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(no email)
Date: Tue Feb 06 2007 - 21:44:29 EST
Hello All,
well I had to install a new water heater this
weekend. The old one stopped heating and I wanted
a larger capacity anyway.
I had a 3 gallon unit I found next to the
dumpster for the last year or so, so I can't
complain that it died...
I bought a 6 gallon unit at Sears and was
disappointed to find it did not come with a power
cord. So I cut the power cord off the old water
heater and soldered it onto the leads on the new
unit.
You people would get a laugh out of watching me
try to solder anything. Here is the procedure.
Strip the wires about an inch and a half. Install
heat shrink tubing onto the wires. Twist the wires
together (I use what I think is called a
'lineman's twist'). Grab soldering gun and
magnifying glass. Place gun tip onto joint, set
down magnifying glass. Pick up solder and wave it
in the general direction of the joint until it
hits something. Slide the solder up and down the
wire until it comes back shorter than it went in.
Set down solder and pick up magnifying glass.
Inspect joint to see if any solder melted onto the
joint. If it did, try to pull the joint apart. No.
REALLY PULL!
If the wires stay connected re-inspect with the
glass to insure all is well and trim any rogue
wires. Slide heat shrink tubing into place and
apply heat gun.
Now re-inspect the whole assembly. Does it look
well insulated? If so I get to move on to the next
wire.
BOY I wish I could use crimp connectors for
everything!!
Unfortunately with different thickness wires, and
one being stranded and the other being solid (hey
I didn't design this water heater!) I don't think
crimping would be as reliable as soldering.
Oh well, the new water heater is IN, it WORKS,
and it does NOT leak!
So I guess I did a good enough job.
I hope. :-) :-)
Eric Thompson
S/V Procrastinator
South San Francisco
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