A homeowner on Anderson Island, the Pierce County island reached by car ferry from Steilacoom, called us last October with a list of plumbing repairs. On his first trip Jerry assessed the house and replaced the 80-gallon water heater with a new electric tank. On the second, in early November, he strapped the new tank and replaced the main shutoff.
What We Did
On his first visit, in late October, Jerry went through the house and wrote up what each bathroom and the kitchen sink needed. He then removed the old 80-gallon water heater, installed a new 80-gallon electric tank with a new expansion tank, and tested it for leaks. The fasteners for the earthquake straps were not on hand that day, so the straps waited for the second trip.
On November 3 Jerry came back, drilled the wall and installed the straps, cut out the old main shutoff and piped in a new valve, and ran the water heater’s relief line to the floor drain. He tested everything for leaks and for performance before he left.
Why It Matters
- Straps are part of the code, not an extra. Washington’s plumbing code calls for a tank water heater to be strapped in its upper and lower thirds, and an 80-gallon tank holds more than 600 pounds of water to keep upright in an earthquake.
- A relief line needs somewhere safe to go. Washington’s code sends the relief valve’s discharge by gravity to a drain or outside the house, never into the pan, which is why Jerry ran it to the floor drain.
- A main shutoff should close when you need it. Older valves can seize or stop sealing after years without use, and replacing the main shutoff while the water is already off means the next emergency starts with a valve that works.
- The right hardware is worth a second trip. The straps waited for the second visit rather than going up without the right fasteners.
Why Anderson Island
Anderson Island has no bridge. The Pierce County ferry from Steilacoom, a crossing of about 20 minutes, is the way on and off for a plumber’s truck, so an island job runs on the ferry schedule. The island is unincorporated Pierce County, which means the county permits and inspects a water heater replacement there, and today the county also asks that a new heater keep or improve on the efficiency of the one it replaces.
Planning a Water Heater Replacement
Whether you are on the island or the mainland, call us or request service, and we will tell you what we find and what it will cost before any work starts.
More: water heater repair and installation · plumbing in Lakewood, next door to Steilacoom · no hot water: causes and fixes · water lines and main shutoffs
