Atwood Hot water heater drain plug

[dpgllg]

Hello,

My 5th wheel has an Atwood hot water heater that came with a nylon (plastic) drain plug. The location of the plug makes it very difficult to get a wrench or anything on it to remove the plug.


Original Atwood plug

I replaced it with a Camco brass drain plug with a valve that you can open to drain the tank.


Camco plug

The Camco plug was a complete waste of time and money. It leaked constantly and when you wanted to drain it came out so slow that it would take a day to drain the tank. I even popped the pressure relief and opened all my faucets with minimal improvement. Removing this drain plug took over an hour due to location and the brass stripped very easily.

Does anyone have a better solution? What do you use? Any special wrenches that fit better?

Thanks for your response!

Dave

[NRALIFR]

Somewhere between Play-Doh and Unobtainium I would guess. 😛

:):)

[philh]

stevenal wrote:
So now you've got me wondering just where that lies on the galvanic series with respect to aluminum. 🙂

X2

[stevenal]

NRALIFR wrote:
It’s my tank, if I want to use a threaded coprolite in the drain hole I’ll bloody well do it.:):)

So now you've got me wondering just where that lies on the galvanic series with respect to aluminum. 🙂

[troubledwaters]

I've used a brass plug with a couple wraps of teflon tape in mine for 15 years. Same plug, still works fine; remove and drain after every trip. the secret being, if you're aware of the danger of stripping the aluminum, due care can negate that danger. It very little force to tighten the plug sufficiently. Works for me, you're mileage may vary.

[Lynnmor]

NRALIFR wrote:
I’ve used a brass plug my WH for years and years, and will continue to do so.

It’s my tank, if I want to use a threaded coprolite in the drain hole I’ll bloody well do it.

:):)

I'll pass on that offer of coffee. :E

[NRALIFR]

I’ve used a brass plug my WH for years and years, and will continue to do so.

It’s my tank, if I want to use a threaded coprolite in the drain hole I’ll bloody well do it.

:):)

[down_home]

A few years ago we had a plug break. It started as a drizzle. Tried to loosen it and got flooded with hot hot water. Part of the plug was stuck in the threads. Two fellow RVers helped get it out with my pocket knife.
Atwood was at the rally and came by and had a new plug. He used a brass fitting of the right size to clean up the threads. I suppose someone had tightened the plug too tight too long ago. So now I have extra factory nor plastic, nylon, I think plugs and a fitting that can be used to chase the threads. Mine is on the side of a mh so it might be easier access than yours but I have a Camco tool and set of sockets with one that fits and extension etc for ratchet. I use teflon tape on the plug which I hope will make it easier to extract. Minerals can build up in the threads if they can get to them and seize things up good. I need to change my plug before we head out again. They are cheap. Don't use brass plug or any other metal in the aluminum tank and fitting.

[wa8yxm]

The electric heater element is electrically isolated from the tank the metal of the threaded part is compatible with the metal of the tank so no problem.

I saw NO evidence of galanic action when I removed my old (12 year or more) tank to replace it at the element but DID at the drain where I'd put a brass plug.

I now have plastic in the new tank. only plastic.

The problems were....elsewhere.

[philh]

How bad (fast) is the galvanic corrosion? If I drain the tank through the quick drain after every use, will this slow down the issue? How about removing the plug completely when it goes into storage, will this help?

Another thought occurred to me, does the electric water heater element contribute to the galvanic action? If you were to only heat with propane, would that significantly cut corrosion?

[DFord]

My solution was to extend the drain and adapt it to a hose bib. I used a hose cap to seal it. The pipe is big enough to put a plastic tube through to drain the bottom of the tank and suck out some of the junk that accumulates there. I drain my tank after every trip.

[mobeewan]

The reason Atwood uses nylon plugs is because the threads of the tank drain hole are aluminum. If you're not careful what you're doing you can easily damaged the threads when screwing in any metal fittings. Since this is something that has to be removed frequently Atwood provided plastic plugs as well as the ability to get plastic replacement plugs.

As previously noted, the overpressure temperature relief valve is bronze. Also the gas control valve is non aluminum and it screws into a hole in the side of the tank. It also has a copper probe that inserts into the tank. A little bit of Teflon tape is not going to do anything to electrically isolate any of these fittings from the threads in the tank. Although galvanic corrosion can occur between different metals, it occurs to different degrees with different metals when reacting with aluminum, steel being the worst with Brass and bronze at a lower degree. If Atwood was really worried about corrosion between the bronze relief valve and aluminum tank they would have provided something different than a sacrificial inner lining.

[dougrainer]

Lynnmor wrote:

wa8yxm wrote:
NOte about brass or steel plugs or nipples.... There is a reason Atwood put in a nylon plug.. Corrosion. Non alike metals corrode.

Why then do they use these?

1. They are NOT a common removable part and NOTE the Teflon on the threads
2. NON Nylon plugs GAUL(seize) when dissimiliar metals are secured.
3. The drain plugs are supposed to be removed numerous times during the year to drain and also to winterize. Doug

[Lynnmor]

wa8yxm wrote:
NOte about brass or steel plugs or nipples.... There is a reason Atwood put in a nylon plug.. Corrosion. Non alike metals corrode.

Why then do they use these?

[wa8yxm]

NOte about brass or steel plugs or nipples.... There is a reason Atwood put in a nylon plug.. Corrosion. Non alike metals corrode.