Water heaters are heavy tanks that boil hot water. You will definitely not want to face any problem with it. Whether you are installing a new water heater or taking the existing heater anywhere else, you have to be careful in order to ensure safety and prevent it from breaking.
The recommendation about transporting your heater is to keep it in an upright position, which is not possible every time. In this case, you have to look for alternatives.
To transport Rheem hybrid water heaters safely, they should be on their backs when there is padding and strapping and the traveling is short and smooth. Before installing and starting to use it, the heater must be in the upright position for a few hours after transport.
What Does the Rheem Instruction Manual Say?
If you read the Rheem instruction manual, you will come to know that they have not mentioned how to transport their hybrid water heater. Another thing they did not mention is whether you should or should not transport their water heater on its side.
Alternatively, Home Depot did mention that transporting the water heater on its back will be safe. In this context, putting it on its back will be a secure way to move it.
Home Depot is one of the retailers that carry many home appliances. Their brand has a good reputation and it is widely known among the users.
If their instructions will compromise the integrity of the appliance or endanger the safety of a user (it includes boiling water right?), it will damage their reputation.
Apart from that, they will face countless returns too, which is a great deal of paperwork to deal with.
Conditions of Side Transport
If you have made up your mind to transport your hybrid water heater on its side, the first step is to be careful. Otherwise, you are putting the parts within the machine at risk of permanent damage.
When you move it, you will ensure and try your best to prevent it from rolling around. The ideal method to do it is by using the ratchet straps to secure it. Additionally, you should and can use padding under the tank.
You should keep the controls up when laying it down. The reason behind it is they are very fragile and there is a great chance of getting their components damaged when moving your water heater.
Another thing to avoid is long and bumpy journeys. Bumps will make the process of damage easier on both the inside and outside of the heater. If you are going on long trips, the longer the heater is laying down and remains on the road, with the bumps it is getting, it is more likely to get damaged.
After transporting your heater, it is our suggestion to let it sit upright for more than 2 hours before setting it up again.
Possible Problems with Side Transport
Normal water heaters can be transported lying down, but when it comes to hybrid heaters if you transport it on its side, you are increasing the risk of damaging important parts inside it.
Most of the time, you can avoid the damage easily if you are careful and familiar with the delicate parts.
The weakest part of the unit is the compressor. That is the part that makes it a hybrid water heater also called a heat pump water heater.
It is mounted on a spring which is perfect for the function of the appliance but that makes it susceptible to being orientated in any direction other than upright.
If the main part (compressor) gets damaged, the water heater will stop working and will become useless.
To prevent it from happening, you need to secure your water heater. If you are allowing it to roll around in your vehicle, it is more likely to cause irreversible damage. You can reduce the issues that can happen from transporting your water heater on its side.
Advantages of Side Transport
Transporting your heater on its side has more advantages as compared to transporting it upright. The first one is it will remain more stable. Since hybrid water heaters are super heavy, there is a higher chance that a vertically standing heater will tip over if moved than if it were on its side.
Due to this reason, most of the time, it is safer to transport your hybrid water heater on its side if you are taking the proper precautions with it. Another advantage is that it can fit in your car. It will prevent you from hiring a transporter, thus saving some bucks.
