Broke Hot Water Heater in Roca Azul

[Belgique]

I should sample some of the ideas you gave me on my Tequila thread!

Hot water heater has been leaking for a week but left it alone for fear of making it worse. It's worse. Had to go in and the elbow fitting going into the tank on the cold water side is broke. As in total broke with part of it threaded in. Haven't seen a RV Mobile Tech around here 🙂 so I'm on my own.

I'm assuming that there is no one that can fix this thing between here and Tucson. It is an Atwood 6 gal. The '08 Winnie tubing is pre-PEX. It looks like it fits on a barb and the compression nut clamps it down. There's no removing it without cutting it and then no replacement stuff here I assume. There is an elbow fitting to the tank that the hose goes on.

I'm thinking that my only option is to somehow get a plug into the tank fitting so that I can at least use the cold water. Home depot stuff is probably metric? It has a winterize by pass on it but water still goes in no matter which way the lever is. And it has a motor aid on it if that makes a difference.

Am I missing something that is an easy fix? I think I'll go ahead and get a new heater in Tucson but we don't plan to be there until 20 May. Goal is to at least have cold water.

Now to find some Tequila!

[qtla9111]

Talleyho69 wrote:
Remember where you are MEXICO!!!! Pull the tank and take it to a welder, who will likely send you to someone else, and on and on, but sooner than later you will hit the right person who will braise/weld/repair the broken part.

We have even had brake lines braised. Not done in the US, but in Mexico, done regularly, and it held for years!!!! Awning tops "welded." Oil coolers fully repaired, in the US we had to replace it for $600. Broken off side mirror perfectly redone.

Forget the "pot metal, mixed metal, whatever" rules, it will be an easy, cheap fix. The only trick is finding the right person.

X2 Another great idea.

[Talleyho69]

Remember where you are MEXICO!!!! Pull the tank and take it to a welder, who will likely send you to someone else, and on and on, but sooner than later you will hit the right person who will braise/weld/repair the broken part.

We have even had brake lines braised. Not done in the US, but in Mexico, done regularly, and it held for years!!!! Awning tops "welded." Oil coolers fully repaired, in the US we had to replace it for $600. Broken off side mirror perfectly redone.

Forget the "pot metal, mixed metal, whatever" rules, it will be an easy, cheap fix. The only trick is finding the right person.

[Belgique]

Briansue: I asked Teo last week but he didn't know anyone. Its probably the way I asked. Think we have a solution. As Chris said, Home Depot has the stuff...went on line and see most everything. The other posters here have talked me through it. Heading to Guad a little later.

Just FYI, I've learned that the fittings shown are Flair-It but they are not avail at HD. RV places have them and you can bet I'm going to have a stash of some before the next trip. I can use PEX or Shark-Bite.

I'll report progress (hopefully) later. If I don't have progress I'll hit that Tequila store you told me about! 🙂

[briansue]

I am trying to tell from your picture exactly what those parts are. I am familiar with that type of fitting but do not know if you can get them in Mexico as I do not know if they use PEX or similar tubing. You should be able to unthread the white part to get it off the tubing. Then you can probably get a wrench of some kind on the part going into the tank. They probably do not have Sharkbite in Mexico but may have something similar. I am not positive but it is possible those fittings will tighten down on copper as well as on PEX - not sure as I have never tried it. I went to a agricultural irrigation store there in Joco and they had a lot of weird fittings used on agricultural equipment - they may have something. I am trying to remember the technical name for the type fittings you have there - the white ones - they turn to clamp down on the PEX - trying to remember if I have seen anything similar in Mexico. I usually carry a lot of that type fitting with me. But I have also found replacements in Mexico. There is a fitting specialty store in Guadalajara . . . http://www.zertuche.com.mx/ . . . . that has several locations - they have fittings for hydraulics and things like air pressure fittings - qtla911 has been to one of them with me - check the website - if you can get that fitting off you might take it to them and they might be able to figure something out. The trick is a way to slip the PEX into a new fitting and have the connection hold. There are slip type fittings for air and hydraulic but maybe not for PEX size tubing. Some options anyway - places to look - people to help.

[briansue]

Talk to Teo - the manager there at Roca - there is a guy who works there who wears a cowboy hat and is always around doing stuff who can fix anything - I forget his name - ask Teo if you can get the cowboy hat guy to help. There are people in Roca who know how to fix stuff. I forget his name but there is a guy who owns a welding shop in town who lives about 4 houses up the street from the Roca office - he is a welder but he knows how to do a lot of things and is a really great guy and will find help if he can't do it. As with so many Mexicans, these are great people and will always offer a helping hand or will find one. I have found parts right there in Jocotepec and found people who will help. They are not RV people but you have a plumbing problem that can be repaired. There is a German mechanic living in the RV park named Horst - he also knows how to fix just about anything and knows his way around Joco to find help there.

[qtla9111]

Take the piece or picture with you. Hopefully there is someone who speaks English. Pretty good bet there is. Keep us posted.

If by chance they can't help you, ask them for a major plumbing supplier nearby.

I was looking for a bolt for the stirrup on the WDH when we were in Queretaro. Home Depot couldn't help but recommended a major supplier of nuts and bolts just blocks away and they had what we wanted.

[Belgique]

Jetcare, Re: "Someone probably pulled the internal parts out of the check valve located at the top fitting on the tank.". Newman Fulltimer just said the same thing. I bought this rig new and no one has touched the hot water system since I owned it. Wow. Could it have come from Winnie like that? And, why? A mystery.

But, if our Home Depot in Guad has the parts, we're good to go. Will report results.

[jetcare]

Belgique wrote:
Here's a picture. The top is the hot out and bottom is where water enters per the Atwood manual. The By Pass valve is in the by pass position per Winnie. But, when we turn on the pump, the tanks starts filling. I think I see why it does that looking at the pipes...but that is how it came from Winnie. Maybe there is a check valve on the hot side...and it failed? I'm confused. Goal now is to be able to use water. We can heat water/use CG showers.

">clicky

The simple fix is to bypass the water heater by cutting the PEX lines going to the upper tee fitting and buy a Sharkbite 90 at Home Depot and connect the bypass line to the hot water line.

Someone probably pulled the internal parts out of the check valve located at the top fitting on the tank.

[Belgique]

newman fulltimer wrote:
Easy fix get a extracter stick it in pull the threads and replace its a flair it fitting 1/2 male pipe thread to 1/2 tubing

Rgr getting an extractor..had that on my list...where do they keep those in Home Depot? Atwood says it is a 1/2 NPT so guess that is the same as what you say. The tubing may be the challenge for me since it is so tight. I see now on Google that "flair it" is like PEX. Wonder if I should modify using Sharkbites and PEX? Never used either before.

From what Chris says the Guadalajara Home Depot might have this. Fingers crossed.

Am I right that the hot side should not be filling the tank and there is a bad check valve too?

Thanks Newman and all the others.

[newman_fulltime]

Easy fix get a extracter stick it in pull the threads and replace its a flair it fitting 1/2 male pipe thread to 1/2 tubing

[Belgique]

Here's a picture. The top is the hot out and bottom is where water enters per the Atwood manual. The By Pass valve is in the by pass position per Winnie. But, when we turn on the pump, the tanks starts filling. I think I see why it does that looking at the pipes...but that is how it came from Winnie. Maybe there is a check valve on the hot side...and it failed? I'm confused. Goal now is to be able to use water. We can heat water/use CG showers.

">clicky

[Belgique]

Yes there is a by pass valve and it does bypass the cold hose. I have checked the Winnie manual and the valve is in the by pass mode. Atwood manual says the top fitting is hot and the bottom is cold. BUT when we turn the pump on, the tank starts filling even though the cold is disconnected. I don't understand it. The plumbing is as it came from Winnie.

Chris, you saying that Home Depot would have 1/2" NPT fittings? Maybe I can replumb it with Sharkbite if they have that. There's one up the road in Guad.
Thanks guys

[qtla9111]

midnightsadie wrote:
is there a tank by pass valve.

X2

[midnightsadie]

is there a tank by pass valve.

[qtla9111]

Home Depot is standard. You shouldn't have any issues. If you need a full replacement there may be one here in Monterrey at the rv store.

I take it you are near Guadalajara. I will do some checking.