How to remove a water heater blocked by a gas pipe
A rigid gas pipe prevents you from lifting the disconnected unit out alone. Because the space is too tight to fit a second person to help, you are physically blocked from removing it unless you cut the gas and remove the pipe.
What people tried
Every workaround mentioned in the threads below. We haven’t tested any of them — and nobody here is claiming they worked.
Found another way around this?
Share your steps and trade-offs so fellow engineers don't have to reinvent the wheel. No account required.
- 1Draining the water tank completely to reduce weightDid this help you?
- 2Using 2x4 blocks and rocking the unit to clear the pipeDid this help you?
- 3Shutting off the gas and unthreading the pipe nippleDid this help you?
- 4Attach railing onto a swing hinge with a locking mechanism so it can open when neededDid this help you?
- 5Use a removable post and/or panel instead of a fixed railingDid this help you?
In their words
Unedited, grouped by where they were said, most upvoted first within each place, each linked to the thread it came from.
“I have it disconnected and have the new one, how do i get this out alone? I'm strong but I don't think I can limit it over the pipe and even if I had another person there's barely any room for two people in that space.”source ↗
“Is there a way other than cut gas and cut the pipe off?”source ↗
“I need new railing for my front door but it's kind of a weird layout and causes barriers for moving larger furniture.”source ↗
Where this came up
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