# Leveling water heaters



## onthelevel (Apr 6, 2011)

I was wondering what most guys use to level their heaters.

I've put in about 80 heaters with my plumber and it always drives me nuts when we go to level it. It takes too long and I know there's a better way. But considering he is 35 years older than me, it's hard to teach him new tricks. 

He is about 67 and done it for 40+ years. He insists on using short pieces of copper tube that I go flatten with a hammer. And stacking them. Sometime 3 or so thick. It works, but not easily and what a PITA. 

I've used and kind of like composite shims much better. Any other ideas.
Thanks,
Adam


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## TxElectrician (May 21, 2008)

Build the platform level?


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## onthelevel (Apr 6, 2011)

Generally they are always on a basement floor that has some pitch.
The floors are never level. Some are off a inch in the circumference of the heater.

He likes the shims but getting them dead level without having the heater rock is terribly annoying.


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## Tom Struble (Mar 2, 2007)

maybe he don't know what a composite shim is..have you ever shown him?


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## Sabagley (Dec 31, 2012)

You could shim it and then squirt a little sprayfoam under it to stabilize it.


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## onthelevel (Apr 6, 2011)

Tom Struble said:


> maybe he don't know what a composite shim is..have you ever shown him?


 Yes I have shown him, But he is the older type that is really stuck in his ways.
He does respect what I say a lot but sometimes he won't change for anything.
I really liked the composite shims, worked excellent. I used caulk to hold them and it was easy, and I've used a shot of the sprayfoam.
I just guessed to use the composite shims, I was wondering what other guys like to use.


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## huggytree (Nov 3, 2013)

I use smashed copper..i smash it into a wedge...it has never collapsed when the heater fills up....I don't smash multiple pieces and stack them....that would take too much time...I spend probably 3 minutes leveling it....1/3 of the time its just fine w/o any shims


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## Inner10 (Mar 12, 2009)

They have to be level?


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## onthelevel (Apr 6, 2011)

I know gas/propane etc. are supposed to. Otherwise the burner could heat the heat exchanger or whatever unevenly.
That's how my plumber told me.
And one day I was really bored waiting for him so I actually read the instructions on the box (Lochinvar heater), and it did mention to level actually we plumb it because the top isn't always perfectly flat. 

I've seen many last a long time that were nowhere near level though.
I have to imagine most probably aren't leveled at all, but we do, and that's how I was taught.
My plumber is very old school and meticulous. But I am just an apprentice so I don't know for sure.


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## Inner10 (Mar 12, 2009)

onthelevel said:


> I know gas/propane etc. are supposed to. Otherwise the burner could heat the heat exchanger or whatever unevenly.
> That's how my plumber told me.
> And one day I was really bored waiting for him so I actually read the instructions on the box (Lochinvar heater), and it did mention to level actually we plumb it because the top isn't always perfectly flat.
> 
> ...


Maybe I should level mine...


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## KennMacMoragh (Sep 16, 2008)

If he's stuck in his ways, I guess it doesn't matter what you show him. Maybe he doesn't want to spend money on shims. I'm sure he has scrap copper pipe for free.


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## plazaman (Apr 17, 2005)

you could sell the copper and still have money left over for shim.


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