Bust a Cap

Today I noticed a water leak coming from the cover over our hot-water tank. As I opened the cover to reveal the tank, a small stream of water sprayed up into the air from the hot-water tank Drain Plug. This is the original plug and has lasted quite a long time now. The head of the plug is now cracked, thus allowing water to spray out. As I twisted the head to remove it, the head broke off. I used a pair of needle nose pliers to remove the rest of the broken plug.

The hot-water tank is manufactured by Atwood. They use nylon Drain Plugs to avoid galvanic corrosion with the aluminum tank.  Brass plugs are NOT recommended for use in aluminum threads such as the Atwood tank.  The Atwood Drain Plugs come in a 2-pack and it is a good idea to have an extra one on-hand.

When replacing the plug, use a small amount of Teflon Thread Tape to help seal it. Be careful to not over tighten the plug when installing it.

If your Pressure Relief Valve, located near the top of the tank, is constantly leaking water then you have lost the head of air that should be present. To replace the air, cool the heater, remove the drain plug to drain the water, and then replace the drain plug and refill the tank. As the water fills the heater the air will be compressed in the top of the tank.

Article Courtesy of : www.BugSmacker.com : Copyright © 2011

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