I have a system with two gas hot water heaters teed into a common inlet and outlet with separate valves.

I only need one of these for the foreseeable future and hope to keep the other as a spare. I have turned one off (gas and outlet valve.) Is it better to leave it pressurized or turn off the inlet and drain the tank?

I probably won't use the spare until the other fails and they are both pretty new.

Thanks for the advice.

John

John, it would be best to totally shut down the spare, close the valves and drain the tank.

There may be a better answer -- you decide...

Back when electric hot water heaters came to be more common,

My dad (rest his soul) put an extra tank in the basement,

Water would be brought in the house and brought to ROOM

TEMPERATURE which would make it warmer... good idea

Then it would go to the water heater to be heated for the house...

Piping water in one heater and out to the second heater would allow

You to turn off gas, to first heater, and heat with the second, plus if

The one your'e using stops you have a back up heater ready to go...

Water runs through both heaters, you can shut one down, and clean

The burner area on the other, without interupting service...

Do you think it will save money -- and be worth the plumbing expense

I don't get it, so he rigged it to have water come in tank 1, sit there long enough to get to room temp and then go into tank 2 to be heated normally?

It might save some money in the winter, but the tanks would wear (and rust) equally fast. Interesting idea though.

John, it would be best to totally shut down the spare, close the valves and drain the tank.

This seems reasonable. Thanks.
John

There may be a better answer -- you decide...

Back when electric hot water heaters came to be more common,

my dad (rest his soul) put an extra tank in the basement,

water would be brought in the house and brought to ROOM

TEMPERATURE which would make it warmer....good idea

Then it would go to the water heater to be heated for the house....

Piping water in one heater and out to the second heater would allow

you to turn off gas, to first heater, and heat with the second, plus if

the one your'e using stops you have a back up heater ready to go...

Water runs through both heaters, you can shut one down, and clean

the burner area on the other, without interupting service...

Do you think it will save money -- and be worth the plumbing expense


Interesting approach, somewhat like a heat exchanger. My heaters are in the attic and I'm in Texas, so much of the year prewarming water isn't a big issue. Appreciate the different perspective. :)

John