Leveling a Water Heater

[dougw181]

I recently had to replace our gas water heater since the bottom rusted out
and it flooded our garage. I installed an overflow pan and plumbed it outside,
and replaced the rigid water supply lines with flexible lines. The water heater
sits on a wooden platform about 18" above the garage floor. I can not get
the new unit to sit level. The platform is level, the overflow pan sits level,
but the water heater leans about 10 degrees to one side. I am thinking that
one of the feet on the unit is shorter than the other two. Would it be OK to
shim the low side with plastic shims? I really do not remove the unit and
return it for another one since it works fine and does not leak. Has anyone
else experienced this problem. Any advise would be greatly appreciated.
Doug

 

[Richard Cranium]

Doug, I would say not to shim it, I feel it could cause the glass lining to break or cause you a problem. They are engineered to sit flat.

 

[sberry]

It won't break the lining, shove something under it, all that stuff on the bottom is simple sheet metal.

 

[naturalgas]

Put a black iron ****** under the low spot. Or a stone. There won't be any heat there ,you just want something strong. Each gallon of water in the tank weighs 8 pounds.it is done all the time in dirt cellars .


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

[Muzzy]

Is there any height adjustment on the feet?

Seems awfully odd that it leans that far off on a flat surface. I don't know if earthquake straps are required in your area, but if I were shimming it, I would make sure that its strapped to a wall before filling it with water.

 

[BD1]

No problem leveling, you can use some sheet metal pieces to level, or even large flat washers .

 

[silvertop]

You can buy stepped wedges at most hardware stores designed just for that purpose.

 

[Kevin54]

Make a square or round frame and pour it full of self leveling compound and sit the water heater on top of that. It only has to be about an inch or so thick.

 

[joelzip]

I am a master plumber for a living and shim every water heater I install in basements with composite shims.

 

[SweetD]

I am a master plumber for a living and shim every water heater I install in basements with composite shims.

^Ours was / is shimmed by the HVAC install guys, in 2007. Zero problems. Composite shims...



Dave

 

[sixty4]

I just use a few nailing plates myself. Flatten the ears of course.

 

[dougw181]

Thank you for all of your suggestions. I am going to use composite shims
to level it, and then add the strap kit once I have it leveled. Once again,
Thank you for your advise.
Doug

 

[bcradio]

I am a master plumber for a living and shim every water heater I install in basements with composite shims.

Glad to have you on the board here.

Thanks for the advice.

 

[tipsy]

If the platform is level and the pan is level then the big question is why isn't the water heater level? There has to be something wrong or dented or junk stuck to the bottom to be throwing it off by ten degrees. Are you flexible lines too stiff? And holding it up crooked? Did you fill it with water yet? If no, then it's possible that when you add the weight of the water to it, it will level out. You need to do some exploring to find out why it's not level when the platform and pan are. Try disconnecting the supply lines and see if it sits level then.

 

[rlitman]

If the platform is level and the pan is level then the big question is why isn't the water heater level? There has to be something wrong or dented or junk stuck to the bottom to be throwing it off by ten degrees. Are you flexible lines too stiff? And holding it up crooked? Did you fill it with water yet? If no, then it's possible that when you add the weight of the water to it, it will level out. You need to do some exploring to find out why it's not level when the platform and pan are. Try disconnecting the supply lines and see if it sits level then.

You're wondering the same thing as me. I wouldn't fill it with water if it sat that far off level. Adding shims to correct for a unlevel floor, or maybe 1/2" off level at the top, ok. But shimming 10 degrees?!?

Did this thing fall off a truck before you got it?

 

[rayra]

Composite door shims worth just fine. No need to complicate it any further.

/that self-leveling pour suggestion has to be a joke