Hot water heater leak. HELP!

15 years ago

Our hot water heater will be 5 years old in the fall. Long story short hubby drained some water out of it this morning into a bowl to fill the ejector pit to make sure the pump was working.

The drain bib on the water heater is now dripping, I counted one drip per second. Hubby had to go to work, I put a hose on it and put the other end of the hose into the ejector pit. Between the condensor from the A/C being turned on this morning for the first time (which is why he tested) this season and the drip, the ejector pump was running constantly as was the water heater.

Hubbies idea, I fixed it for the day by screwing a hand held water sprinkler on the water heater drain spigot. Just like your garden hose, if you don't pull the trigger, water doesn't come out and stays in the hose even if you leave the spigot on. It is a temporary fix until morning, I have been able to check it a few times today and it looks strange but the bowl under it is still dry.

My question, Is this drain faucet like most faucets? There is a nut on top of it. If you remove that nut, after shutting off and draining of course. Are there washers under there? Little 103 pound me, I put adjustable pliers on that nut and tightened it, it slowed the leak a little, that makes me think there is a washer in it.

Anyone know for sure?

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Comments (5)

jakethewonderdog
15 years ago
There probably is... but I doubt anyone could say for sure.
I've see some of these that were plastic.

Try opening the valve and flushing out the crud that's probably between the washer and seat.

you can also replace the entire valve if needed.
zl700
15 years ago
Its garden hose threads

Go get a hose cap with rubber gasket and screw it onto leaking drain valve
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User
Original Author
15 years ago
Thanks jake, opening the valve is what started this. When I had the hose on it I turned it off and drained all 50 gallons of it. That didn't help.

zl, funny, what would you do if you couldn't take a day off of work because your 4 year old water heater is fine but dripping from the drain, and you spent two hours with it and you had to get to work? I am lucky, I have been able to run home and make sure the, as you call it the garden fix is holding. As of two hours ago the bowl under the garden fix is still dry.

When Hubby and I get home from our jobs tonight stores will be closed so this "garden" fix has to work until morning. The hose into a drain would have been a good temporary fix if water here didn't cost much.

I asked a valid question, is that drain spigot like others spigots, are there washer under it?
rob432
15 years ago
that nut you tightened is part of the valve stem(look it up on the web).any hardware store sells packing "rope". it is a teflon thread but a lot thicker. you need to loosen that nut until you can wrap about 4 inches clock-ways around the first 1/2 inch or so of the stem. if your lucky you can do it without draining the heater. hurry and tighten the nut. thi is now like a new washer (you DON'T have to remove the old washers). a pack of teflon is $4.00, the guy at the hardware store can explain it better!!!
lazypup
15 years ago
Tightening the stem packing nut or adding additional stem packing material will have absolutely no effect on stopping a leak where the water is leaking through the valve. The stem packing is solely to prevent water from leaking around the stem shaft.

To answer the original question, "Is there a packing washer inside the valve?", the answer is "Maybe, but it is more likely that the valve is just a cast plastic body with a plastic internal seat and the stem is a one piece plastic casting including the washer face.

Back in the early 80's some engineering genius sold the water heater industry a load of baloney about how much heat energy was being radiated through a metal valve and encouraged the use of the plastic valves as an energy conservation measure. Of course the water heater manufacturers liked the idea because the plastic valves are about $2 cheaper than a brass valve, and when you are making a million units a year, saving $2 a unit adds up to a substantial savings.

On the other hand, out here in the real world it has been shown time and time again that the first time that valve is opened it is anybodies guess if it will ever close properly again.

The simple solution is to drain the water heater and remove the plastic valve then replace it with a brass "3/4" Boiler stop cock valve".

Some of the high efficiency water heaters have a thicker insulation blanket so it is sometimes difficult to install a common boiler cock valve. In this case there are two solutions.

1.You can install a short 3/4" pipe nipple into the tank, then install a female "boiler cock valve" of they also make a "long shank boiler cock" that has a longer male pipe end on the input side of the valve.

The replacement valves can be purchased at any local hardware or home supply store for about $8 to $10. You will also need either some pipe dope or Yellow Triple Density PTFE (Teflon) tape" to put on the threads before installing the valve.