How bad did i screw up???

Got to chime in here about some of these responses. I did the exact same thing that you did last year. I tried every trick including the extractor tool. Nothing would get that broken plug that was now still in the threads out. Spent a lot of time using every trick that someone suggested, and most were mentioned more than once, and they were good suggestions. However one person suggested something that nobody else did, and it worked. Take a soldering iron and after it heats up cut four lines, one on top, one on the bottom, and both sides and immediately after making your cuts, take a pair of needle nose plyers, and pull on a section that you just made with soldering iron. You may have to play with it for a while, but it will work. Do not use any kind of tool that will mess up your threads. Soldering iron will not damage your threads,and you only need to melt the plastic enough to pull it out. once you get one piece out the rest will follow.

after you have it out, go buy a brass nipple and a 3/4" ball valve and put in a permanent drain. I had to cut the handle off a little but no more fiddling around. On/off done.

Lots of good info by others here. Had similar thing happen. The plug just decided it was going to leak nd when I tried to turn it out the top broke off leaving most of it in the tank.
A couple of other RVers came to aid. Eventually cut with knife and a screwdriver and got it out. It is a tough material to cut with a knife.
We damaged a few threads. Atwood Rep was there next day and used a brass fitting to retap.
I now have several spares but the easy out tool is something I've let slip. It's on the shopping list.
Replace the plug every year and use enough teflon tape and don't over tighten. Don't use metal even with teflon tape unless you want to. i wouldn't galvanic action is assured.

An Xacto knife should cut enough of the threads that the rest should easily pry out. Unless I've been doing something wrong for years I replaced my plastic plug with a brass plug. A socket extension fits into the end making it a breeze to remove.

Here's a thread I did a few years ago on extracting the plug.

Only way to fly, 30 second job.

dspencer wrote:

v10superduty wrote:
Has happened to me twice now over the years.
I think what you have now is like a piece of plastic "pipe" in the threads of the water heater drain..? No top to grab?
All I did both times was warm it up good with a propane torch till the plastic is gooey and grab a piece with a needle nose pliers and take it out, usually in 2 or 3 pieces.
No thread damage, no muss, no fuss

I hadn't thought of that ideal, that sounds like it might work pretty easy.

It does..
I know...:B
I always keep a spare plug now cause I think the repeated heat/cool cycle of the heater breaks them down over about 4 years to where they weaken and break off..
Both times for me was end of season when putting er away so no big deal.

v10superduty wrote:
Has happened to me twice now over the years.
I think what you have now is like a piece of plastic "pipe" in the threads of the water heater drain..? No top to grab?
All I did both times was warm it up good with a propane torch till the plastic is gooey and grab a piece with a needle nose pliers and take it out, usually in 2 or 3 pieces.
No thread damage, no muss, no fuss

I hadn't thought of that ideal, that sounds like it might work pretty easy.

Has happened to me twice now over the years.
I think what you have now is like a piece of plastic "pipe" in the threads of the water heater drain..? No top to grab?
All I did both times was warm it up good with a propane torch till the plastic is gooey and grab a piece with a needle nose pliers and take it out, usually in 2 or 3 pieces.
No thread damage, no muss, no fuss

Happened to me with my first RV, got it out with the hack saw blade then put in a medal valve so I can drain after every trip. Know the disimilar metal problem but have done it with 5 rvs over nearly 30 years without a problem.

It is beat to replace with the hollowed out nylon plug, not a solide PVC pipe plug.