Hot water heater drain

You can purchase wire brushes of small diameters... such as to fit a dremel.. are you using teflon tape around the plug?

I used to use a dab of vaseline on the threads of the anode rod/plug when we had a standard 6 gal WH. It kept them in good shape.
You can probably get a small diameter or small headed brass wire brush to clean them up at any hardware or big box store.

A round wire brush or a pipe tap should do what you want. Then use some Teflon impregnated pipe dope in the drain plug.

Richard

If you have a Suburban Brand with an anode rod....
Drain hole threads are steel -- 3/4" NPT (tapered threads)
Buy a 6" steel nipple and install it into drain hole screwing it in/out back/forth spraying it with some penetrating oil
Due to tapered threads it will NOT go in fully....inner threads will still be gunked up. Just scrub them with a small wire brush....or not doesn't matter


If you have an Atwood Brand....NO anode rod ---NYLON plug
Drain hole threads are Aluminum -- 1/2" NPT (tapered threads)
Buy a 6" brass nipple and install it into drain hole screwing it in/out back/forth spraying it with penetrating oil
Due to tapered threads it will NOT go in fully....inner threads will still be gunked up. Just scrub them with a small wire brush....or not doesn't matter

Thanks all. I have been using the tape, but apparently not every time I empty the heater, which is after every camping trip. I will be driving right past a Menards on my way home from work tonight so I will stop in to see what they have. I am able to get the anode rode/plug in about half way before the gunk stops it from turning. Until I get the gunk cleaned up, I suspect the crud will only get worse.

I'd just by a 3/4" NPT tap and give it a run, just don't over do it. that should clean out the threads well.

ktmrfs wrote:
I'd just by a 3/4" NPT tap and give it a run, just don't over do it. that should clean out the threads well.

This is the only way to do it right. I've tried all the others and none work very well. A tap is what you need to clean up the threads. Just don't overdo it.

A trick I've used to clean the internal pipe threads is to take a short piece of threaded pipe and cut 2 or 3 slots across the threads, with a hack saw or a cutoff wheel.

Dusty R wrote:
A trick I've used to clean the internal pipe threads is to take a short piece of threaded pipe and cut 2 or 3 slots across the threads, with a hack saw or a cutoff wheel.

Yep, tried that one.

fj12ryder wrote:

ktmrfs wrote:
I'd just by a 3/4" NPT tap and give it a run, just don't over do it. that should clean out the threads well.

This is the only way to do it right. I've tried all the others and none work very well. A tap is what you need to clean up the threads. Just don't overdo it.

Heck yeah. Got an elcheapo off ebay and keep around for that purpose. Why go thru all the round about home remedies?