Water Heater

[krminyl@...]

I just went through this a few weeks ago (third time in 6 yrs). Before you
go through the R&R of the water heater, just make sure all of your fittings
are tight and secure. If the fittings aren't leaking, check the T&P valve on
the water heater (pressure release valve)...make sure it isn't dripping.

If you have determined that it is the water heater, time to change it out.
Either Atwood, or Seaward brands work well...Seaward is cheaper by over a
hundred bucks....corrosion is the culprit in the tanks...aluminum. Seaward now
replaces the drain spigot with a magnesium anode, and they claim that the
anode gets eaten away, not the tank...drawback....tough to drain the tank
without a drain spigot....something to consider when you are trying to remove a
water heater weighing around a hundred pounds from a place with VERY limited
working room.

Use the stainless braided hoses when re-attaching the hoses...lots easier to
connect...also, make sure that the area where the heater goes is completely
dried out from the leak. Mold can grow quickly, and you'll never get that
musty smell to go away. I spray the area with a mixture of bleach and water,
and let it dry with the help of a little 110v muffin fan for a few days or so.
Make sure that the power is turned off when working back there with the
wiring, and keep lots of towels handy to soak up the coolant (heat exchanger)
and water when removing the hoses.

I hope a FC is easier than my PT...I swore to my wife this last time that
the BB is going to be sold if my new water heater leaks, instead of having to
go through the headache of removing the water heater again (I went with the
anode, not the drain valve...that sucker is heavy!)

Good luck....been there, done that (a few times).

Kevin McKeown
Yorba Linda, CA
1986 38' Pt


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