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Old 06-28-2014, 08:40 AM   #1
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Pressure relief valve

So... It turns out that last week when I checked my systems, I had forgotten to open the bypass valves to the water heater. But that just kept my head from exploding....

Connected to the house through the city water port, crossed fingers and turned on the water. As pressure built, water began to profusely exit from the pressure relief valve connection ( inside and outside the TT). To be clear...not through the valve itself, but rather where the valve connects to the tank.

How do I trouble shoot this?
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Old 06-28-2014, 08:46 AM   #2
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If you have the right size pressure relief valve and it is not cross threaded, sounds like the fitting on the tank could have cracked. Was the water heater drained before freezing temperatures??? If it is also allowing water on the inside of the trailer, a line could also be cracked on the inside. The pressure relief valve leak should only allow water on the outside of the unit, I think! Certainly not an expert.
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Old 06-28-2014, 09:01 AM   #3
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The tank was drained and bypassed before winter. Unfortunately, I didn't winterize the rest of the plumbing and am paying the price for that as well (new toilet valve, new water pump and counting.). It's 4 years old now and prior to this there was nary a drip.

I try to set the example most times, but this time I'm serving as a warning. :-(
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Old 06-28-2014, 09:07 AM   #4
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Sorry to hear all that. You might try hooking up some air flow to pressurize your unit and then you could perhaps hear the leaks without running water all over the place. That could save you a lot of further damage in your quest to find all your leaks. Just a thought. Whenever I winterized my unit, and after draining all the low point drains etc., I run air pressure through my system to get any water that might be left to try and push it all the way out.
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Old 06-28-2014, 10:10 AM   #5
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Quote:
Originally Posted by namusmc65 View Post
Sorry to hear all that. You might try hooking up some air flow to pressurize your unit and then you could perhaps hear the leaks without running water all over the place. That could save you a lot of further damage in your quest to find all your leaks. Just a thought. Whenever I winterized my unit, and after draining all the low point drains etc., I run air pressure through my system to get any water that might be left to try and push it all the way out.
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Old 07-06-2014, 10:45 AM   #6
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Epilogue

Took it to the dealer last weekend and brought it home today.

Tank was cracked. Replaced.
As long as they had it, I asked them to eyeball my toilet repair and pump replacement (and mount it to the floor for me). Both those were fine.

Everything works again. Sanitized the tank/plumbing overnight. Flushed out three times today. Found that the pump would not prime itself unless I removed the screen and dumped the water. Seems odd, but at the same time, it'll force me to check it often, and the shop installed it in a convienent location for that (far better than where Jayco put it).

All's well that ends well. You can bet I'll thoroughly winterize this year!
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Old 07-06-2014, 11:01 AM   #7
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Took it to the dealer last weekend and brought it home today.

Tank was cracked. Replaced.
Woa.....what was the date on the tank?
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Old 07-06-2014, 11:25 AM   #8
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Well, now you know better anyway. Not sure where you live but we are in South Georgia and it got all the way down to the mid teens for three days in a row. I would not go without winterizing when it is getting down there. I may winterized two or three times during the winter because we still use ours in the winter months. When we come in If we aren't going out for a week or so, I winterized again. Much easier than going through what you did.
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Old 07-06-2014, 11:35 AM   #9
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I did drain the tank and bypass the WH before winter, but didn't blow it out or anything. Don't know what else I can do for the WH. Not winterizing cost me the toilet valve and water pump (new one is much quieter).

Would flushing sediment and or using an anode plug help?
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Old 07-07-2014, 07:38 AM   #10
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water heater

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Originally Posted by Merlinspop View Post
I did drain the tank and bypass the WH before winter, but didn't blow it out or anything. Don't know what else I can do for the WH. Not winterizing cost me the toilet valve and water pump (new one is much quieter).

Would flushing sediment and or using an anode plug help?
I think the Atwood water heaters do not have anode rods. There is a small air hose attachment with an elbow or angled hook on the end that will fit inside where the plug comes off to blow the water and sediment from the bottom of the tank out. That might help. Once you have drained the system good, make sure the valves are closed so no water can drain back from the rest of the pipes into the water heater. Other than that, the only other thing I know to do is put some anti-freeze into your water heater or perhaps put some insulation over the access panel on the outside to keep the freezing temp out. Sounds like the trailer did well if the pipes on the inside did not freeze when the water heater did. Yours is actually the first time I have heard of a water heater cracking. I am sure it has probably happened before but I just have not heard about it. These units are built in the frigid north so winterizing is a must and it usually works. It almost sounds as if the water heater was full of water, even though you had drained it. Would have had to have had a pretty good supply of water inside to freeze and crack the tank I would think.
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Old 08-07-2014, 06:37 AM   #11
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Atwood hot water heaters do not use anode rods, their tank is constructed of aluminum which withstands the minerals in the water. Only steel takns like those on the suburban hot water heaters require the anode rod... Atwood warranty REQUIRES that you onle use the plastic plug. NEVER use an anode rod in an aluminum tank you are introducing minerals that should not be mixed with aluminum and could result in causing alimunim oxide.
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Old 07-15-2018, 01:34 PM   #12
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Dumb question maybe, but yesterday I sanitized the water system on my new X23B. I had the water heater bypassed and I pulled the plastic drain plug. Couldn't get it to turn with pliers, I had to use a 15/16 socket to get it out. Once removed, the water drained rather slowly. Thought about opening a sink valve inside but figured with the system bypassed, that would not allow air to vent the tank. Instead I opened the pressure relief valve and that allowed the tank to drain much more quickly. When the tank was fully drained, I closed the pressure relief valve and reinstalled the drain plug. After completing my flush of the system, I reopened the water heater bypass valve but left the entire system completely drained until we head out for a maiden trip later this week. So my question if this: will anything in the water heater be damaged by draining it in the manner I've described? This is our first fully self contained camper and I'm pretty rusty on plumbing and propane procedures. Last one I worked on was with my Dad on his 5th wheel back in the late 70's.
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Old 07-15-2018, 02:03 PM   #13
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It should not hurt the relief valve. If it leaks a little just pop it open and let it snap shut.

I have seen some Jaycos that had a low point drain that drained the water heater. Not sure if yours does.

There was nothing in the owners manual about it.

You could open a inside faucet on the hot side and then let the tank drain before operating the bypass valves. More than one way to skin a cat.
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Old 07-15-2018, 03:23 PM   #14
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Whenever I get home after a trip, I always drain the WH by opening the relief valve. Won't hurt it. However I do leave the WH outside door open until it's completed draining. That reminds me to close the valve. I always snap the valve shut after opening it to ensure it seats properly.
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Old 07-15-2018, 03:32 PM   #15
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My relief valve is near the top of the tank. I don't think the tank would drain completely from that point. The drain plug is at the bottom. From what ya'll are saying, opening the relief valve to allow faster draining of the tank won't hurt a thing.
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Old 07-15-2018, 03:36 PM   #16
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It would take forever to drain without a vent either at the relief or a open faucet.
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Old 07-15-2018, 05:40 PM   #17
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I forgot to mention that I also open the low point drains. I don't bother with the plug. My rig has two low point drains. One for hot and one for cold. The tank drains about 5 minutes. There will still be a little water in the bottom of the tank but that doesn't hurt anything. Even if it froze, there's plenty of head room in the tank for it not to damage anything.

I can open the low point drains without opening the relief valve or a faucet and the tank won't drain at all.

I remove the plug once a year to flush out any sediment.
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