How to Convert Gas Water Heater to Electric? A Step by Step Guide

If you are not satisfied with your present gas water heater, you can change it. Just change the fuel source of your water heater. The electric water heater is a good choice when it comes to replacement. For that, you must know how to convert gas water heater to electric water heater.

In contemporary houses, the furnaces of the water heaters don’t require a chimney because most of them are electric. Others directly vent through a PVC and go by a wall. Having an electric water heater has many pros.

• They don’t take much area. So it saves your home space.
• Older houses have problems with venting and back drafting. So it is good for the old houses to change the water heater to electric.
• As it is connected to the chimney, you can face trouble twice if there is something wrong with the heater. So a single electric water heater will reduce your pain.
• Though the electric one takes more time than the gas water heater, it is useful.

You just need access to the electric panel. If there is two double-breaker in your panel, it will take up two spaces. The wiring needs to be run from the panel to the location of the water heater.

If the place becomes rusty where you kept the water heater, it can be another reason to change it. The seam, pan bottom, the top tray can have rust, and this will trouble you.

Things you need

1. An electric water heater for sure
2. Two spaces in the electrical panel, because the usual water heaters are double poled of 30 amp breaker. They are 240 volts, and each pole has 120 volts.
3. Wire: For a 4500 watts of water heater, you will need a 10/2 wire. It can be white or orange. You will need 3 coils of wires, and around 10 gauges for each wire will be enough.
4. Two hot conductors, hand gloves, and plastic covers to shield up the wires and electrical tools.
5. You can find all this equipment in a conventional electrical store in the market. These are available, and by converting the gas water heater to an electric by yourself, you can save the money of a plumber as well as can learn the work like a professional.

How to convert gas water heater to electric

To convert your gas water heater to electric, all you need to do is change the electrical wiring that is running to the furnace. To do this, you have to adjust the copper line with the wire.

Step 1

Go and turn off your water supply of the heater. Then take off the valve where you want to add the wire. This is a wide range process.

• Cut the pressure relief copper line with a hacksaw.
• Remove the gas exhaust piping
• Drill into the calcium build-up drain with a drill.

Step 2

Disconnect the gas connection. Then start draining.

Step 3

Soldering the fitting is the next task. Make the soldering longer for working on the expansion valve. The longer one can get down to the crane pan. Flex the soldering face. Solder the connections from both inside and outside. ¾ inch piping is enough. Although the more you coat, the better it will be as you are setting wire inside it. It will be heated for the wire, so covering everything is important.

Step 4

Next is to connect the two check valve copper line together. Take a match caster and heat it, and put the heat in the middle of the connection. Heat the area where you want the flux and where you want the soldering wire to go. Keep heating the joint until all the paste sucks in.

Step 5

Set the valve onto the heater. Then set the drain pan and tighten all the things you replaced or set for new.

Step 6

Finally, hook in the wire with the water heater. Connect the red wire with the red part, black with the black. The green wire should be on the ground. Close up the wiring connections and close up the plate.

Step 7

Turn on the circuit breaker to check the setting, and the converted electric heater is ready.

Replacing a Gas Water Heater for an Electric Water Heater

There is also a shortcut way to change the thermostat system of your gas water heater. This is described below:

The thermostat setting is important. Companies can change their setting inside, so you must check the thermostat before installing the heater. Inside the thermostat, there is all the secret to heating water properly.

• Remove the upper and lower thermostat covers.
• Remove the panel. Then remove the insulations. You will see a plastic cover.
• Remove the cover. And take the top thermostat cover off.
• You are going to set the thermostat to 120 degrees to heat water.
• Go to the electrical panel and check if there are 3 or 4 circuits holding 20 to 150 breakers.
• Now, if you have thingy backs or tiny breakers, set them carefully in the panel. You can condense all four Circuits to these little two areas on the right.
• After you have finished the breaker setting, you are done with the panel, which has new breakers.
• Now connect the wires to the water heater.
• Then put a double pole 30amp breaker in for the 10/2 wiring for the service of your new water heater.

Things you need to know

1. If you have a 40 gallon of water heater, make it a 60 gallon while converting because the heating water up with the electricity takes time compared to the gas water heater. So going for the next size larger will help to balance the time gap.
2. Before buying the breaker, check the specification of your panel because every breaker contains different poles.
3. The power supply must be disconnected while doing the conversion. Any kind of unawareness can be harmful to the house members.
4. Always keep the fire extinguisher close to the water heater to reduce the hazards of being on fire.

Final words

This is a very sincere and tricky process to perform. A professional plumber will be the best choice to do it perfectly, but DYI is always fun. Now, as you know the process, collect all the necessary equipment and convert your water heater.

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