Moving hot water heaters

[farmerjohn]

At work I help maintain over 200 apartments and I am trying to figure out a way to make it easier to remove the old tank, The problem is they are mostly in a closet so there is little room to navigate, and they are sitting in an overflow pan so you can?t slide a hand truck under. I am trying to design a cart to strap on the tank and raise it up to pull it out, but thought I would ask if any one else has conquered this dilemma. Also am trying to make it doable by one person. ????

 

[Patsdeere]

I would look at barrel tongs for an idea.

 

[kcm.MN]

Is impossible to know what to do without seeing the situation, but I would likely try to find some way to use a lightweight dolly (hand truck) with ratchet straps that hold the tank to the dolly frame.

I've seen water heaters where that wasn't possible either, and there were only 3 possibilities:
1. cut the tank and remove the pieces
2. man-handle it out of there
3. use rope (this was before straps were popular) to pack it out

You can also use pieces of wood (and prybars?) to help raise the tank, and even to guide the tank to end-over-end it out.

 

[M-MAN]

You need a homemade lightweight barrel jack. Commercial ones are too heavy but you could copy the general design and use aluminum to build it.

 

[Moonlite37]

Is there a way to get all of the water out of them?

 

[Two Dogs]

Do you have room to use one of those roll around engine hoist thingies? You could strap it to the tank and lift it that way.

 

[Russ from MN]

Similar to what KCM said, how about taking a 2-wheeler and cut the bottom pan off, the put some rubber belting on the verical rails. Push the cart up to the heater and strap it to the cart, then it should lift out of the drip pan when you tip it back. I move ours a few years ago and custom made a drip pan and it wasn't easy getting it in, I used a lot of small wood blocking to do it. It was easier than putting a clothes washing machine in a drip pan!

 

[steve_in_mo]

A hospital patient lift would work better.
An engine hoist is not meant to move around when it is loaded.

 

[JL Ray]

Question? Do you know the weight of the water heater? Does it weigh more that you do?

 

[JL Ray]

are the water heaters electric or gas?

 

[Russ from MN]

An empty 50 gallon water heater weighs about 150 pounds, add the 50 gallons of water you have 550 pounds. No one in their right mind would ever try to move a full one, there is always a way to get the water out.

 

[circus]

Considering it'll be used often you can afford to build a fixture that'll strap to the water heater and be strapped to an appliance dolly.

 

[SteveC1031]

how about a sawzall with a metal blade and cut in half like a log

 

[Dan in North Houston]

They can vary. My daughter and I replaced one, and it wasn't too bad getting it out of the attic. Even though it was the same gallon capacity, the new one weighed a whole lot more than the old one, and the bottom and top were more rounded, so that you couldn't get a good grip on it. It was a real bear to install.

 

[ss55]

If the apartment complex is part of a larger chain, work with the home office to find one, or have them let you bring in some extra help for those jobs. When the building are constructed, did they use two guys to install the water heaters? On the job injuries are expensive for both the employer and the employee, by all means find a way to do the job safely.

 

[old]

Why heat hot water?? Ya that is one of those things that always bug me one heats cold water. As for moving one need to drain them first and a simple drill pump an a garden hose to the bath tube or even out a window is the way to go

 

[Dusty MI]

(quoted from post at 09:30:35 06/18/19) Why heat hot water?? Ya that is one of those things that always bug me one heats cold water.

I agree with you. I say, how do you heat hot water?

Dusty

 

[BobReeves]

My mind is conjuring up an explosive operated bail spear tied to a hydraulic lift cylinder on a 2 wheel cart. Pull up to the heater, fire the spear into the side penetrating the tank, jack it up and roll it off. Maybe a 20ga shotgun shell with the shot removed.

Be sure to make a video...

 

[kcm.MN]

(quoted from post at 10:18:14 06/18/19) My mind is conjuring up an explosive operated bail spear tied to a hydraulic lift cylinder on a 2 wheel cart. Pull up to the heater, fire the spear into the side penetrating the tank, jack it up and roll it off. Maybe a 20ga shotgun shell with the shot removed.

Be sure to make a video...

I bet you're a "blast" on 4th of July. *lol*

 

[Two Dogs]

I believe he was wanting to lift the tank out of the drip pan, not take it for a stroll down the street. TDF

 

[Pete in Holland MI]

Got a small air compressor? Close off the cold water supply. Tap the compressor into the system (thru the drain valve with the correct adapter and push the water out an available water faucet & sink. Use only 20 pounds or so. Works well for me on my last 3 water heater changes in basements.

 

[Moonlite37]

I guess I was out of my mind. I had one clogged with lime and had to move it 60 gallons @8.6 340 to be exact the heater was in a closet of a bedroom with a carpeted floor and my mental condition has not changed, but I am still able to install a water heater. I got the heater out and a new one installed. tenant was happy, landlord was happy my employer was happy. I got back to the shop an hour before quitting time and I never got a hernia and I escaped the fellows in white coats.

 

[Russ from MN]

You can usually blow them out backwards with compressed air, if you have the equipment and knowledge. I have had the drain valve plugged, I just removed it, took a rod and busted away the lime and then hooked up a drain hose. I would never attempt to move one with water in it.

 

[JMOR]

(quoted from post at 14:41:01 06/18/19) Got a small air compressor? Close off the cold water supply. Tap the compressor into the system (thru the drain valve with the correct adapter and push the water out an available water faucet & sink. Use only 20 pounds or so. Works well for me on my last 3 water heater changes in basements.

would sure like to know how you got water to go upward ahead of the air????????????? Closing off the cold only leaves the hot open & at the very top of tank??????

 

[kcm.MN]

Guess I've been lucky. Have never had to deal with such hard water before. I guess if faced with that situation, I't try to run a tube through one of the holes on top and siphon out the water. Would sure be preferable to trying to lift a full tank of unknown condition. If that'd been me, I likely would've had a huge mess. :shock:

 

[JMOR]

One way or another, the water would have to come out. As for the pan, I would scoop up water heater, pan and all & tell the owner that it was bad/risky business to use an old pan and a new heater. Pans are cheap and good insurance!

 

[Russ from MN]

If the drain is open enough to put air in you can blow the water out the bottom, I do it every fall when we winterize the cabin. If the drain is totally plugged and you can't figure out how to open it, then put the air on the hot,(outlet) and you can blow the water out the cold, (inlet) because it has a dip tube going to near the bottom of the tank.

 

[Moonlite37]

I still have my right mind and would not consider trying to clear a clogged water heater drain in a closet in a carpeted bedroom, I did not want to go back to the shop and admit failure on a bit of a tough job. I try t please the homeowner and tenants and still make money for my employer. Does that mean I have a weak mind? Perhaps you should quit plumbing and make mental evaluations by finding people who work and declaring them mentally deficient

 

[4play]

I removed mine with the pan/table still under the heater. I used a hand truck and stacked blocks on the trucks plate up to the bottom of the table. Strap the heater to the hand truck and wheel it out. You can then lay the heater down horizontal, unstrap the heater to remove pan and table. A wide hand truck might be able to fit the table legs on trucks plate.

 

[Mule Meat]

I carry two small pumps that you can attach a garden hose to. One is 120 volt and the other runs with a cordless drill. Bought a cheap 1/2" garden hose and cut it to make a short hose for attaching to the heater and pump and another about 10' long for the outlet side of the pump.

If your apartments are set up like ours. The T&P should be attached to the sewer drain or plumbed to the outside of the building with 3/4" pvc. Once the T&P valve drain is loose. The hose from the pump can be stuck into it for pumping the tank.

After draining. I have only found one that I could not pick up and move myself. With it I just grabbed an Eye bolt, found a second floor floor joist and screwed the eye bolt into it. Then used a small strap and a cheap 500 lb chain hoist to lift it and swing it clear of the pan. Found later that the heater was about half full of rust and calcium.

 

[jeffcat]

There are a whole bunch of good ideas on here. Only thing that I put on my heater were those flexable dielectric flex couplers. Make things so much simpler to hook up. You rang a bell. I work on commercial cooking equipment and this photo shows a Groen pressure steamer. $20,ooo dolar piece of equipment. They come gas and electric. When you shut them off at night the bottom drain solenoid opens and drains the boiler. These boilers are like 18" diameter and a bit more than three feet long and 1/4 welded steel. Typical cheep restaurant put in a call the steamer was not making any steam. Some handy man unhooked that drain valve for some reason. What happens to a boiler when several years of NON drained water with plenty of lime in it fills the boiler right to the top soilid as a rock full???? I would guess the thing was so blasted heavy they needed a pallet jack to move it out the back door.

 

[MeAnthony]

Can you build an adapter to hook your air compressor to the water inlet side, open a faucet and empty the tank using air?
Maybe a couple "quick-attach" adapters that slip & clip onto your dolly, one toward the bottom (a fork to slide under) and one toward the top (curved to support heater) and throw a small ratchet strap around it?

 

[Russ from MN]

No, you can't, is the answer to your first question. The air would go to the bottom in the dip tube and just bubble to the top and out the faucet. It's always best to blow the water out the bottom drain, then if there is any sediment it will be flushed out. They recommend draining water heaters once a year to remove sediment, more often if there is a lot. You can blow the water out the top if you do it backwards as I stated previously, as the dip tube goes almost to the bottom. I blow out 3 water heaters every fall before we head south, always out the bottom drain.

 

[ditchwitch]

make the hand truck smaller cut the handles off to just a couple feet tall . Whens its out use a regular size hand truck and haul it away.

 

[ditchwitch]

LMAO, actually aint a bad idea . The video would be great

 

[ditchwitch]

Dang that cracked me up .............LOL

 

[kencombs]

Appliance dolly. They have a very short (like 3") lip on the front that can be notched to clear the drip pan. Get a good one with the ratchet strap, not the cheaper non'ratchet version.

They are heavy duty, most have good wh.eels and a stair climbing aid on the back

 

[Patsdeere]

Kind of funny that op was looking at suggestions for removing water heaters in a tight spot and we all are suggesting ways to drain the thing....

 

[Dusty MI]

(quoted from post at 09:02:37 06/20/19) Kind of funny that op was looking at suggestions for removing water heaters in a tight spot and we all are suggesting ways to drain the thing....

Well, if you drain it, it will loose a lot of weight.

 

[RVS]

Get a hold of Big TEE. He can contact his buddies at John Deere and they will pick them up for the next generation of Deere tractors.

Sorry couldn't help it

LOL

 

[jniolon]

john, code around here requires a gas WH be set on a stand 18" above floor.
with that you can just man handle it to the hand truck... I've had to remove a washing machine that sat in a drip pan/drain and the pan had a 1-1/2" lip. I cut 2 2x4s...one the width between the washer self leveling legs and one wider than the hand truck wheels.

I tilted the washer back toward the wall and put the first one inside the pan next to the lip and the other outside the pan next to the lip
now the lip is protected.

tilted the machine again and set the hand trucks under the washer and tilted the whole deal back.. eased it off the front 2/4 and completely out of the pan... then it's must muscle and manuevering.

if you do this a lot I'd add a couple of 2x4s in front for a ledge or even fab up a ramp, especially if must of your drain pans are the same height.

no comment on emptying the tank...you've already got three pages on that.

john