So you've got to replace that natural gas water heater. Shouldn't be a big deal, let's just follow some standard safety precautions when working with any type of gas. No smoking or flames in the area. Make sure the area is ventilated, if there is a window, open it. We'll need to shut the gas off first, before disconnecting.

OK, you've saved yourself a couple of hundred dollars by installing your own water heater! Well, you haven't yet, but you're almost there. (Last time I was at Lowe's, they charge $219 to have one of their contractors install a water heater, and that's only if it is a standard swap out) We're going to be replacing an existing 40 gallon tank with a 50 gallon tank, which would cost even more due to the soldering and cutting that has to occur.

Something that every home owner should do periodically is inspect the water heater for signs of leaks. A bad leak will cost you many times over what a new water heater will run you, if it's let to go for a year or so. If you pay for your water, you're losing money twice. Once because your heater (gas or electric) is having to operate more than it should. And two because you're losing water that you're paying for.

If you're reading this, you likely have one of two problems. Either your water heater leaks, or you're having more children and need to 'upgrade'. (There's also the possibility that you're changing from gas to electric because of the high cost of natural gas these days. In that case, this won't help you much because I'm just gonna swap out an old gas heater for a new one.)