New water heater - gas hookup
Hooking up the gas was the scary part of the project for me. I'd never done it before. But the new yellow pipe is flexible so the heater can be moved a little if needed. Also, the loop highly amused Joyce.
New water heater connection
My new water connections. Better than the old ones but I'd like to redo them already. For example, there shouldn't be a shut-off valve on the hot (left) side, I should have run flexible metal or braided pipe for the first foot or two instead of plastic, and a metal shut-off valve would be much more dependable.
New water heater
The new water heater, in place and ready to be fired up. It's 50 gallons instead of 40 to give them a little extra hot water for their showers.
Old water heater top - close-up
The tank was only four years old but the top was an indistinguishable mix of fiberglass, rust, sludge, and steel.
Old water heater top
For a long time (years?) water leaked out of the pipe and filled the fiberglass insulation on top of the tank like a sponge. The steel tank rusted away underneath.
Old water heater connections
The old water connections (set loosely in place for the picture). Most of the corrosion was actually cleaned off by this point. The cold water input (right-hand side) was the one that caused the trouble.
Old water heater
This is the old water heater, disconnected and ready to be hauled upstairs.