Hey Everyone, I'm sure y'all getting used to my username poping up now. Anyways for those that Don't know I'm fixing up a 79' Wilderness Camper. My issue right now is that My water Heater Lines Broke. On the back of my water heater I have two grey lines coming out (I'll try and get a photo next Time I'm working on it) the line broke just outside of the heater unit, the other end of the broken lines are on the ground right now. they are Identical lines but one has a shut off valve. Which goes where? and is just clean cutting and patching with some Heat resistant PVC and contact cement good enough?

I'd suggest that you replace them from the heater to the nearest fitting. I used PEX pipe. One of your lines probably has a check valve in it. That would be the output (typically topmost, but check on the heater for markings). The cold water supply would have the valve. With those two valves in the lines, you can bypass the water heater for Winterization.

Peacester wrote:Anyways for those that Don't know I'm fixing up a 79' Wilderness Camper. My issue right now is that My water Heater Lines Broke. On the back of my water heater I have two grey lines coming out ...Grey water lines, along with this being a 40 yr old camper, likely means this is QUEST tubing, not PEX, and if that's the case you'll find joining the two problematic at best since QUEST is slightly different outside diameter than is PEX. Normally one would suggest using quick connect fittings such as Sea Tech or Sharkbite but they're made to connect PEX tubing together ... a problem for you to be sure. That said, do you really want to try to rely on a 40 yr old water heater? ... perhaps time to replace it with a new one. ;)

Take a piece of the old pipe down to hardware store and talk to a plumbing guy - he should be able to identify the old piece and suggest a fix.

Thanks for all the Replies. I will be taking a better look at it once I clean the trailer up and taking one of the broken pieces to the local hardware store and see if I can't figure a good fix.

Fixing My Water Heater | Good Sam Community

20 Replies

mobeewan
Explorer
Jun 28, 2018
Cold water line connects at the bottom hot water comes out of the top connection.
Peacester
Explorer
Jun 28, 2018
Okay things are busy for me, just got a chance to look at all this. Okay so The water heater doesn't have any markings on what line attaches where. With my upcoming wedding I don't have a lot of time to work on this thing so I'm still trying to finish up patching the ceiling and back wall currently but this is next on the list. From what I'v researched I am going to patch it currently then if it breaks again replace it. The Sharkbite seems to be my best bet of getting a seal on it so I'll try that for a while.

as to figure out how this heater works I'll have to trace and make a map of the current lines and see if I an't figure out how this was designed. Wish me luck
CavemanCharlie
Explorer III
Jun 25, 2018
So that's what that stuff is. All I know is that it kinda sucks.

To drain my water heater on my 1993 TT I have a gray line that hangs down underneath the TT. It had a female end on it and you would screw a plug into it during the summer to keep pressure in the system. Suppose to be some sort of cone shaped o-ring in there. I can't seem to find the right ones of those.

This year the female end broke. I was able to use thread a 3/8 bolt with Teflon tape on it up into the line. By golly that has been working well.

I don't know what I am going to do next year though.
D_E_Bishop
Explorer
Jun 23, 2018
The line with the valve is the supply side as stated, if you can pressurize the water system for just a second, you'll see water coming out the supply side. That is if you cannot trace it back to a fixture or the pump.
mobeewan
Explorer
Jun 22, 2018
SoundGuy wrote:
mobeewan wrote:
Actually the grey tubing is Polybutylene.

Known by the brand name as Q(U)EST tubing ... you pick the spelling you prefer. ;)

Sowwy if I hurt your wittewl feewings. Not everyone knows what Qest tubing is. Some only know it as Polybutylene. I guess i should have typed "A.K.A. Polybutylene".
drsteve
Explorer
Jun 22, 2018
SoundGuy wrote:
Gdetrailer wrote:
Yes, grey is "Quest" , you have that correct, BUT, you are dead wrong about shark bite fittings not working with Quest lines.

Incorrect ... and in fact to address this issue there are PEX > QUEST adapters available, if you look hard enough. BTDT, a PEX > PEX fitting used on QUEST will leak. :M

Actually you're both right, sorta... a regular sharkbite won't work with Qest, but they do make a push-style sharkbite (as opposed to the barb-and-collar version SoundGuy linked to) that will go from PEX to Qest/polybutylene. They have 'em for iron pipe size too.
GrandpaKip
Explorer II
Jun 22, 2018
I have the polybutylene pipe in my house. I did not know about the lawsuit until recently, too late for me. The pipe itself is fine, but the fittings fail. Mine have copper bands and those are not a problem.
Sharkbites work great to replace the failures. In the areas where I can get to easily, I replace with pex.
PVC is not suitable for hot water.
As suggested, replace with pex wherever you can.
SoundGuy
Explorer
Jun 22, 2018
mobeewan wrote:
Actually the grey tubing is Polybutylene.

Known by the brand name as Q(U)EST tubing ... you pick the spelling you prefer. ;)
SoundGuy
Explorer
Jun 22, 2018
Here in an example of a PEX to QUEST Adapter.
SoundGuy
Explorer
Jun 22, 2018
Gdetrailer wrote:
Yes, grey is "Quest" , you have that correct, BUT, you are dead wrong about shark bite fittings not working with Quest lines.

Incorrect ... and in fact to address this issue there are PEX > QUEST adapters available, if you look hard enough. BTDT, a PEX > PEX fitting used on QUEST will leak. :M