Copper Hot Water Heaters

Frequently Asked Questions

1. QUESTION:
   Can I replace soldered copper pipes running to my hot water heater with flex pipes?
   I'm looking to replace my hot water heater and the copper pipes are connected in such a way that soldering was needed (versus using flex pipes I'm guessing). In any event, now that I am replacing the tank, can I use flex pipes to connect my water supply to the tank?

   • ANSWER:
     Yes; most residential water heaters, less than 100 gallons, can be connected to the hot and cold pipes with flexible water supply lines. However, this will require some modification to your current copper pipes - you will need to cut both pipes and weld on a couple male threaded fittings to which the flexible supply lines will be screwed-on to.

     If you don't have the tools or don't know how to solder copper pipe, I highly recommend calling a local, licensed plumber. It may look easy, but it can turn into a big headache real fast if you don't know what you're doing, and your neighborhood "handyman" may not be much better at it than you. (Water Damage is the #1 Home Owners' Insurance Claim = better safe than sorry!)

2. QUESTION:
   Copper water heater is leaking, what should I do?
   We have a copper hot water tank (an immersion heater). Its got a fine crack and drips water.
   To replace is around £1800.
   I wanted to know if we stripped off the insulation foam could we get someone to weld a copper 'patch' over the crack to fix it. Is copper a metal that can be welded?
   Any constructive advice would be greatly received.

   • ANSWER:
     The crack itself can simply be welded closed.

     You should contact local welding shops, ask if they have experience in "TIG welding" with Copper. These are two things you should mention, that you want it to be "TIG" welded, and ask them if they have experience with copper. It's my understanding is that welding copper is a bit different from other metals due to it's high heat conductivity. You don't want it to be welded by someone who's never done copper before.

     Needless to say you'll have to remove the tank and take it with you. It needs to be drained of water in any case before it can be welded.

     This should probably cost you around £30-£50 at most.

     Placing a "patch" or attempting to solder is less desirable since it may result in corrosion issues later. This may be an acceptable fix nonetheless.

     Also keep in mind that this may be a symptom of a bigger problem, such as metal fatigue, or thinness in the walls die to excessive corrosion.

3. QUESTION:
   Our hot water heater is leaking at the top where the two copper pipes go into. What to do??
   Our hot water heating is leaking where the two copper pipes go into it on the top. What is wrong and how do we fix it??
   thanks for all the answers. we decided to get rid of the copper pipe and put in the pvc pipe.

   • ANSWER:
     YOU PROBABLY WILL HAVE TO CUT THE PIPES, DISASSEMBLE AT THREADED CONNECTION'S, RE DOPE (TEFLON PASTE OR TAPE), REASSEMBLE THREADED CONNECTIONS, AND REJOIN COPPER PIPES WITH EITHER A UNION(SOLDER) OR SHARK BITE(PUSH ON).

4. QUESTION:
   How do I repair a pin hole in my copper pipe leading to my hot water heater?

   • ANSWER:
     if you are talking standard copper tubing, try the following, take a piece of rubber, (bike inter tube, old rubber glove, or a old rubber snow boot.) cut a small square enough to cover the pin hole ( appox; 3/4 inch square) then go to the local hardware store or auto supply store and buy a small hose clamp large enough to fit around the size tubing your repairing. Open the hose clamb all the way until it opens to allow you to fit it around the tubing. reconnect and tighten slightly. place the piece of rubber over the hole, slide the hose clamp over the rubber and tighten down. this repair will last a long while or until you can have the tubing replace

5. QUESTION:
   Do i have to use copper pipe to plumb a hot water heater,or will PVC do?

   • ANSWER:
     CPVC IS OK. PVC CAN'T TAKE HEAT!

6. QUESTION:
   How do I conserve hot water in the shower?
   We have a hot water heater. The kind with hot copper pipes that run through the house. Every time I take a shower I like to take them long and luxurious. I keep the water running till the tub fills, then I drain it out and usually get out when it's half drained. The hot water rarely lasts this long.

   It's a single knob faucet. How far do I turn it towards "hot" to make the water last the longest?

   • ANSWER:
     Take a look at this link,, what you need, is to conserve water without noticing any difference in the shower, you will save water while enjoying your time in the shower

     http://www.mrsupply.com/american-standard-flowise-traditional-3-function-water-saving-sh-1660133002-p70037.html

7. QUESTION:
   how do I conserve hot water in the shower?
   We have a hot water heater. The kind with hot copper pipes that run through the house. Every time I take a shower I like to take them long and luxurious. I keep the water running till the tub fills, then I drain it out and usually get out when it's half drained. The hot water rarely lasts this long.

   It's a single knob faucet. How far do I turn it towards "hot" to make the water last the longest?

   • ANSWER:
     what i do is i start with semi hot warm water.. when it starts to cool i start turning the faucet more and more towards "hot" until i reach the limit

8. QUESTION:
   My widow neighbor has very little hot water pressure in most of her faucets. Cold is fine.?
   Appears that plumbing system is a mixture of copper and iron.
   Hot water heater was replaced last year. Is it true hot water lines clog (calcicate) quicker than cold?

   • ANSWER:
     If this has been happening ever since the water heater was installed, the water inlet valve might not have been turned on all the way. Have her make sure the valve is all the way on.
     If it is, then the iron pipes might be so corroded inside that there's hardly any water flowing through. I replaced all mine when I lived in CA, and when I was removing the iron pipes, one of the ones going to the washer was so clogged, that there was less than a pencil's diameter left on the inside. I was wondering why it took the washer so long to fill up!!

9. QUESTION:
   Does anyone know how many pounds of copper are in a hot water heater?

   • ANSWER:
     There is no copper in a water heater.

10. QUESTION:
    im replacing a leaking pipe on the hot water discharge i need to connect copper to pvc?
    the conection coming from the water heater is a copper splice fitting the pipe i replaced is pvc but the pvc to copper connection is not sealing do i have to sweat off the splice and replace it with a different fitting? or can i use the fittings with the splice on.

    • ANSWER:
      Sharkbite connectors are the easiest connectors, you just push on. Good luck

11. QUESTION:
    Is a little water from hot water heater on floor something to be concerned about?
    I found a little water on the floor near our natural gas hot water heater beneath a long copper pipe that comes down from the top of the heater. Is this something to be concerned about, or is it just condensation running down the pipe and collecting on the floor? Thanks.

    • ANSWER:
      sounds like the heater is about to croak

12. QUESTION:
    How to wire a hot water cylinder heater in U K please?
    How do i do wiring for hot water copper cylinder? What switCh i need and what capacity wire i need. Does it have to be wired from fuse box? Is there a timer for this? Thanks
    Mark Crawley

    • ANSWER:
      The circuit serving an immersion heated has to be dedicated from the consumer unit. The fuse way or mcb needs to be rated at 15 or 16 amps. The cable needs to be twin and earth 2.5mm. There needs to be a fused switched connection unit, preferably with neon, in the airing cupboard with heat resistant flex from this switch to the immersion heater. All bare earth conductors must be sheathed with green/yellow sleeving to identify. TLC electrical have an online catalogue featuring all you need. Screwfix too. I suggest you research online to reinforce your knowledge. B&Q have advisors who will help you choose kit too.
      If you are not confident and careful with this kind of work you should engage an electrician. It can be done DIY but you need to be certain that you know what you are doing and why you are doing it.

13. QUESTION:
    A 2.8 m length of copper pipe extends directly from a hot-water heater. Physics help!?
    If the faucet isn't fixed in place, how much will it rise when the pipe is heated from 20.0°C to 88.8°C. The coefficient of linear expansion for copper is 16 10-6 K-1. Ignore any increase in the size of the faucet itself or of the water heater.

    • ANSWER:
      The change in length due to thermal expansion is = alpha*L0*deltaT = 16x10^-6*2.8m*68.8 = 0.00308m
      = 3.08mm

14. QUESTION:
    Water is very hot after you shut it off the first time. Why?
    When I give my son a bath, I turn the water on and it comes out at just the right temperature. After giving him the bath when I go to turn the water back on the water is scalding hot for about 10 seconds. My shower has three controls: "hot" "cold" and "rate of flow" knobs. I have only adjusted the "rate of flow" knob from "off" to the normal water flow. The hot and cold knobs were not touched.

    Also, in my bathroom sink, occasionally when you turn on the cold water you get warm water for about 15 seconds. Any ideas?

    BTW, the house was built in 1932 and the supply lines are a mix of copper and cast iron. The hot water heater is about two years old. Thanks!

    • ANSWER:
      Kahuna and Coolness are right. Any home that has children living in it should have their water heater's thermostat turned down to 'warm' rather than 'hot' This will heat the water sufficiently for anything you will need it for, but you'll just run out of it a little faster due to using a higher ratio of hot water to cold water at the faucet.

      What I suspect is happening is something called 'thermosyphoning'. Like air, hot water wants to rise to the top and your old style bath faucet is allowing the hot and cold water to mix even when the faucet is not on. The cold water sinks back down to the basement where your water heater is and pulls hot water through the faucet manifold and into the cold water side. Eventually, both your hot water lines and cold water lines have hot water in them.

      Believe it or not, people pay plumbers a lot of money to make this same thing happen with pumps so they have 'instant hot water' in their showers that are far from the water heater. While it does save on water (you don't have to run the shower for 30 seconds before you get in), it does put an extra load on your water heater which wastes energy ($).

      Your problem can be remedied with the installation of a 'swing check' valve (one way valve) installed near, but not at the water heater on the cold side.. Another way would be to replace your old bath faucet.

      I would probably just tell my self 'I have an instant hot water system and I didn't even have to pay for it!'

15. QUESTION:
    how to describe useful heat transfer that takes place in a hot water tank?
    mr pink has a copper hot water tank with an electrical immersion heater in it.
    the hot water tank loses heat from its walls by radiation, conduction and convection.
    what is one useful heat transfer that takes place in the hot water tank?

    • ANSWER:
      Convection. Heated water being lighter rises to the top of the HW tank and is drawn off, from the top, when a tap is opened. Cold water is fed in at the bottom of the tank. Laminar stratification also occurs especially when no taps are open, the heater is switched off and therefor no convection occurs. Hot water resides at the top and each layer is progressively cooler towards the bottom of the tank.

16. QUESTION:
    A 2.15-m length of copper pipe extends directly from a hot-water heater in a basement to a faucet on the first?

    • ANSWER:
      What is the question?

17. QUESTION:
    Are there any disadvantages/advantages when connecting PVC to copper pipes that are used for hot water?
    I know nothing about plumbing.

    originally my house has all copper pipes. Recently we had a leak coming from the hot water heater to the house. The plumbing company replaced the faulty pipes with PVC pipes.

    The plumber explained that they don't work with copper anymore and PVC is more reliable.

    My father told me he was lying because he just wanted to save labor, time, and money just to avoid working with copper.

    another thing my uncle told me was that the copper pipes expand when hot and pvc doesn't. So that might lead to leaks in the future.

    who is correct and who is wrong? and is there anything else that i might need to know about pvc to copper?
    i took FF's advice and checked on the pipes it said ASTM D-2846. It's CPVC.

    • ANSWER:
      Make sure that it is PVC before you make any assumptions.
      If it's an off-white color then it's probably CPVC.
      If it's PVC then you need to call the plumber back out quickly to replace it with either CPVC or copper.
      Of course you could wait and file a damage claim against the company when it blows.

18. QUESTION:
    Electric hot water heater--should I replace or repair?
    I have an 8 year old Marathon 80 gal. tank and it works perfectly. But on the hot water to in-house pipes (which comes out of the top of the heater and are PEX tubing), there is a 5 inch copper attachment or extension that water flows through ( what could it be-overflow?) that has corroded badly and the corrosion has dripped down and discolored the hot water tubing. Should I replace the part and tubing, or simply get a whole new heater?

    • ANSWER:
      My advice is this: Get a solar water heater while the time is right. Most states have a grant program right now where you can get up to 00 to have one installed, you get a tax break, and it saves you so much money that anything you'll pay now will come back to you within a year.

19. QUESTION:
    black scum inside hot water pipes?
    I had oil furnace heated hot water which was too expensive so I put in an electric hot water heater. However, I noticed that inside all the hot water pipes (copper) there was black scum on all surfaces. Again, a black scummy mess inside the hot water only, the cold water was fine. There was no sign of scale anywhere as we do not have hard water. Just black slime all inside the pipe. Any thoughts as to how I might clean it out?

    • ANSWER:
      This might have been caused by the anode tube. Look up "anode tube" and you'll find out why they are in water heaters. I think that the black residue might clear up by itself. So far it has not posed a problem with your plumbing I'm assuming. Check this out again in about 6 months and see if it has cleared up. Regards, Dale

20. QUESTION:
    Is there any earthly reason why a hot water pipe would connect into a cold water pipe?
    I've done serveral, extensive traces in the basement of my home. Preparing to galvanized pipes with copper a section at a time. I've found some hot water pipes that appear to be feeding back into the main cold water line that runs thorough the house. Can someone please tell me I'm seeing things and that all hot water runs should originate from the hot water heater.

    • ANSWER:
      They should, unless what you're seeing are return lines, still they should go to the heater. Are you sure that they are hot water lines, and you're not confusing them somewhere along the way, when they go inside walls and such, it's darn difficult to tell. All bathrooms and kitchens should have two lines, then everything take off from there, cold to all, hot to the sinks and tubs. Just do it right, forget what's been done before. Many systems return the unused yet still warm water to the hot water heater, to save money. While you're doing all that, (BTW getting rid of the galvanized for copper is a GREAT idea.) you should consider installing an on-demand water heater or two...maybe more if it's a huge house. They also make ones for under the sink that are on demand, but heat only the water from a separate tap to near boiling, for making instant hot drinks and such. You'll save enough energy by using on-demand heaters to off set their cost in a very short time. They are available to run on a variety of fuels, or electric. If you'll oversize the lines by a quarter of an inch, then adapt them down just at they go into the fixtures, you'll get better flow. Don't forget to put in one of those devices for the showers that keeps the temperature constant, even if someone turns on the water somewhere else in the house. In new homes, they're required by most all building codes.

21. QUESTION:
    Do I have to change my PVC lines when I install a Tankless Hot water heater?
    I am considering installing a Tankless Hot water heater here in the next few months and was wondering whether or not I would have to switch part of my lines over to copper. Anybody installed the electric version of a tankless system and have problems? Thanks
    First, DakotaWayne I am a bachelor living in a two bedroom, one bath trailer with a dishwasher and sink (neither get much use) and a washer and dryer. So its not like Im living in a 5 bedroom house with 10 kids. Second, I am a little bit old school so I call CPVC "PVC", you go to Lowes they are going to give you CPVC because they know what you mean. Just letting everyone know my living situation.

    • ANSWER:
      We are thinking of installing an electric tankless hot water also and we researched it on the internet. If you can get online go to Bosch.com and there is info you will find interesting.

22. QUESTION:
    I am having a problem with hot water in my main level bathtub.The water is lukewarm.What could the problem be?
    I have copper pipes throughout the house except in the bathtub fixtures. I realize plastic loses some heat, but I am not getting sufficient hot water for a bath or a shower in the main floor bathroom. Every other faucet or shower has very hot water. The thermostat is set on "C" on the hot water heater. Do you have any suggestions to solve my problem?
    It appears to be fueling properly. I had a plumber check the furnace and hot water heater after I had sewage damage in September.

    • ANSWER:
      Could be a defective valve in the shower. Some shower valves have a safety system to prevent scalding. Yours is probably defective and letting in extra cold water even though the temperature is low.

23. QUESTION:
    How can you make a hot water heater for a hunting camp using a 55 gallon barrel?
    I heard that you can use copper tubing coiled in a 55 gallon drum, but how? I understand that I will have to place hot coals in the barrel for the heat source, but I don't understand how to construct the barrel where it will work. I need the barrel to fill up with water from a systern and the barrel will be gravity fed. Any help will be greatley appreciated.

    • ANSWER:
      Would not recommend this Project
      electrical injury cost for barrel is not worth it
      need steel barrel

24. QUESTION:
    How does my hot water heater work?
    I have an old Gledhill water heater in my property (from early 90's) and it's sole purpose is to heat water for the taps. It has 2 immersion copper heaters on it, one near the bottom and one half way up, they are both connected to seperate on/off switches.Both are set at approximately 65 degrees. Are these constantly heating the water? I also have a switch in the kitchen which has one switch you put to 'off' or 'timer' and when you open it, it has 6 small switches and a key stating what each on relates to e.g. 1-10minutes, 2-20minutes 3-30 minutes etc...this also has a light which doesn't come on what ever is pressed? Any advice would be great

    • ANSWER:
      You have a system which is designed for the Economy 7 tariff which provides cheaper rate electricity at night.
      Usually the bottom heater is used to heat the whole tank of water on the cheap rate electricity at night and the upper heater used to heat part of the water on the day rate to boost the temperature if required.
      Generally, as it depends, on the make of timer, The Off / Timed switch is for the night time (lower) heater, and the minute switches are for the day time upper (boost) heater.
      Hope this helps.

25. QUESTION:
    Wiring on a Kenmore Power Mister 6 water heater...?
    I got a new Power Mister 6 Kenmore water heater. I plumbed it and went to hook up the old wires but found that the new heater has a three wire set up. Blue, Yellow, and Black with a ground screw. So I used the old wire to run some lights and outlets in the basement. I ran a new 10-3 wire to the water heater and got the book out to see what wires go to what. I can not figure this out for the life of me, and I thought that I was pretty good with electrical. Somthing is not clicking in my head.. My question is what colors to connect together..Box Feed Has Black, White, Red, and bare copper. Hot water heater side has Yellow, Blue, Black, and the grounding screw. Below is a link with the owners manual..

    http://www.managemyhome.com/mmh/lis_pdf/OWNM/LR708071.pdf

    • ANSWER:
      Acording to the manual, you will only use wires if your using a timer mechanism with the heater. I asume your not?
      Your heater has 2 heating elements right?
      yellow and blue will be positive. (1 for each element)
      dont use black (its for the timer)
      I believe you can connect yellow and blue together as long as your circuit breaker is 30 amp.

      ground screw is ground.

      see pages 15-16 in your manual, I'm noy an expert just trying to help.
      good luck!!!

26. QUESTION:
    if the copper pipe is busted at the hotwater heater what do u do?
    my copper water line busted at the hot water heater what can i do about it if i dont have that part to fix it

    • ANSWER:
      If money is an issue and in a pinch you can use a good old chunk of garden hose or plastic line. Just turn off your water supply cut the broken section out. Put a couple of clamps on one cut end of pipe and a couple on the other cut end. Use a lighter and warm up the hose enough so it will stretch and slip over the pipe.(not too much or it will burn a hole in it or make it leak.) Do the same thing with the other end of the hose on the other piece. Tighten clamps around the hose. Turn water on check for leaks. This should hold temporarily until you can fix it properly, just make sure you keep an eye on it just in case. Hope this helps.

27. QUESTION:
    piping in bathrm redone 2 wks ago. a wk ago water heater making popping sounds now we have no hot water?
    2 wks ago one of bathrooms was repiped w copper pipes. last wk water heater started making popping sounds now we have no hot water. There's no water at all when hot water faucet is turned on anywhere in the house.

    • ANSWER:
      Makes me wonder if the people whom did the repiping turned the water valve back on that feeds into the hot water heater. Check the line coming into the Hot Water Heater and make sure that it's fully turned on. AFter it's turned on and filled, check if the pilot light is on. If you do not have an electric ignition for your pilot light and have never lighted a pilot light before; I'd contact those whom did your piping and have them take care of it - that is, if they did indeed failed to turn the water vale back on that feeds the hot water heater. If the value is turned off, no water will be heated, you'll have no pressure in your hot water line. Good luck.

28. QUESTION:
    drop in hot water pressure?
    Recently I have noticed a drop in my hot water pressure at every faucet and shower head. It is strong in the first few seconds, and gradually drops. The cold water pressure is fine. What could be causing this? I suspect sediment build-up in the hot water heater (we have very hard water). Or could it be a leak somewhere? Nearly the entire system is 6-8 year-old copper pipes, but some of the vertical pipes are still galvanized steel (or whatever old pipes are). Thanks!
    I'm currently draining my water heater, and barely a trickle comes out. When I opened the drain valve with the cold water inlet open, I got a fair amount of sediment out (at least a cup, probably more). But with it off, water is barely trickling out of the hose. If it makes a difference in narrowing down the cause, the faucets that end full copper lines experience the same pressure drop as the ones on mixed (copper and galv) lines.

    • ANSWER:
      try a full drain of your water heater -- attach a hose to the drain and give it a full flush. Let it fill again the do it again -- the bad part is that you may be with out hot water for a day (until it heats 40 gallons )

29. QUESTION:
    Hot Water Heater Broken! Help please?
    Ok, so I just took a shower and now there is water coming out of that copper pipe (I believe it is an overflow pipe?) on my hot water heater. It is in my closet and water just keeps coming out. Any ideas?

    • ANSWER:
      Hello Jackie:

      The safety of the valve has been compromised. This safety valve prevents high pressure/high temperature from causing your water heater to explode. You will need to have the water heater inspected and the valve or whole heater replaced. In the nonce, turn off the power to the tank or shut off the gas at the tank, shut off the cold water inlet, and open a hot tap in the lowest part of your home to relieve pressure on the tank. Then call a qualified plumber to inspect the heater and either replace the valve or tank.

30. QUESTION:
    Is my hot water heater really broken?
    I have 65,000 btu hot water heater in my house. It uses gas to heat my home and water. At the very top there is a copper pole that leading into the unit. There appears to be a plastic bag around this copper where the water enters the heater. There is a small hole in this plastic bag that causes the unit to leak. I had a commercial company come by and look at the unit to 2 mins before telling me it needs to be replaced costing me 87.00 I am being charged 00. for the heater alone. Seems like a big fix for a small puncture. Are you not able to patch the hole?

    • ANSWER:
      cut a sq pc of rubber place over hole put a hose clamp on it,

31. QUESTION:
    i need to replace my "oil" hot water tank. It is leaking. Where can I find one?
    HD, Lowes, etc all sell hot water heaters. We got the "heater" part, I believe. We just need the water tank. This is the tall round sucker with copper pipes in and out of it. Any suggestions?

    • ANSWER:
      plumbing supply house

32. QUESTION:
    steam furnace- heat & hot water (savings)?
    i've had two repair guys (one worked for the oil co.) say that having
    the hot water line from the furnace flow into an electric hot water heater would save us money.

    our furnace does not have a tank for hot water, its just a copper block within the furnace that gets heated and the water is sent through it.

    i can't understand how it will save on fuel, the cold water still has
    to pass through the furnace to reach the electric heater, won't the furnace kick on and run the same?

    • ANSWER:
      In most places, electricity is cheaper than fuel oil, so any time you can heat with electricity it will save money.

      He are some good ways to do that. Heat your bathrooms with Electric heat lamps or heaters (make sure you have a ground fault system in place). Heat small unused areas with "oil heat sink" type heaters when needed. Keeping a tank of hot water ready to go with electric is good too.

33. QUESTION:
    Air in hot water line? I've lived here 40 years. The plumbing is all copper with?
    solder connections. Lately, the hot water faucet in the bathroom located just above the water heater (which is in the basement) makes a brief hissing sound when first turned on. Is this air, and if so how does it get in there and how to stop it? No other faucets seem to be involved. Thanks.

    • ANSWER:
      This hissing noise is caused by your water pressure. As your water heater is in the basement, and assuming the bathroom is above the living room, the heater pump may only just have enough head of water to reach the faucet, hence the hissing, which is the water pressure actually spitting as it reaches the faucet.

34. QUESTION:
    Hot water takes forever! Is it the electric tank?
    We have a brand new master bathroom in a 30-year-old home. The water in the shower and in the sink takes about 45 seconds to warm up, about a minute to get hot. The guest bath also is slow, but not as bad. The kitchen and other bath in the house are fine. The master is above the garage. Most of the exposed copper lines are wrapped in insulation. Our hot water heater is 12+ years old.
    I'm thinking either the insulation is poor and we have to rewrap the pipes? Or is there a valve in the new master bath, or in the garage, that is not open all the way to allow enough hot water through?
    And the hot water tank is electric. Someone suggested that electric heaters take longer to heat water than gas ones. Is this the case?
    Thanks!

    • ANSWER:
      Your hot water heater seems to be the furthest from the new bath.By the time you purge the cold water sitting in the lines and warm the lines to carry the hot water you have 11/2 minutes all will be fine if you move the water heater which is hard to do. Get a on site water heater it installs in the room and has instant hot water on demand. It only heats the water when needed.

35. QUESTION:
    Why would a gas hot water heater only leak water when the hot water is used?
    The gas hot water heater is in the garage. When I use hot water, water leaks from the copper tubing that is attached to the outside of the actual heater. There is a small pop off valve near the top, but the floor in my garage has a puddle of water after every use of HOT water? Water does not seem to be leaking any other time. HELP, do I need a plumber?
    The water drips from the lower end of the copper tubbing that is a few inches from the garage floor. The end of it appears to be opened. I've run my hand along the copper tubbing and can not feel water along it... it appears to be only dripping out the end. Guess I should be thankful this is in the garage.

    • ANSWER:
      It sounds like a pressure relief valve problem.One thing to try is flipping the valve by pushing it down. This will release water down through the overflow pipe. Sometimes you get a little silt or other foreign matter stuck in the valve. Put a bucket under it and release about a gallon of water to flush it. Otherwise there are two possible problems. 1. The pressure from the main is too strong. One of the things you can do is turn the cold water input valve above the heater partially off. This will relieve the pressure somewhat. If that stops the dripping then you are done. If it doesn't then the problem is probably # 2. A faulty relief valve. If you are somewhat handy you can replace it yourself. Close the cold water valve all the way. Let a few gallons of water out of the bottom of the tank. Go to the plumbing store and purchase a new valve. You will need to remove the overflow tube from the valve (you may have to cut it) using a pipe wrench. Then remove the valve itself. Put the new one in. The new one may leak for a day or two and then seal itself. If you are nervous about the replacement call in a plumber.

36. QUESTION:
    My solar water heater panel pipes made of copper is chocked by salt deposits from the bore well water. Pl let?
    solar panel chocked due to the deposits of salt like white granules thus preventing the water from getting circulated through the pipe lines inside the panel and not getting hot water properly.

    • ANSWER:
      just guessing here,,
      what desoulves salt ?
      that is what you need to find.

      http://search.yahoo.com/search?p=what%20desolves%20salt

37. QUESTION:
    Why do slab leaks (copper pipe) tend to occur near the water heater?
    Is it because moisture or minerals trickle down from the hot water line where it is not protected by the concrete and plastic sleeve?

    What about the premise that copper corrosion is caused by minerals and/or ph imbalance from anywhere under the slab, which would seem to make any section of copper pipe susceptible?

    • ANSWER:
      the original copper loops had hard plastic pipe protecting the copper.... it has now degredated to whatever the plumber feels like! water heater supply pipes have a die-electric union, they may be getting grounded by the gas lines & combined with the heating more electrolisys is taking place, probably eve more so on electric heaters. ( good guess )?

38. QUESTION:
    can i put a one way valve in the gravity hot water circuit?
    can i put a one way valve in the gravity hot water circuit, the water heater is a multifuel burner that was fitted to existing rads with pump and trv's and hw tank Old copper vented with 2x old jackets , pipe stats fitted 1 mtr from fire/boiler the hw once heated then starts to flow backwards.

    • ANSWER:
      Definite no no.The gravity circuit will include the open vent which needs to be unobstructed.

39. QUESTION:
    my hot water heater pipes are squealing. what can i do?
    my copper heating units are squealing like crazy. they have been bled, they have only 1 bleed valve near the end of the run. What is the best way to stop the noise?

    • ANSWER:
      each radiator should have its only bleed valve built in, but have you checked your system pressure is between 1.0 and 1.5 bar ? that may be the case if not try going round and checking the lockshield valves ( not the trv`s ) are fully open, if not try opening slightly more on each radiator and see if it eases the noise.

40. QUESTION:
    Does it matter which way you connect the hot wires on 240 volt hot water heater. ?
    I'm getting shocked at outside faucet. It's connected to heater by about 10 ft. Of copper pipe

    • ANSWER:
      A standard water heater will have a junction box at the top of it. (usually) Inside this box will be a black and red wire. On the outside of this box, on one of the covers will be a green screw. Inside the house's wire for the heater will (usually) be a black, white and bare. Once you have the "romex" inside the "romex connector", you tie black to black. Red to white. (to keep in code, wrap black tape around this white wire) Attach the bare wire to the green screw. Install cover. if it's already like this and you're still getting shocked, please, for youe family's sake, have it checked out by a pro. .00 is nothing compared to the loss of a loved one. Good luck in all you do and may God bless.

41. QUESTION:
    Is it safe to use copper pipe with natural gas?
    My house is 40+ years old and has a natural gas hot water heater, stove, and furnace. There are copper pipes running through the attic to connect the furnace to the other two appliances and our a/c repair man recently told us it is unsafe to have copper pipes when using natural gas, based on the fact that additives in the gas will cause the inside of the copper pipe to corrode and flake off. Is this accurate and should I have the pipes replaced, or is he just trying to sell me something I really don't need? Please help!

    • ANSWER:
      OK! Well you certainly got a lot of differing opinions here. To let you know, copper has been used for gas pipe for years. At one time, the smell that is added to natural gas, so you can detect it, had a high concentration of corrosive additives. Thiophane or t-butyl mercaptan is used to add the smell to natural gas, because natural gas is odorless. The high concentrations were causing the copper pipe to flake off inside the pipe, and the flakes were causing stoppages in the small orifices, that are used in appliances. The gas industry has reduced the amount of these additives, so now there isn't a problem anymore. The reason odor additives were introduced into natural gas, stemmed from an explosion in 1937, in Rusk county, Texas. Over 300 students and teachers were killed on a Friday afternoon, when the 1 year old school was leveled when a gas leak, in the crawl space of the building, exploded when a shop teacher turned on an electric saw. It was the New london school. Go online and look at the pictures and read the stories of the few survivors.

42. QUESTION:
    R.valve frozen;hot H20 backs up cold feed/copper corroded/leak;utility installed Elect. regulator;connection?
    Water heater relief valve frozen; hot water backs up into cold water feed; copper pipes corroded and leaking; electric utility installed current regulator - is there any connection to any of these problems?

    The leaks occur on the top of the water heater. The lever on the relief valve spins freely and should act as a lever to open and close valve, but the valve refuses to budge. The cold water feed feels hot to the touch. The copper pipes looked like car battery terminals, growing copper sulfate (bluish and white salt like substance) while the loose nuts and bolts on top grew rust like agar grows bacteria. A good while back, the utility put me on a program to save me money by attaching a current regulator to my water heater -- all those connections are corroded too.

    The water heater is about 20 years old (+/-) one or two.

    • ANSWER:
      At 20 years, that heater is overdue for replacement. The things you describe seem to be normal for that age, BUT:

      1. The relief valve is frozen because it's never used. It's a good idea to check it yearly to be sure that it opens. As it is, yours is a safety hazard, allowing pressure or temperature to build up beyond the design limits of the heater. This could cause the heater to explode in the event of a thermostat malfunction. Get this fixed QUICKLY.

      2. Hot water backs up into cold supply because it expands, and has to go -somewhere-. It can't expand forward, because all the faucets are closed, so it expands backward into the cold supply. If you have a check valve or regulator on the system, you MUST have an expansion tank installed at the water heater inlet for just that reason.

      To address a common misconception: electrolysis and "electrolytic corrosion" are NOT caused by contact between metals, or anything attached to your water heater. The proper term is "galvanic corrosion", which occurs when two dissimilar metals are put in contact with each other. Exchange of ions between the materials will cause one of them to corrode, over time. To minimize this type of corrosion, materials such as dielectric connectors or brass fittings are used when connecting copper to steel plumbing.

      (Also, PVC is -never- used in indoor hot water plumbing. CPVC is.)

43. QUESTION:
    hot water circuit that once heated then starts to flow backwards?
    What can I do about the the gravity hot water circuit that once heated then starts to flow backwards. My water heater is a multifuel burner that was fitted to existing rads with pump and trv's and hw tank Old copper vented with 2x old jackets , pipe stats fitted 1 mtr from fire/boiler the hw .

    • ANSWER:
      What exactly do you mean "that once heated then starts to flow backwards"?
      Do you mean when the pipe stat kicks the pump on?

44. QUESTION:
    so have a new hot water heater, and it keeps leaking a good amount of water, is this normal?
    ok so I'm renting a house, and this hot water heater was new work. There is a copper pipe on the side that comes down the side and just dumps out on the floor. There is also some value at the top. I assumed that this was some emergency pipe because who in the right mind would have a pipe leak out onto the floor of a basement on a consistant basis the amounts that it is leaking, plus it's affect our water bill. We've had a bunch of issues with the workmanship with the upgrades so far. We didn't have any hot water in the shower for the first week we were here. We still have low water pressure. So I want my landlord to fit it, because it's causing mold in the basement. so I just want to know if this is normal and how it's set up, or if there is something that needs to be adjusted

    • ANSWER:
      The copper pipe running out of the center of the top and down to the floor is the high pressure relief drain.

      When the water gets too hot inside the water tank, it opens and lets the pressure escape to prevent blowing the hot water tank up.

      If it is letting water seep out, you have one of two conditions. The valve has gone bad, or the hot water tank thermostats (2) are set too high.

      Call your land lord and tell him you need the valve replaced or the thermostats turned down so they don't create steam.

45. QUESTION:
    when turning hot water on in shower, it takes up to 3-5 min to get hot water, do I need a new water heater?
    I have a new addition, and this problem seems to have gotten worse since the build. all pipes are copper and less than 8 years old throughout the house. I don't like wasting water, especially in a drought.

    • ANSWER:
      A recirculating pump is your answer. It is very easy to install. There are different models, one has the pump at the water heater, the other has the pump, under the sink that is farthest from the heater. Either one will work just fine. The pump has a temperature setting, and a timer, so it doesn't run 24/7. Set the desired temp., and set the timer to come on before you wake, if you shower in the morning. This way, the water will be hot and waiting for you, and not vice versa. Good luck!

46. QUESTION:
    I have a 1/2in threaded piece of copper that I need to join to a 1/2in piece of copper tubing?
    I have to cut the 1/2in copper tubing going to my hot water heater (cold side) and insert a water sensor. the problem that I have is that the sensor (7in long) has 1/2in threads on each end. is there a way for me to connect threaded 1/2in copper to 1/2in copper tubing

    • ANSWER:
      either get 2 female adapters to thread onto the ends and then solder it in, or cut off the male threads that come with the sensor and just couple it on each side or use a union, the union would allow for an easier change out of the part in the future, that way would be best in my opinion and less trouble some of having the threads leak when you're done since the heat on the joint won't be good for the tefelon or pipe dope on the threads, the coupler could be copper or you could buy two shark bite couplers that simply snap into place - sounds cheap but actually holds just as good as solder, those are as easy as putting legos together. shark bite is a nammed brand you can ask for at the store. and the sensor could still be removed and the shark bites reused with that option.

47. QUESTION:
    Replace oil buring hot water heater with electric for heat?
    I have replaced my house hot water heater with a tankless hot water heater. I still have an old oil burning hot water heater for my baseboard heat. I figure that a gallon of water will go about 294 ft. in 1/2 in. copper tube. Can I replace the oil burning water heater with a 20 or 40 gallon electric heater? If so, suggestions on how or what not to do?
    I thought about that, but paying nearly 0 USD for a month and a half of a fossil fuel is far more than the electric would be. Plus, it is for heat only and it is currently an oil water heater being used. Is there a difference?

    • ANSWER:
      I would stay with a fossil fuel/ Propane/ Fuel oil. If you try this with a electric waterheater it will never keep up as far as your heating needs would be. Plus the power company would be tickled to death when they send the bill!

48. QUESTION:
    How do i clear calcium buildup in my bathtub hot water pipes?
    I had a water heater installed 2 weeks ago and after that my water pressure in my bathtub is minimal. I am assuming calcium buildup. How would i go about fixing/clearing this on my own? I have copper pipes bye the way. Any help would be great!

    • ANSWER:
      Sodium hydroxide (sold as drain-blockage remover), not sure what companies are selling in your country.

49. QUESTION:
    Hot water pressure and draining issues.?
    12 year old house, copper pipping. I am having very low hot water pressure on all fixtures... on hot the water just trickles out. I tried to drain the hot water heater. I shut off the cold water supply to the HW heater and nothing comes out. When I turn the supply back on cold water comes out fast through the hose I have connected to the HW drainage valve. When I flip the preassure releas value hot water comes out of that tube, but still nothing from the bottow of the HW heater. Any thoughts ? It is a A.O Smith Pro Max 50gal. and the warranty has already expired.

    • ANSWER:
      12 years? Sounds about right. Maybe a tad on the short side. Did you regularly drain and blow the tank and change the anode? I bet you didn't. Well, start shopping, that thing is toast. You COULD try to drain and blow it now, but I doubt you will have much luck. You could also try to remove the cold water dip tube with a really big socket, but I doubt you'd have much luck there either.

50. QUESTION:
    Why does my new water heater have a plastic taste for hot water?
    A new water heater was recently installed in my apt. Now the hot water from all my taps has a plastic taste to it. The water heater is a GE appliance and when I called customer service, they said the metal tank is glass lined, and there should be no change in the taste of the hot water. The pipes going in and out of the heater are copper. What is causing the plastic taste? (Only the hot water, not the cold has this new flavor.)
    Thanks for the responses so far. Some clarification. The water heater pipes are connected to what look like brass bolts? couplings? unions? (not sure what you call these). Extending out of these bolts are copper flex water heater connectors. But I noticed that the ends of the flex connectors are wrapped in hard plastic tubing? Or at least where the copper and brass meet, I can see about a half inch of white hard plastic tubing as if it wrapped around the copper. It looks like the copper flex piping touches the plastic and the plastic touches the brass bolts. This white plastic tubing is visible on all four connections, 2 to the heater and 2 to the other pipes. Could this be causing the plastic taste? I'm not sure if the plastic part is just an insulator or actually touches the water supply. (Also, thanks for the comments not to drink the hot water. I'll remember that. I actually noticed the taste when brushing my teeth with warm water. But I've stopped using the hot water altogether fo

    • ANSWER:
      it's that new "plastic taste" that is added to all hot water heaters
      WHAT you're not supposed to be drinking from the hot water!