Gas hot water heater drain valve is leaking..

Author	All Replies
clevere1 Premium join:2002-01-06 Vancouver, WA kudos:1	Gas hot water heater drain valve is leaking.. Hello all ... I have a gas hot water heater, model # FSG 40428. The drain valve on the water heater is leaking ... Any ideas how to fix it? Can I just replace it? It's plastic ... help.. -- Where's th' DAFFY DUCK EXHIBIT??
	to forum · permalink · 2012-12-16 21:15:05 ·
joe40 join:2005-11-26 Danbury, CT	yes you can replace it the tank itself is metal so buy a brass water heater drain valve. if you like and i did it, put on a hose cap with a washer
	to forum · permalink · 2012-12-16 21:26:22 ·
clevere1 Premium join:2002-01-06 Vancouver, WA kudos:1 Reviews: ·CenturyLink	said by joe40: yes you can replace it the tank itself is metal so buy a brass water heater drain valve. if you like and i did it, put on a hose cap with a washer hmm .. Thanks. Do I need to take the valve off before purchasing a new one or are they generally standard sizes? -- Where's th' DAFFY DUCK EXHIBIT??
	to forum · permalink · 2012-12-16 21:33:52 ·
tp0d yabbazooie Premium join:2001-02-13 Carnegie, PA kudos:4	Easier to get a hose cap. »www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?···se%20cap any decent hardware store will have em.. (brass only, do not get plastic) -j -- if it aint broke, tweak it!! currently on FiOS (kick aZZ!)
	to forum · permalink · 2012-12-16 21:50:53 ·
clevere1 Premium join:2002-01-06 Vancouver, WA kudos:1 Reviews: ·CenturyLink	said by tp0d: Easier to get a hose cap. »www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?···se%20cap any decent hardware store will have em.. (brass only, do not get plastic) -j Thanks. I hate things that leak ... I'll try and replace it first -- Where's th' DAFFY DUCK EXHIBIT??
	to forum · permalink · 2012-12-16 22:05:55 ·
tp0d yabbazooie Premium join:2001-02-13 Carnegie, PA kudos:4	Replacing is a lot more work.. a boiler drain valve is 8-10$, where a cap is 3$. If you have an AO Smith FSG model, it has to be at least 10-12 years old, why put money into an old heater. New ones come with brass valves anyways -j -- if it aint broke, tweak it!! currently on FiOS (kick aZZ!)
	to forum · permalink · 2012-12-16 22:13:55 ·
clevere1 Premium join:2002-01-06 Vancouver, WA kudos:1 Reviews: ·CenturyLink	said by tp0d: Replacing is a lot more work.. a boiler drain valve is 8-10$, where a cap is 3$. If you have an AO Smith FSG model, it has to be at least 10-12 years old, why put money into an old heater. New ones come with brass valves anyways -j 3-10 bucks is cheaper than a new water heater -- Where's th' DAFFY DUCK EXHIBIT??
	to forum · permalink · 2012-12-16 22:24:08 ·
tschmidt Premium,MVM join:2000-11-12 Milford, NH kudos:8 Reviews: ·G4 Communications ·Fairpoint Commun.. ·Hollis Hosting	reply to clevere1 said by clevere1: Thanks. I hate things that leak ... I'll try and replace it first I agree but unless you replace it with a 1/4 turn ball valve the new one will also leak. Stick a hose cap on it and forget it. /tom
	to forum · permalink · 2012-12-16 22:33:05 ·

Zach 58 Premium join:2006-11-26 NW Minnesota	reply to clevere1 Another vote for a brass cap. Attempting to remove that old plastic valve that has been exposed to heat for a decade or longer may result in it breaking off at the threads. -- Zach
	to forum · permalink · 2012-12-17 07:28:00 ·
jack b Gone Fishing Premium,MVM join:2000-09-08 Cape Cod kudos:1	reply to clevere1 Don't even bother trying to change the valve. Chances are very good you will snap the valve off trying to replace it. Get a brass cap. -- ~Help Find a Cure for Cancer~ ~Proud Member of Team Discovery ~
	to forum · permalink · 2012-12-17 08:41:49 ·
clevere1 Premium join:2002-01-06 Vancouver, WA kudos:1	reply to clevere1 Well, I went against the advice or the forum and I got the valve off in one piece, but getting the new one on has been a chore... It's a leaking ... woot ..... damn I'm a dumbass. -- Where's th' DAFFY DUCK EXHIBIT??
	to forum · permalink · 2012-12-17 21:51:23 ·
joe40 join:2005-11-26 Danbury, CT	reply to clevere1 take it out and wrap it clockwise with Teflon tape you may have to screw it one full turn tighter if you have the Teflon tape already
	to forum · permalink · 2012-12-17 22:16:23 ·
tp0d yabbazooie Premium join:2001-02-13 Carnegie, PA kudos:4	reply to clevere1 said by clevere1: Well, I went against the advice or the forum and I got the valve off in one piece, but getting the new one on has been a chore... It's a leaking ... woot ..... damn I'm a dumbass. lol.. told ya sooooo... interface head with wall.. repeat. -j -- if it aint broke, tweak it!! currently on FiOS (kick aZZ!)
	to forum · permalink · 2012-12-17 22:54:22 ·
clevere1 Premium join:2002-01-06 Vancouver, WA kudos:1 Reviews: ·CenturyLink	reply to joe40 said by joe40: take it out and wrap it clockwise with Teflon tape you may have to screw it one full turn tighter if you have the Teflon tape already Thanks. I drained the tank again and pulled it out. I used a soft wire brush to clean the threads on the tank and put new teflon tape on the threads of the new valve. I used a little larger wrench and the new valve went in further and is tight. The tank is full and warming up, so far I see no leaks, but I am waiting for the water that spilled to dry up to tell for sure. Next time, I listen. -- Where's th' DAFFY DUCK EXHIBIT??
	to forum · permalink · 2012-12-17 22:55:30 ·
robbin Premium,MVM join:2000-09-21 Leander, TX kudos:1	Feels nice to have done the repair the proper way, doesn't it!
	to forum · permalink · 2012-12-17 23:13:08 ·
laserfan join:2005-01-14 Blanco, TX	said by robbin: Feels nice to have done the repair the proper way, doesn't it! For now, but next time the valve has to be used it might just fail again (and leak). Seems a common problem that for as poorly as HWH valves are constructed, and how rarely they are opened & closed, they distort or clog or ... and leak. So a simple brass cap is the easiest solution until the valve breaks completely and you're forced to replace it.
	to forum · permalink · 2012-12-18 07:54:52 ·
Bob Account deleted join:2012-07-22 New Jersey	An even better solution is to never operate the valve. i.e., never flush/drain your water heater.
	to forum · permalink · 2012-12-18 07:56:24 ·
Jack_in_VA Premium join:2007-11-26 Mathews, VA kudos:1	said by Bob: An even better solution is to never operate the valve. i.e., never flush/drain your water heater. or Take the valve out and install a pipe plug in the opening. That will be a 99.9 percent guarantee it will never leak again.
	to forum · permalink · 2012-12-18 08:01:21 ·
Ken Premium,MVM join:2003-06-16 Markle, IN	reply to Bob said by Bob: An even better solution is to never operate the valve. i.e., never flush/drain your water heater. Flushing the water heater is good if you start doing it in the beginning. What you don't do is wait 10 years and then try to flush the heater for the first time.
	to forum · permalink · 2012-12-18 09:55:52 ·
clevere1 Premium join:2002-01-06 Vancouver, WA kudos:1 Reviews: ·CenturyLink	reply to clevere1 The leak is all fixed now.. thanks to everyone who commented and gave advice. I will get a brass cap to put on the end of the new valve as well. The water heater has been flushed a couple of times since I've owned the house. I try to keep up on that stuff. -- Where's th' DAFFY DUCK EXHIBIT??
	to forum · permalink · 2012-12-18 10:38:47 ·

Technical > Home Improvement > Gas hot water heater drain valve is leaking..