Home Improvement Stack Exchange
Home Improvement Stack Exchange

Questions tagged [heater]

358 questions
19
votes
9 answers

What is the reason for electric heaters saying to never use an extension cord?

Virtually all electric heaters that I've seen say to never use them with an extension cord and this advice seems to be echoed by fire safety organizations and such. However, I'm curious about exactly what the danger is. I'm aware of why you…
reirab
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14
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3 answers

Is it safe to have a drain in the floor out to the septic tank with no trap?

I had a contractor add an additional bath. When we were planning out the project, he mentioned my lack of a water heater valve drain pan. Instead, he installed a drain directly into the septic line that runs from the new bathroom (toilet/sinks/tub)…
Austin Seward
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10
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5 answers

Did the plumber hook up my water heater backwards?

I just had a plumber install a new 50 gallon water heater, but the cold water pipe is installed to the hot side (the left pipe when facing the front of the heater) and the hot water pipe is installed to the cold side (the right pipe when facing the…
James
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8
votes
3 answers

How would I add indicator lights to a hot water heater to let me know when an element is out?

WARNING TO ANYONE READING THIS POST. DO NOT TRY WHAT I WAS PROPOSING AS YOU WILL GET SHOCKED AND KILLED OR YOU WILL BURN DOWN YOUR HOUSE AND BE KILLED. Is it possible to add indicator lights to a hot water heater to indicate when an element is out?…
Yeto
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8
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3 answers

How can I restore power to a gas-fired water heater protected by a tripped GFCI outlet?

We had some rain that blew sideways yesterday and tripped our outdoor GFCI which is connected to our tankless gas water heater. The orange light is showing and we can’t reset the outlet. I’ve turned off the main breaker feed to the water heater to…
Leslie
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7
votes
7 answers

Should I use 12/2 or 12/3 to wire a 220V electric baseboard heater and thermostat?

When I bought my baseboard heaters, thermostats and 220V breakers I was advised to get 12/3 wire. When I attempted to install the heaters I found that the thermostats, heaters, and even breakers have connections for only 2 wires. I have since read…
Luke
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6
votes
2 answers

Water heater exhausting inside house

I have this I think standard gap between water heater and chimney. Due to house being colder inside than outside in summer time, I think the pressure difference is not allowing the exhaust to go up the chimney. If I open a window it helps...really…
Franklin Gray
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5
votes
1 answer

Why would a patio heater slowly die out over time?

I have a propane (not LP) patio heater similar to this one... using a 20-lb. propane tank... I have an issue where the flame will slowly die down over a period of time. Let's say within 30 minutes it goes from full flame to something that barely…
Sparky
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5
votes
1 answer

What could cause a clicking noise in an electric water heater?

I get clicking sound from our electric water heater as well. it lasts for a while, then stops...then starts again, etc. we recently had technician out who said it needed to be cut back on the setting for temperature, it was set at about 132…
rucie stone
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5
votes
6 answers

What could be causing my water heater inlet pipe to corrode?

There is corrosion forming on the inlet and TP valve connections to my water heater; the outlet seems to be fine. More specifically, the nipples are what is corroding. I have read the copper pipe and galvanized steel will cause this, and I assumed…
Evil Elf
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4
votes
3 answers

Turn off water heater as well during winter?

If I am going on vacation for an extended period during winter (it occasionally gets below freezing here), should I turn off water valve AND the gas water heater or just turn off the main water valve? I am seeing a lot of people advising to close…
user45793
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4
votes
2 answers

Will having an expansion tank on the hot water pipe cause any problems?

I want to replace my water expansion tank and I just found out that it is installed in the hot water pipe coming out from the water heater. From what I've read, it should be installed in the cold water supply. I want to know if this will cause any…
yuto
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4
votes
1 answer

What should I do with the white wire when wiring a 240 volt garage heater?

I was given a 240 volt garage heater from a friend. When I built my garage I had the electrician run a wire so I could put a heater in down the road. He ran a orange wire with 4 wires in it black red white and ground. I went to make the connection…
Dave
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4
votes
2 answers

How should I install a thermostat for a baseboard heater?

How would I go about installing a thermostat for my bedroom's baseboard heater? I've seen lots of articles on how to replace an old thermostat but I'm installing a thermostat for the first time here. The heater is currently controlled by a dial on…
Shizam
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4
votes
11 answers

Why is my hot water baseboard heater not heating?

I have classic cast iron radiators in my house and then one "modern" one pictured below. It was installed in the 80s from what I know. It doesn't seem to produce much heat at all. It is properly bled and the incoming pipe is hot but the outgoing…
Peter Q
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