Installation Gallery

Standard draft tank replacement in Elk Grove Village. The 9-year Richmond 40-gallon was past its service life — replaced with an AO Smith Signature 100 (40,000 BTU): new copper supply and return connections, flue reconnected, and the old unit hauled away same day.

Customer called at 7am — 14-year-old Bradford White Defender with active corrosion, tripped safety system, and water on the basement floor. Premier was on-site within 2 hours. New AO Smith tank installed the same day. Full copper connections, expansion tank, T&P valve, and sediment trap included. Back to hot water before noon.

Complete tank-to-tankless conversion in Buffalo Grove. Wall-mounted Rinnai unit with dual PVC venting — combustion air in, exhaust out. New dedicated gas line, full copper supply and return piping, isolation valves. Unit set to 120°F and pressure-tested before we left. Endless hot water, significant basement space freed up.

Standard gas tank replacement in Inverness. New gas line connection, code-compliant venting, code-compliant installation items, and proper drip leg. Clean installation completed in under 4 hours. Unit registered for full manufacturer warranty coverage.

High-demand estate home in Barrington required dual power vent units. Two AO Smith Signature 500 tanks installed side by side with custom copper manifold, dual PVC exhaust runs, and dedicated electrical circuits for each blower motor. One of our most complex installs — completed in a single day.

Scheduled replacement in Palatine. The original Richmond 7K50 was installed in 2002 — roughly 24 years of service, well past typical tank life. Replaced like-for-like with a Bradford White RG250T6N 50-gallon natural gas unit (40,000 BTU, atmospheric draft): new copper supply and return connections, flue reconnected, and the old unit hauled away. Completed in about three hours.

The existing Bradford White 75-gallon power vent burst and was actively leaking from the tank — visible corrosion streaking down the jacket. Removed and replaced in a single visit with a new Bradford White 75-gallon power vent: existing PVC exhaust reused, new copper connections, expansion tank retained, and the old unit hauled away. Photo timestamps tell the story — old unit out at 1:42 PM, new unit running by 3:15 PM.

Scheduled 40-gallon replacement in a Buffalo Grove laundry room. The outgoing AO Smith was dated 03-08-14 right on the jacket — about 12 years of service. Replaced like-for-like with a new AO Smith Signature 100 (40-gallon, natural gas): new copper supply and return connections, flue reconnected, gas line re-checked for leaks, and the old unit hauled away.

40-gallon tank swap in a Cary basement utility area. The outgoing Rheem Performance was replaced with a new Bradford White 40-gallon natural gas unit — new connections made up, gas line leak-checked, flue reconnected, and the old tank hauled away. Tight quarters next to the furnace, handled without disturbing the surrounding equipment.

50-gallon power vent replacement in Fox River Grove. The outgoing Bradford White power vent showed rust and corrosion streaking at the burner vents — a sign of condensate and age catching up with the tank. Replaced with an AO Smith Signature 500 power vent: blower connected to the existing PVC exhaust, new water connections, gas line leak-checked, and the old unit hauled away.

The AO Smith ProMax in this Arlington Heights mechanical closet was leaking, and a leaking tank doesn't get better. Removed and replaced the same day with a new AO Smith Signature 100, 50-gallon natural gas — tight-closet maneuvering past the furnace and filtration equipment, new connections made up, gas line leak-checked, old unit hauled away.

Water on the basement floor is how most homeowners find out — this Bradford White 50-gallon in Mount Prospect was leaking with a visible puddle spreading at its base. Drained, removed, and replaced the same morning with a new Rheem 50-gallon natural gas unit: new copper connections, vent reconnected with a fresh shutoff, gas line leak-checked, old tank hauled away. Old unit out at 8:04 AM, new unit in service by 9:57 AM.

The Bradford White 50-gallon power vent in this Algonquin utility room was leaking, so it came out and a new AO Smith Signature 500 power vent went in: blower tied into the existing PVC exhaust, new copper connections, the existing expansion tank retained and re-plumbed, gas line leak-checked, and the old unit hauled away. Tight corner next to the furnace, handled clean.

This GE SmartWater tank in Palatine was leaking from the top — the third photo shows what that looks like up close: corrosion and mineral crust built up around every fitting where water had been weeping. Replaced with a new AO Smith Signature 100, 50-gallon natural gas: new connections, flue reconnected, gas line leak-checked, old unit hauled away from a tight laundry closet.

Three water heaters side by side in this Barrington mechanical room — and the middle one, a GE SmartWater 40-gallon, was the one leaking, with a rusted-through base ring and water spreading across the floor. Replaced with a new AO Smith Signature 100, 40-gallon natural gas, worked into the middle position without disturbing the two neighboring units: new connections, flue reconnected, gas line leak-checked, old tank hauled away.