skyguy
Well-known member
While dry camping this weekend, the water pump started cycling about every 5 minutes. Started looking for leaks, wound up behind the basement wall, and found the hot water check valve at the top of the hot water tank leaking pretty good. Tried to remove the valve, using a pretty small pipe wrench, and naturally, it broke.
Now I didn't use a lot of pressure trying to remove the check valve, and it was leaking already, my guess is that the fitting was cracked at this point, to begin with... Spent the next 45 minutes carefully removing what was left of the check valve from the hot water tank.
Not sure why the fitting cracked! Early in 2009, I moved the water feed pipe from below the hot water lines to rest on top of the lines - this cured my water fill issues. Maybe this caused the crack??
In any case, I'll be replacing the plastic check valve with a brass one, and corresponding fittings...
BTW - we were able to at least restore cold water supply, by returning the broken check valve to the end of the hot water lines, and switching the winterizing valve in the command center, bypassing the hot water heater.
Al S.
Now I didn't use a lot of pressure trying to remove the check valve, and it was leaking already, my guess is that the fitting was cracked at this point, to begin with... Spent the next 45 minutes carefully removing what was left of the check valve from the hot water tank.
Not sure why the fitting cracked! Early in 2009, I moved the water feed pipe from below the hot water lines to rest on top of the lines - this cured my water fill issues. Maybe this caused the crack??
In any case, I'll be replacing the plastic check valve with a brass one, and corresponding fittings...
BTW - we were able to at least restore cold water supply, by returning the broken check valve to the end of the hot water lines, and switching the winterizing valve in the command center, bypassing the hot water heater.
Al S.