leave in or keep out water heater plug winterizing?

[al7601]

I tried searching but a simple question. after draining HWH do you replace the plug or leave it open?

Thank you in advance

[tatest]

Plug goes back in, immediately. Otherwise a tank full of spider webs and/or wasps nests.

[korbe]

We'll the reason I put my plug back in, but not tight, is because I do another flush of the system in the spring, and that includes a bit of water coming out the tank.

[bguy]

And just what is to be achieved by leaving the plug out?

[Boon_Docker]

And the beat goes on, and on and on and on ...........

[mike-s]

enblethen wrote:
Bronze is more compatible with galvanized steel and aluminum.

What's your citation? To make it easy for others, the first Google hit for "brass bronze galvanic corrosion" says:

Brasses and Bronzes -0.40
High Brasses and Bronzes -0.45

...aluminum is -0.75 or higher. "It will always be the metal with the most negative anodic index which will ultimately suffer from corrosion when galvanic incompatibility is in play..."

What's zinc coated steel got to do with it? And what support do you have for your claim that bronze is any better than brass? Show your math.

[enblethen]

Bronze is more compatible with galvanized steel and aluminum. You need to isolate pure bass.
Seems like we go through the same issues every fall!

[mike-s]

enblethen wrote:
Most T&Ps are bronze and not brass!

Brass and bronze, being yellow metals, both have similar galvanic voltages.

What's your point?

[enblethen]

Most T&Ps are bronze and not brass!

[mike-s]

tn terry t wrote:
same reason the BRASS t and p valve doesn't rust also the ball in the valve is stainless

I think he was referring more to the water tank.

Suburban heaters have glass lined steel tanks, and there is an anode rod to protect the tank from galvanic corrosion (should any cracks develop in the glass lining). Attwood uses aluminum surfaced tanks, which don't require an anode rod, normally.

If you have a Suburban heater, removing the anode rod can result in premature failure of the tank. If you have an Attwood heater with a brass valve, then there's also an issue - putting in a brass valve will create galvanic corrosion with the aluminum tank, unless the connection between the two is insulated (e.g. with a plastic nipple).

[tn_terry_t]

GordonThree wrote:

tn terry t wrote:
I put in a stubby 1/4 turn brass ball valve in the drain of three different rigs, works real slick

How do you keep the rigs from rusting without the anode?

same reason the BRASS t and p valve doesn't rust also the ball in the valve is stainless

[ford_truck_guy]

I am another that just puts it back in the way i usually would.. 1 less thing to forget in the spring..

To the OP - - don't forget to use the hot Water Heater BYPASS... no need to fill that sucker with the pink stuff. . .

[coolbreeze01]

I put a wrap of Teflon tape on the threads and reinstall tight. Has worked for years on several Suburbans.

[Terryallan]

Bigbird65 wrote:

boosTT wrote:
What's the point of putting it back finger tight?

Drain it (that means remove and reinstall the plug) and be done.

I have the same question as you. A lot of folks advocate putting the plug in finger tight. After winterizing (air compressor method) I always use thread tape on the water heater plug and re-install.

Me too. That way I can't forget it, and it is ready to go in the spring. 14 years doing it, and no problems

[greende]

I use air to winterize and reinstall the anode/drain plug tightly. Tried leaving it out once or twice but found the threads rusted. YMMV