DIY guideRecords and planning
Plan a machine replacement before it fails
Read the label and its age, watch for the signs, measure the space and the hookups, and get quotes before it fails. Gas and water heater installs stay a pro's.
- 20 to 40 min
- 7 steps
- Every step animated
7 steps
Tap a step to watch it again.
Photograph the label, and work out its age from the serial. Handyman can read it for you.
Rust, leaks, new noises, longer run times or one repair after another mean it's near its end.
Measure the width, depth and height of its space, and the doorways and stairs it comes through.
Photograph its connections: water, drain, vent, plug or gas, so the new one fits.
Ask Handyman for quotes while it still runs, so you aren't choosing in a hurry.
Note what you chose, who installs it and when, with the label and the photos.
Installing a water heater, a furnace or anything on a gas line is a licensed pro's job. Ask Handyman for one.
What you need
- Your phone
- A tape measure
- A notebook
Call a pro if
- Any gas appliance, furnace or water heater install
- It's leaking, or the tank is rusty
- New wiring, venting or plumbing is needed
Handyman says: Gas or water heater? I'll find a pro.
Free for every home. Handyman asks a few questions, then books a pro it trusts.
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Rather have
a pro do it?