T-connector for hot water heater

[motc777]

I have a Suburban Hot Water Heater. The T-Connector on the back is leaking. Now, I unscrewed it and put some pipe tape on there, but what I found out is that as you look at this picture, the end that connects to the elbow on the back of the hot water heater tank, the inside seal is falling out.

I want to replace this T-connector, but for the life of me, I cannot find it online. I don't even know if I am searching the right thing. As you can tell, it's threaded on the left, the bottom, but on the side that connects to the elbow, the actual connector is fixed to the Tee. Help!

[motc777]

So, I got to work on permanently fixing the leak. I changed this out this morning, and all day long, not a drop of a leak.



Problem solved.

[motc777]

New heating element is working like a champ. While I still have a leak, the leak has literally slowed to a snails pace. Still, I am going to repair that with the valves and PEX mentioned above.

[drsteve]

Why does this forum's software not resize pics automatically? It's not hard.

[Bobbo]

motc777 wrote:

mobeewan wrote:
Do you have a picture of the old tee by itself and the fitting connecting to the tank between the tank and tee by itself?

I don't have a picture of them separately no, but I have an update.

Basically, Flair-it no longer makes the part I need. So I took a trip to the local True Value Hardware Store, where the owner, who's family has nearly 100 years of experience, showed me the following:



And then on the other side of the tee a short piece of Pex going into the following:



Now, I had to get a new heating element because last night I fired mine up without enough water in it, but it was old anyway. I should hope to have this up and running tomorrow. Again, not using the above parts just yet, because I want to see if replacing the sanoprene seal and adding some pipe threading helped.

Please resize your second image like I just did in the quote.

[motc777]

mobeewan wrote:
Do you have a picture of the old tee by itself and the fitting connecting to the tank between the tank and tee by itself?

I don't have a picture of them separately no, but I have an update.

Basically, Flair-it no longer makes the part I need. So I took a trip to the local True Value Hardware Store, where the owner, who's family has nearly 100 years of experience, showed me the following:



And then on the other side of the tee a short piece of Pex going into the following:



Now, I had to get a new heating element because last night I fired mine up without enough water in it, but it was old anyway. I should hope to have this up and running tomorrow. Again, not using the above parts just yet, because I want to see if replacing the sanoprene seal and adding some pipe threading helped.

[mobeewan]

Do you have a picture of the old tee by itself and the fitting connecting to the tank between the tank and tee by itself?

[motc777]

motc777 wrote:
Well, the part arrived over the weekend at my office, but they are going to redeliver tomorrow.

I will hopefully have this fixed, and an update on things tomorrow. What I can tell you is that if this doesn't fix it, we are most definitely going Sharkbite.

The part that came, oddly enough, was not the right one, the one that was suggested. The old part had prongs on the two tee connections and then the flair-it female connector. I have been looking in vain to find this.

So, having said that, can I fix this with a Sharkbite and if so, how?

[motc777]

Well, the part arrived over the weekend at my office, but they are going to redeliver tomorrow.

I will hopefully have this fixed, and an update on things tomorrow. What I can tell you is that if this doesn't fix it, we are most definitely going Sharkbite.

[motc777]

drsteve wrote:

motc777 wrote:

Well got home tonight and discovered that it was leaking from the tee and the elbow. I put on the cone shaped seals on both. On the elbow leak gone! On the tee slowed but still flowing. I then lifted up the pipe assembly that connected to the tee and notice that the weight of it is causing it to kink down. Still it leaked some. Does it sound like the tee is still just worn out?

I would try a new tee...

I'm tending to agree with you on this. Ordering one tonight. These are not cheap btw.

[drsteve]

motc777 wrote:

Well got home tonight and discovered that it was leaking from the tee and the elbow. I put on the cone shaped seals on both. On the elbow leak gone! On the tee slowed but still flowing. I then lifted up the pipe assembly that connected to the tee and notice that the weight of it is causing it to kink down. Still it leaked some. Does it sound like the tee is still just worn out?

I would try a new tee...

[mobeewan]

Cross threaded? If the seals are in and everything is tight it should be okay.

[mobeewan]

X

[motc777]

mobeewan wrote:

motc777 wrote:

motc777 wrote:
Thanks for all the help guys. Got a new one on the way!

Well I got the new part in but it didn’t come with the rubber washer/grommet. The one I have upon closer inspection is ripped more than halfway on the base. This is really the source of the leak. The tee itself is fine.

So I have looked high and low for a tapered washer but finally found what I hope will work. I’ll report back but I can tell you this, that it would have made things so much easier if they would have used shark bite fittings on this Pex pipe. What they are using here is inefficient and frankly stupid.

If yours came without the saniprene seal in it someone removed it to use elsewhere. Every flair-it fitting that I have purchased whether a straight adapter, elbow or tee that all had the swivel nuts like yours came with the seal already installed in them.

Well got home tonight and discovered that it was leaking from the tee and the elbow. I put on the cone shaped seals on both. On the elbow leak gone! On the tee slowed but still flowing. I then lifted up the pipe assembly that connected to the tee and notice that the weight of it is causing it to kink down. Still it leaked some. Does it sound like the tee is still just worn out?

[mobeewan]

motc777 wrote:

motc777 wrote:
Thanks for all the help guys. Got a new one on the way!

Well I got the new part in but it didn’t come with the rubber washer/grommet. The one I have upon closer inspection is ripped more than halfway on the base. This is really the source of the leak. The tee itself is fine.

So I have looked high and low for a tapered washer but finally found what I hope will work. I’ll report back but I can tell you this, that it would have made things so much easier if they would have used shark bite fittings on this Pex pipe. What they are using here is inefficient and frankly stupid.

If yours came without the saniprene seal in it someone removed it to use elsewhere. Every flair-it fitting that I have purchased whether a straight adapter, elbow or tee that all had the swivel nuts like yours came with the seal already installed in them.