of the filter to make it so it won't drain out the filter hole when you change the filter. Just shut both valves, change the filter and turn both valves back on. You won't loose much water that way.

[Jeff_in_Atl]

While you are into plumbing here is another mod for you. Most sinks are 4 holers. I bought a new single handle faucet that only used 2 of the holes rather than the 3 hole integrated versions. So you are supposed to use 1 hole for the hand sprayer, 1 for the handle, 1 for the big water arm, and 1 for the soap dish (which no one ever refilled). So I bought a sink mounted dual filter drinking water faucet and put it where the soap dish dispenser was. The family uses it all the time. So I thought yea yea they can't really tell the difference. So I took 2 glasses and filled one with tap water and the other with the filtered water. I could not believe it but I got my wife and all 3 of the kids to try them and tell me which was which and all 4 of them could tell the difference and picked the right one from the filtered water. Even the dog could tell the difference. I was amazed. We haven't bought a bottle of drinking water in years. They just keep refilling their bottles.