Tank water heater- dielectric union? heat trap?

Replacing a 40 gal electric water heater that now is connected by flex copper. The general installation instructions on the Love Page for water heater replacement do not mention heat traps - either loops or nipples. If you use flex copper lines, how much "loop" heigth do you need- do you need it on both hot and cold lines? and do you need a dieelectric nipple coming out of the tank?

heat traps

depending on the brand of theater you buy,

it might already have a heat trap build into the niples comming out of the top of the heater.....


I personally like the brainded flex connectors

they work much better than dia-electric unioins


I suppose if you buy a couple of 24 inch long ones
and make a loop it would make a heat trap

In Illinois the flex pipe are not allowed. It must be hard piped in with unions. Now if your using copper they prefer you to use dielectric unions, or solid brass unions to connect the indifferent metals.