Creative water heater removal?

[LBrown59]

Someone recommended removing the outer shell with shears and tearing off insulation to get to the inner tank. Thinking about that or cutting a 'wedge' out of it with a sawzall and crushing it with a couple of 10,000# ratchet straps wrapped around it.

So do you install the new tank using the same method?:confused2:

 

[woodchuckie]

I had my condenser, heater and, blower replaced which was in the hall closet. The new one wouldn't fit. We had to remove the door, the door frame and a short section of a 2x4 near the floor because we had room to tilt it out from the bottom so it was only a couple of feet high. No sheet rock was involved. It was sort of an unfinished closet so no sheet rock.

 

[orezok]

Get an A/C vacuum pump and shrink it!

 

[2manyrocks]

The key to quick removal of trim is to get a Japanese flat bar that is thin enough to get under the trim and pry it up enough to get at it with a regular wonder bar. Then you can pop it off without tearing anything up if you watch what you are doing, and won't take that long.

 

[forgeblast]

Might be the perfect time to buy a plasma cutter.

 

[Knotbored]

Whats on the other side of the other three walls? Any chance its faced with a closet or utility room that could be altered to add an access panel for tank removal and future changes?

 

[SPIKER]

You stated GAS hot water heater this means there is a center flue up through it that the gas heat goes up through so it is not just a big round tank. the center section will not let you simply split the tank.

The top & bottom would have to be cut off in several sections prior to splitting the sides.

Like others said lots of crud will be in the tank

I like the vacuum pump Idea but you may have to DENT the side tops & bottom on 2 sides opposite each other which will let it collapse some.

Like others mentioned pull the door off the frame hinge pins. set aside.
with narrow flat bar pry off the interior trim of the space the heater is in (if you can fit in there with the hot water heater.) The frame should pop out pretty easy with a sawsall & metal blade to cut between the frame & the jamb.LOOK first it MAY be screwed in, and make sure the hinge screws are removed first prior to running the sawsall between the frame & studs.

The outer sheet metal will come off semi easy, same with the gas controls as well.

You could also post it on Craigs list for free must remove it

Mark