Water Heater Drain (with pics)

[Gene]

I was inspired to add a water heater drain after seeing several here at the SOC so I thought I would share the one I added. You can see the ones by kanyonkitty and JohnB on this page:
http://www.sunlineclub.com/forums/f6...tion-10105.htm and I am sure there are more.

First here are the parts I used.



I could not find the plastic fitting so I purchased the brass pipe nipple then found the plastic fitting for 89 cents at my local RV dealer a few days later. Unfortunately the plastic one leaked about one drip a minute. I don't know if it was because I had the threads wrapped with teflon tape but I ended up using the brass fitting, well wrapped with teflon.

The drain I had previously was also a brass one with threads wrapped with teflon tape that I put in when I replaced the tank in '04. That thing always needed a tap with the end of a wrench to open because it was right behind the gas line and I couldn't get my fat fingers back there.



That old brass one above came out easily, even after having been in there several years and the threads were clean and shiny! No reaction with the aluminum.

I was real carefull putting in the brass fitting to make sure it did not get cross threaded and strip the aluminum threads in the heater and only gave it about a 1/4 turn (or less!) with the wrench after it was hand tight.

Here is the final product.



It really makes it easy to drain the water heater now.

Much thanks to those that posted theirs earlier and gave me the idea.

Gene

{edit} Total for the parts at Lowes was just under $13.

[Jim-Bev-2363]

I do like your setup. neat and functional. Nice pics.

jim

[Gene]

Thanks Jim.

Gene

[264SRinPA]

I have the same setup except I used a nylon nipple from Tractor Supply and a stainless steel braided hose. Good thing you didn't use the gray plastic nipple. I tried that first and the water was hot enough to soften it, and it blew out while under pressure.

[Gene]

That is good to know, thanks. The RV store person said it should be ok for hot water .... but they were not sure.

[JohnB]

Gene

Looks good.

Another fixer/enhancement for the HW heater as I see yours is corroding.

If you have some spray paint, clean up the bare exposed aluminum gas valve. tape off the brass jet taking care not to touch the tip at the end and paint the outside of the valve. It will slow down that corrosion by a factor of 10. If you pull of the metal bracket that holds the gas burner, go to the auto parts store and buy some high temp silver engine spray paint. Take the burner out, be carefull with the electrode you don't crack it. tape up electrode or take it off, clean up the rust on there now and paint. don't paint by the burner tip or it will smell for a while.

I also sand the sheared end of the exhaust sheet metal and touch them up. This little bit of extra make the thing last a lot longer.

Good job and thanks for posting

John

[Gene]

Originally Posted by JohnB

....Another fixer/enhancement for the HW heater as I see yours is corroding. ....

I remembered the post where you had painted yours while I was doing this and saw all the "fuzz" on mine. One more item for "The List".

[tedontario]

Gene

I like the way you set up your new hot water drain. I just take out the plug! One day I will have to change to what you have done it looks good and saves water on the housing. I will always remember how lucky DW and I felt that one day with the heat off but the water pressure on the original plastic plug blew out while we were standing near the trailer. There was just a loud BANG! We went around to look and the water was just pouring out. We often think what would happen had we been out doing some thing else where. At the time I was still driving truck and the techs in the garage gave me a brass fitting.

Ted

[precorguy]

Thanks for the pics - I had a similar thing going but wasn't happy with it - so i switched to what you noted - and it is great!

i also agree about the water heater drain plug valve - too difficult to get to once it is in - i didn't even take it out of the package.

thanks