Water heaters

The Wasatch Front sits in a high seismic zone, and the code here requires a water heater to be strapped to the wall: two straps, one in the upper third of the tank and one in the lower third, kept clear of the controls. Homes with a pressure-reducing valve, check valve or backflow preventer on the main are closed systems, and they need a thermal expansion tank so heated water has somewhere to go besides the relief valve. That relief valve discharges through a pipe that ends a few inches above the floor or drain, never capped and never pointed at a wall.

Hard water is the other local factor. A tank collects sediment on the bottom that makes it rumble and run less efficiently, so we recommend draining and flushing it about once a year. A tankless unit needs periodic descaling instead, and often a larger gas line and new venting, which is worth pricing before you choose one. Whichever you pick, the installation is done by our Utah-licensed plumbing partner under a permit on their license, and if the space needs a new closet or a raised platform, we build it.