Atwood Water heater Drain Plug

[Highgturn]

Some of you already know about this, but I suspicion that some of you may not. The water heater on your excel most likely has a plastic drain plug installed in it. The plug Atwood is using is hollow in the threaded portion which causes the wall thickness in the thread root to be very thin. In some instances, the constant exposure to heat will cause a leak to develop in one of these thin spots. When this occurs, and if not caught in a timely manner, it is possible for water to find its way into your coach. Not a good thing. One way to overcome this problem is to purchase a brass plug and replace the plastic one. However, this presents a new problem all of its own. The fitting in the water heater is aluminum and aluminum does not like to be in contact with a different metal. The final result is a phenomenon called dissimilar metal corrosion. To avoid the problem, "rockintom"� told me about a product called Devcon Permatex High Performance Thread Sealant. This product applied to the thread portion of the brass plug will prevent the onset of the corrosion and will make removal of the drain plug very easy when it's time to clean out the build-up inside the water heater (about every six weeks if you FT). When you do this, clean off the old sealant from both surfaces and reapply it. Do not tighten the brass plug any tighter than is necessary to keep it from leaking, i.e. hand tight using only a socket. This has worked for Tom and it is working well for me. Just as a note, before I went to the brass plug I looked everywhere for a solid nylon, Teflon, or plastic plug that could take the heat exposure. I never could find anything suitable.

[Highgturn]

Some of you already know about this, but I suspicion that some of you may not. The water heater on your excel most likely has a plastic drain plug installed in it. The plug Atwood is using is hollow in the threaded portion which causes the wall thickness in the thread root to be very thin. In some instances, the constant exposure to heat will cause a leak to develop in one of these thin spots. When this occurs, and if not caught in a timely manner, it is possible for water to find its way into your coach. Not a good thing. One way to overcome this problem is to purchase a brass plug and replace the plastic one. However, this presents a new problem all of its own. The fitting in the water heater is aluminum and aluminum does not like to be in contact with a different metal. The final result is a phenomenon called dissimilar metal corrosion. To avoid the problem, "rockintom"� told me about a product called Devcon Permatex High Performance Thread Sealant. This product applied to the thread portion of the brass plug will prevent the onset of the corrosion and will make removal of the drain plug very easy when it's time to clean out the build-up inside the water heater (about every six weeks if you FT). When you do this, clean off the old sealant from both surfaces and reapply it. Do not tighten the brass plug any tighter than is necessary to keep it from leaking, i.e. hand tight using only a socket. This has worked for Tom and it is working well for me. Just as a note, before I went to the brass plug I looked everywhere for a solid nylon, Teflon, or plastic plug that could take the heat exposure. I never could find anything suitable.

[ChiefJohn]

Thanks Bob -- will take care of this weekend.

[D and J]

My local RV dealer (not an excel dealer) sells a hard, dark colored plastic plug that fits Atwood heaters. I had no problems with it on my last 5th wheel, and plan to install one on my Excel when I de-winterize this spring. I'm in Washington state right now, or I would post the name of the manufacture.

[BookIIRoadtrash]

Thanks for the info, but as cheap as those plugs are I install a new on each time. Keeping it simple.

[rockintom]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Highgturn:
To avoid the problem, "rockintom"� told me about a product called Devcon Permatex High Performance Thread Sealant. This product applied to the thread portion of the brass plug will prevent the onset of the corrosion and will make removal of the drain plug very easy when it's time to clean out the build-up inside the water heater (about every six weeks if you FT). When you do this, clean off the old sealant from both surfaces and reapply it. Do not tighten the brass plug any tighter than is necessary to keep it from leaking, i.e. hand tight using only a socket. This has worked for Tom and it is working well for me. Just as a note, before I went to the brass plug I looked everywhere for a solid nylon, Teflon, or plastic plug that could take the heat exposure. I never could find anything suitable. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

**** Bob....Looks like I've made the "big time" now. Ha. Glad this worked for you too. I did my quarterly flush last week and all is well. Boy it's amazing how much white gunk comes out of the WH even with a water softener.

[Highgturn]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by book2roadtrash:
Thanks for the info, but as cheap as those plugs are I install a new on each time. Keeping it simple. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

book2roadtrash,

The point I was trying to make is that the cheap plug has the potential to leak and cause water to migrate into your coach. Replacing with the brass or a solid plastic plug, if you can find one, will eliminate the probability. This is not an isolated incident, I know of dozens of instances where the plug has failed. The hollow plug also has the propensity to brake off in the fitting and what remains is difficult to remove.

[ChiefJohn]

Bob,

Would a low cost alternative be to fill the hollow plastic plug with an epoxy compound, similar to Bondo-Glass Reinforced Filler?

[BookIIRoadtrash]

Highturn, My water heater compartment is metal lined next to the water heater plug. Any leakage goes outside. Maybe the newer models do not have this feature. I had one plug leak and the end cap turned off. I used a hacksaw blade to cut out the threads. This took about ten minutes and is not a difficult job. This happened when I had come home from work and I did not like putting in extra time that day. So that is why I just put in a new plug every time I flush&lt; I flush mine every two months&gt;. At the cheap price of the plastic plug I carry six with me. Keeping it simple on the road.


I don't give em h*ll, I just tell the truth and they think it's h*ll "Harry Truman"

[Highgturn]

Chiefjohn wrote

"Bob,

Would a low cost alternative be to fill the hollow plastic plug with an epoxy compound, similar to Bondo-Glass Reinforced Filler?"



Well that might work, but the brass is not very expensive, i.e. about four dollar; however, the Devcon Permatex High Performance Thread Sealant is expensive. I had to order it, with shipping I think it was around $20.00. A 50 ML tube will last for years. I am also finding it useful for other things as well.

[Highgturn]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by book2roadtrash:
Highturn, My water heater compartment is metal lined next to the water heater plug. Any leakage goes outside. Maybe the newer models do not have this feature. I had one plug leak and the end cap turned off. I used a hacksaw blade to cut out the threads. This took about ten minutes and is not a difficult job. This happened when I had come home from work and I did not like putting in extra time that day. So that is why I just put in a new plug every time I flush&lt; I flush mine every two months&gt;. At the cheap price of the plastic plug I carry six with me. Keeping it simple on the road.


I don't give em h*ll, I just tell the truth and they think it's h*ll "Harry Truman" </div></BLOCKQUOTE>


Mine has the metal compartment too. The small crack was creating a spray in that compartment. By the time I noticed it, water had found its way into the coach. I have now siliconed all the seams in that compartment, but that won't stop a high pressure spray from finding a way in.

[rockintom]

Chief
I don't think the answer is filling the hollow plastic plug. It may make it a little more robust, but the plastic shoulder where the head and threads meet is paper thin....that where mine snapped off. I was very careful not to overtighten it. JMHO

[ChiefJohn]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Chief
I don't think the answer is filling the hollow plastic plug. It may make it a little more robust, but the plastic shoulder where the head and threads meet is paper thin....that where mine snapped off. I was very careful not to overtighten it. JMHO </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

Thanks -- just brainstorming and, as Bob stated earlier, the brass plugs are not that expensive.