Hot water heater drain plug leaking

mackenziejk, you can buy a ready made brass nipple with a pet cock on it at most camping supply places. Works ok but after a few years, pet cock works harder due to corrosion, it is not made of brass and over time they will also leak.

Yes, you can bypass the water heater but then you have no hot water and you must be sure never to fire up an empty water heater, you will damage it beyond repair. If you end up with a small drip after all your attempts to stop it, let it drip, you won't lose that much or just catch it in a pan and use water for washing dishes or the such.

A little off topic, but very much related. I seem to remember seeing a mod where someone had installed a nipple and a quarter-turn valve on their water heater to faciliate easier draining.

Anyone do this? How'd work? What materials did you use?

Grassy-ass

If I can't stop the drip will it be okay if I just bypass the water all together? I a, able to with valves.

A few years ago I had the same issue with my water heater. I noticed that the water heater threads had scale on the threads, I took a small wire brush and cleaned up the threads and put in a new plug, no leaks. Now every Spring I make it a point to wire brush the threads and install the plug. Works so far.

Okay i will get the 1/2 steel pipe, slowing put it and and out a few times and not tigthen it at all, just to create a new base, and then wrap the new plug with alot of tape, i will keep this updated as well incase someone has this problem in the future, thanks for all the help, this forum is great for a new owner.

Don't hold back on the tape; several wraps may help ie 4 - 5...

way off topic but here it goes.

When we owned the diesel liberty we insisted on dealer only oil changes and to be done by mechanics not oil/lube techs.

6 new oem alluminum oil pans later they figured it out.

another point - since the threads are aluminum 'DO NOT OVER TIGHTEN' trying to stop the leak or re-thread the hole.

The steel threaded bolts may strip out the aluminum threads very easy. Then you will be addressing either replacing the water heater or re-threading the aluminum threads to a larger size bolt. Got to treat soft aluminum with lots of respect.

Roy Ken

Sounds good I will try the 1/2 inch trick I already picked up a new drain bolt but maybe I will try a fresh one again after I re thread it