Installation

We at Tankless Ratings strongly suggest getting a professional to do the installation and make sure they are familiar with Tankless models. Many old school plumbers will be against Tankless models as they are worried about change and are not familiar. How wrong they are!! Also make sure you shop around as we know how plumbers are, We received quotes of 200-1000 on the same unit from miscellaneous plumbing companies so be careful. Remember you will probably recover any expense on a tankless unit in energy savings in the first two years and have endless hot water that never runs out. We have included some general information on an electric installation but each unit is different and will have different breaker, wiring and plumbing needs. Many will require wood, screws and mounting hardware as well but the Titan Tankless includes these items as well as a mesh filter at the input (cold) of the unit. Most units will require and upgrade to your wiring (thicker with an average of 6-8 gauge), a more powerful breaker (40 - 70 AMPs double pole and sometimes two of them). Make sure your home can support the unit electrically as they have an initial high current draw.

THINGS YOU WILL NEED: Tubing or PVC cutter (most will require a length of copper piping at the inlet and outlet about 18 inches prior to PVC), pliers, adjustable wrench, plumbing accessories, proper breakers, proper wiring, water hose, screw gun, bucket and don't forget the beer (kidding).  MAKE SURE YOU SELECT THE RIGHT MODEL as colder northern climates and areas with cold incoming water or higher water demand require more powerful tankless units.

 

 

1. Make sure you have all the required plumbing, electrical and essential tools before you start.  Most units come with detailed installation instructions.

2. Turn off your water and power for your home at the main source. Drain your old antique tank and make sure you look at the slime, rust and sludge that comes out that has been hitting your body all these years. Properly dispose of your tank and that does not include your neighbors yard, but unfortunately most of these end up in a landfill (not great for the environment).

3. Properly mount your Water Heater in a convenient spot and make sure you have some clearance from the floor and ceiling (about 15 inches at least). The Titan Tankless does come with mounting hardware and some may choose to build a base with 2 x 4's but many can go right in the drywall. Make sure the unit is mounted upright, level  and not sideways, upside down (yes it happens) or anything like that.

4. It is important that you go through your home and remove your shower heads, aerators and clean out the mesh filter and it is best to use energy saving devices with low GPM (gallons per minute) for these devices. A low flow shower head gets you just as wet and will save not only energy, but gallons of water every time you shower. www.plumbersurplus.com has about 11,000 different shower heads with low flow settings ranging from 10 dollars to 200 dollars.

 

 

5. Now its time to connect the wiring. Again make sure the main power source is off!  It is essential also that you have the proper wiring (most will need upgraded wiring compared to your tank, usually about 6-8 gauge) and the proper breaker(s) in place. Many units will require two separate double pole breakers, and some just one double pole breaker. For example the Titan Tankless N-120 model requires a single 60 AMP double pole breaker with 6 gauge wire. Remember a double pole 30 AMP breaker is just that...a 30 AMP breaker. Many think because it is double pole it counts as 60 AMPs and this is a common mistake. If you were to use that the breaker would blow every time you activate your hot water. Each unit has different wiring specs so make sure you follow the individual water heater instructions. Once finished remember - DO NOT TURN THE POWER ON at this point. You must first get the plumbing done. This is another common problem and could possibly burn the unit out if there is no water running through

6. Now we get to the plumbing. Again every unit has different requirements but if you are running PVC you must generally run a length of copper plumbing for about 18 inches or so from the cold and hot water inlet and outlet of the unit before connecting with the PVC. It is a good idea prior to connecting the plumbing to the unit that you run your water source briefly to make sure it is clear of any debris in the line. This is where the bucket and hose can come in handy. It is also important to make sure the mesh filter is installed at the inlet of the Tankless unit the heating unit to keep debris out in future use. Although not required it is not a bad idea to install small water filter (make sure you get one that is just to stop debris and does not affect water pressure). This further protects the internal components from sand, rust, and various sediment and can increase the life of the unit greatly. We advise this as internal flow switch on Tankless  units is constantly turning off and on and over the years sand or rust could affect its operation. A 20 micron (8 GPM) is fine. Remember this is optional and not required. Also make sure you have a shut off valve prior to the Tankless unit as if there is ever a problem you can simply turn off the water supply, remove the unit and replace or repair it. It is also code in most areas but many neglect to follow that.

 

 

 

7. This is most IMPORTANT: As crazy as this sounds this is one of the most common problems we find with installations. Make sure you properly connect the inlet port (COLD) of your Tankless unit with your cold water line coming into your home. The outgoing port (HOT) then goes into your home (kitchen, bath, shower etc). You won't believe how often people reverse this step and it causes all kinds of problems we don't even want to get into. The Titan Tankless clearly marks the areas on the unit itself as this problem was so common it was required. Many others followed suit.  

8. Once the plumbing is installed at the inlet it is a good idea (WITH THE POWER STILL OFF) to again run the cold water and make sure the lines are clear (bucket again). Then once plumbing to the outlet of the unit is done continue to run the water (POWER STILL OFF) again and make sure your aerators, shower heads etc are still off and go to each site and run the water to further flush out your homes pipes as well (watch out for flooding as there is no restriction). Once this is done you can reinstall the aerators, shower heads etc. Once all these steps are completed you can now, FOR THE FIRST TIME, ACTIVATE YOUR POWER. At not time prior should your power be turned on for safety purposes. Remember that if you activate your power during any critical installation phase you risk damaging the unit and worse you can get scalded as the water coming out of the Tankless unit is incredibly hot. You can now go to a shower and adjust your tankless settings to a comfortable range (this may require some tweaking). Again we recommend a professional do the installation. You have successfully installed your Tankless Hot Water Heater now and can now go take a shower for 2 hours. Remember you now have endless hot water!!