Installation of Sears Hot Water Heaters

Measuring Your Usage

• You should start by figuring out what capacity heater you need. The U.S. Department of Energy provides a worksheet to determine your peak usage, which can be used to select a water heater based on its First Hour Rating. At the time of publication, Kenmore manufactures water heaters that can hold between 30 and 74 gallons of water, with First Hour Ratings of 36.3 and 78.8 gallons respectively.

Measure Your Space

• Once your capacity is set, determine how much vertical clearance you have for your installation. Use a tape measure to measure from the vent pipe to the floor and shop accordingly. Kenmore water heaters range in height from 56 3/4 inches to 71 3/4 inches.

Tools

• Instruction manuals accompanying Kenmore water heaters recommend purchasing a hot water heater natural gas connection kit directly from Sears. This includes a flexible gas supply and couplers to fit most home natural gas supplies. You should also have a roll of Teflon tape, 3-inch flexible vent pipe, two 3-inch pipe clamps, steel venting tape, a flathead screwdriver and two flexible water supply lines.
  One primary advantage to buying a Kenmore water heater is a factory-installed temperature and pressure valve. Also known as a T&P valve, this fitting releases steam or water if the tank builds up too much pressure. Many other brands of water heaters do not have T&P valves installed, creating an additional cost for your installation.

Installing the Venting

• Kenmore water heaters install much like other brands of water heaters. Start with the exhaust vent. Slide a pipe clamp over the vent pipe and when the pipe is connected to the chimney, tighten the screw on the clamp with a screwdriver. Slide another pipe clamp over the top of the vent pipe and connect it to the duct work. Tighten the screw on that clamp to seal, then reinforce both connections by wrapping them with steel venting tape.

Installing the Plumbing

• Your next step in the install is connecting the water lines. Wrap the threaded pipes extruding from the top of the water heater with Teflon tape. Use the flexible supply lines to connect the cold water intake valve on the water tank to your house's water supply, and the hot water output from the tank to your home's plumbing. Kenmore clearly labels the cold water intake and hot water output on its tanks and color codes the pipes accordingly -- the hot water output is painted red and the cold water intake is painted blue.

Connecting the Gas

• Finally, install your gas line. Connect the gas line to your house's gas supply valve and connect it to the valve on the water heater marked "Natural Gas Only." Use Teflon tape on the threads of the shutoff valve and the tank's intake valve for a tighter connection.

Starting the Water Heater

• Once everything is secure, open the shutoff valves on the cold water supply and the gas supply. Set the thermostat on the water heater tank to the lowest possible setting, then light the pilot light. Turn the gas control knob to the pilot, then press the igniter switch to its right four to five times until the pilot lights. You will be able to see whether the pilot lights through a window on the base of the water heater adjacent to the pilot igniter. Once the pilot is lit, turn the gas control knob to on.
  Heating the first tank will take approximately one hour once the water heater fills.