Water heater plastic plug cross thread

Mine is also behind a pipe so I can't use a socket. I also always hand tighten first, but it always seems to cross thread. It's a PITA! Lol

I replaced the plug with a butterfly valve on my previous camper. No more problems.

GrandpaKip wrote:
I replaced the plug with a butterfly valve on my previous camper. No more problems.

Can't really get the crud out thru a butterfly valve plus unless it's copper(Brass?) you may have a problem with galvanic corrosion sealing it in place forever. (Two different metals corrode when water passes over them). Atwood also uses the nylon so you destroy the threads on the plug rather than the tank.

AmericalVette wrote:
I got some extra plugs and a RV water heater wrench from Amazon. I always start it by hand, turning in the left (counter-clock-wise) direction a couple of turns which seems to help line up the threads. Then get it finger tight, and finish up with the wrench.

That's the best way to avoid cross-threading. Turn the plug backwards until you feel the end of the thread drop into place, then tighten. Works very well for plastic threads.

I never pull my plug to drain the water heater... just open your low point drains, open the hot side of a faucet, and open the pressure relief valve on the water heater. It will drain out through the pipes. It takes a little while, but it's easy and you don't have to worry about the drain plug.

A visual inspection and an old tooth brush are your friends. When you remove that plug all the stuff that settled in the tank rolls out through that opening. You will end up with sand and sediment laying in those threads when it is done emptying. After it is done hook up your hose and run some water into the tank to finish flushing the rest out. When you get it running clean shut the water off and get in there with your tooth brush to clean everything out of the threads. Then when you put that plastic plug back in the threads will be clean and it should go in easily.

TexasATM wrote:
I never pull my plug to drain the water heater... just open your low point drains, open the hot side of a faucet, and open the pressure relief valve on the water heater. It will drain out through the pipes. It takes a little while, but it's easy and you don't have to worry about the drain plug.

Exactly my method as well. If this is done every trip, you don't get a buildup of sediment to cause concern. I started doing this about 5 years ago when I forgot to drain the water one time and I got the dreaded Sulphur smell. After that, I decided to take the extra 20 seconds each trip and drain the water heater when I drain the low points.

No sediment, no water to go bad, no poorly placed drain plugs to deal with... easy life!

spoon059 wrote:

TexasATM wrote:
I never pull my plug to drain the water heater... just open your low point drains, open the hot side of a faucet, and open the pressure relief valve on the water heater. It will drain out through the pipes. It takes a little while, but it's easy and you don't have to worry about the drain plug.

Exactly my method as well. If this is done every trip, you don't get a buildup of sediment to cause concern. I started doing this about 5 years ago when I forgot to drain the water one time and I got the dreaded Sulphur smell. After that, I decided to take the extra 20 seconds each trip and drain the water heater when I drain the low points.

No sediment, no water to go bad, no poorly placed drain plugs to deal with... easy life!

Except.......low point drains do not come directly from water heater so w/o pulling drain plug and flush THRU water heater drain hole sediment/crud remain in bottom of tank

Bumpyroad wrote:

pawpaw47 wrote:
I purchased this from Amazon.

http://www.amazon.com/Camco-11633-Water-Heater-Wrench/dp/B00BMRRZ94/ref=sr_1_sc_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1464002050&sr=8-1-spell&keywords=rv+water+hater+wrench

works great!

that is similar to the wrench I bought at Sears IIRC only mine is ratcheting. as you say, works great.
bumpy

That wrench fits BOTH drain plug HEAD sizes Atwood used.
Head sizes 7/8" and 15/16" for their 1/2" Nylon drain plug


Suburban uses a 3/4" NPT drain hole/plug and head size is 1 1/16" (6 point socket works best)

midnightsadie wrote:
take a good look at your plug, if the threads are messed up a bit get a new one at lowes.

PVC or even CPVC are not the same.
Have the same 1/2" NPT threads BUT are NOT same when it comes to TEMPERATURE ratings.

The NYLON drain plug Atwood uses is rated for 400*F +

PVC Sch 80........140*F
CPVC Sch 80.......200*F

Atwood normal temp ----140*F T&P Relief valve 210*F
Best to use OEM Nylon plug.......come 2 to package