1977 homette skyline trailer is now mine....work begins

[NMarie]

I closed on my fixer up MH last week, so now I am a proud MH owner, and now, while moving in slowly, I'm having the fixer up begin. last friday I had a plumber in to take out the water heater so I could install new flooring under it. That went without a hitch, but I did get to see how the galvanized plumbing has plugged up over the last 30 years. Guess a pex install is in my future.

I do have a couple questions too.
1. I have a NG water heater with an outside door. The heater had an insulation/plastic blanket around it. The plumber indicated that this was not a good idea, due to the risk of fire. So I removed it. Still, the door is vented into the waterheater, will it be ok, or do I need to figure out some other way to insulate the heater and piping in this area?

2. About PEX. The plumber said they use PEX almost all the time now days. They use the expansion type fitting connection as shown on this web site. http://www.pexinfo.com/ I recall someone asking about fittings, and the plumber said he had maybe 2-3 connections go bad out of thousands, and that he preferred this method.

3. My SW MH does not have a ceiling exhaust fan in the bathroom (small window, yes) and I can tell that the ceiling has been painted over to cover the humidity stains. One of the archive emails asked about how to install an exhaust when there is no vent already in place. But I did not find a response to this question. Any suggestions?

Next project will be to have the termite treatment done. Then replace the skirting and decking to satify the bank.

I wanted something to keep me busy in my free time. Guess I found it.

[JD]

Hi NMarie,

Water heaters made today are much more insulated and energy efficient than the older models. There are some models that actually say do not use a water heater blanket and that it could void your warranty, so reaqd your installation instructions. But most water heaters can still benefit from the extra insulation. I have not heard or read any reports claiming water heater blankets installed properly are causing fires. You do not want a water heater blanket to cover the access door area, extend beyond the sides of the water heater or close off any vented area. If a properly installed water heater blanket caught fire on a water heater that allows water heater blankets, you had a water heater fire that burnt the blanket first. The fire and malfunction was already started.

Although I use and have had excellent results with stainless steel fittings, I see a lot of wirsbo fittings when I am out in peoples homes for estimates. I have not seen people having problems with them. I have actually heard of more problems with the ssc that I use, but I think that is from faulty installation. We have had no problems with scc. I know Mark and many here on the forum use the copper crimps, which also have a good reputation. In the end, I believe any flavor of PEx to be a better choice than metals or other plastics. Metal, galvanized or copper have their problems here in Central Valley, California.

On the ceiling fan, just follow the installation instructions, putting the fan into the ceiling. Plain Broan fan units are easier to install than large units with added features. The roof vent will be handled differently on a metal roof, as it should be sealed to the roof under the flange, screwed down tight and then sealed again over the flange. I like using butyl rubber tape under the flange and industrial quality polyurethane on top. I use Tremco Vukem 116.

Hope this helps.

JD

[Maureen]

Hi NMarie,

Congrats on your new home!

We also have to replace our old galvanized with PEX. That will happen when time and cash allows.

As far as the water heater goes, I know what you saw when you opened that closet door on the outside!. Your plumber and JD are correct! The correct answer depends on how old the water heater is. Newer water heaters need less insulation than the older models. If you have an older water heater surrounded by insulation, more is not better! When we moved in here, the water heater was wrapped. More insulation was stuffed around the walls and the door was covered on the inside in insulation! It was blocking the vents! I ripped out all of it, except the blanket covering the old water heater. We do experience plenty of freezing temps during the Winter months. We replaced a new water heater last January.

As JD mentioned, the new one has plenty of insulation! It says not to use a blanket on it. We went through the coldest temps of the year after it was installed. It held up perfect! We did go with an Energy Star efficient mobile home rated gas water heater. It's made a huge difference!

Maureen

[Manitoba Bill]

JD; Just wondering if a wall exhaust fan is easier to install or better in the long run? Re. roof leak, etc.

http://www.fantech.net/bathroom.htm

[JD]

Hi Bill,

If this is a flat ceiling, a wall unit will work well. While I feel ceiling units are better, any powered ventilation is going to reduce most of the excessive moisture. I would think the difference in performance would be small. This is just my opinion and not based on any studies or reports.

JD

[NMarie]

Thanks for the advice. Took me awhile to get back to the forum. I've been moving and traveling up to Glass Mtn to do geothermal reviews.

Yep, my trailer has a flat roof, so maybe the wall fan will be a better idea. The roof has a 3" roof "cap"? which I would have to go thru as well.

Anyway thanks for the info.

I will probably be off the internet for awhile. I'm lining up a new internet provider for my new address.

Thanks all.