hooking up sidearm to water heater

[zsteinmetz]

Ok helping a buddy hook up his CB 6048. When hooking up his sidearm to his water heater he has a relief valve on the top of his gas water heater. Can we use this as the top domestic water hook point for the sidearm or do we have to Tee it into the hot side of the water heater just above the tank? I have a different setup on my water heater so need some help. Or do most people always go into the relief valve port?

 

[PA Plumber]

Ok helping a buddy hook up his CB 6048. When hooking up his sidearm to his water heater he has a relief valve on the top of his gas water heater. Can we use this as the top domestic water hook point for the sidearm or do we have to Tee it into the hot side of the water heater just above the tank? I have a different setup on my water heater so need some help. Or do most people always go into the relief valve port?

I have not idea what you mean, but I do encourage you to leave some sort of pressure relief device in the system.

Maybe you had already thought this out, but it did set off an alarm in my little noggin.

 

[jer427]

you can go in where the relief valve is, just put a tee so the relief valve is on one leg the side arm goes to another and the other leg goes to the hot water heater. you want to keep the relief valve for safety purposes.

 

[zsteinmetz]

I know im bad at explaining stuff but basically what im asking is how do you hook up the sidearm. I know how the OWB plumbs into it but where do you hook the domestic side into the water heater itself?

 

[PA Plumber]

I know im bad at explaining stuff but basically what im asking is how do you hook up the sidearm. I know how the OWB plumbs into it but where do you hook the domestic side into the water heater itself?

Again, no experience here, but...

What about into the boiler drain at the bottom of the water heater? A tee could be put there (3/4" ips fittings) for the OWB supply to the domestic hot water supply and still keep the boiler drain. That way there would be no modification to the existing T&P location and depth it extends into the tank.

 

[zsteinmetz]

yes that is the bottom hook point for the sidearm. Thanks for the info. And that answers my question jer427.

 

[oneoldbanjo]

My sidearm uses the bottom drain point and the T&P hole and it work just fine. I have a Tee at the top and the T&P valve is installed, and for a drain I just used a 3/4 inch valve plumbed in at the low point of the pipe running to the sidearm.

 

[zsteinmetz]

All great stuff guys we will be installing it tonight. Do any of you guys ever run out of hot water?

 

[mtfallsmikey]

Remember folks,

Do NOT...under any circumstances, relocate a relief valve anywhere else but that tap!!!!...ask me how I know!
:jawdrop:

 

[oneoldbanjo]

I have both a sidearm and a plate heater for heating the cold water as it comes in. I have so much hot water I actually turn off the sidearm most of the time and I always turn off the electric heating elements.

I have heard of a few people that use the sidearm only and they can eventually run out of hot water if they take showers and do laundry and use a lot of water in a short period of time. If you have that problem you could always set your normal water heater setting much lower than your sidearm will heat - then the normal heater will only come on when you are starting to use more hot water than the sidearm can supply.

There is a thread that discusses this.....do a search to find it.