Join Early Retirement Today
Closed Thread
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
Old 10-04-2016, 01:06 PM   #1661
Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
John Galt III's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2008
Posts: 2,775
Quote:
Originally Posted by samclem View Post
Yep, be sure to measure the actual size. A 50 gal tank made 20 years ago will likely be smaller than a 50 gal tank today. The latest round of mandated insulation standards have led some people to go down a notch or two in capacity so they could still fit the WH in the same closet. Doesn't matter that you'd prefer a different, slimmer one like you used to have, and the manufacturer and retailer would both like to sell you one--they can't be sold....
Sure enough the new 50 gal water heater at Home Depot is 23 inches diameter whereas the old one is 20.5 inch diam. But no problem with flexible Sharkbites ( he said hopefully).

I broke down and called an HVAC place for an estimate. Just to replace my 50 gal electric with a Brad and White 50 gal, ground level, minimal changes to piping, easy access to WH, would be $1,150. Wow.

I then asked him what it would cost if I had my own new WH sitting there, for him to install, and he said..... $500. What?

Well, at least he was willing to talk to me about WH's. He said Rheem was a decent brand, and that Sharkbites were fine, and that he uses them himself if the customer requests it.

He thought the pressure relief valve leak at the threads that I have could be a crack (don't know if he meant in valve itself or in the metal tank. He must have meant the valve.)

Still can't get the TPR valve off. I held a propane flame to it for a few minutes and that didn't help. Still stuck.


Just had a new thought. Maybe I could apply some semihardening sealant around the threads. I think the PSI inside the tank wouldn't get much above normal water pressure (50 psi?) . I have the temp set at 170 degrees.
John Galt III is offline  
Join the #1 Early Retirement and Financial Independence Forum Today - It's Totally Free!

Are you planning to be financially independent as early as possible so you can live life on your own terms? Discuss successful investing strategies, asset allocation models, tax strategies and other related topics in our online forum community. Our members range from young folks just starting their journey to financial independence, military retirees and even multimillionaires. No matter where you fit in you'll find that Early-Retirement.org is a great community to join. Best of all it's totally FREE!

You are currently viewing our boards as a guest so you have limited access to our community. Please take the time to register and you will gain a lot of great new features including; the ability to participate in discussions, network with our members, see fewer ads, upload photographs, create a retirement blog, send private messages and so much, much more!

Old 10-04-2016, 01:36 PM   #1662
Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso)
Give me a forum ...
samclem's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2004
Location: SW Ohio
Posts: 14,404
Quote:
Originally Posted by John Galt III View Post
Just had a new thought. Maybe I could apply some semihardening sealant around the threads. I think the PSI inside the tank wouldn't get much above normal water pressure (50 psi?) . I have the temp set at 170 degrees.
You've tried penetrating "buster" on it with a little heat, let it sit overnight, and still no luck? Maybe your sealant idea will work (perhaps some RTV after cleaning the area thoroughly). I think it would be a long shot. If you haven't done it already, I'd buy a cheap water alarm and put it in the pan under the WH (it's in a pan, right? ). If a threaded neck is cracked (or, more likely, the nipple is corroded), a leak could become a gusher very quickly and you'd want to know about that right away.

If you can't get the drip stopped, there's eventually nothing to lose by putting a big wrench on that thing and probably a cheater, and giving it a turn. Obviously, if you can get a pipe wrench or some vice grips on the male fitting at the tank and turn the other way at the same time, it will reduce the chance of twisting off the fitting and (probably) destroying the WH. But before you go crazy, make sure you've shopped for water heaters already, you know the place you'd like to buy it already has one in stock, and you've got a plan for installing it.
samclem is offline  
Old 10-04-2016, 02:50 PM   #1663
Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
 
Join Date: May 2007
Posts: 1,566
If you screw a 3 or 4 foot piece of galvanized pipe into the pressure relief valve you may
be able to break the valve free.
homestead is offline  
Old 10-04-2016, 04:03 PM   #1664
Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso)
Give me a forum ...
Sunset's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2014
Location: Spending the Kids Inheritance and living in Chicago
Posts: 16,972
Quote:
Originally Posted by John Galt III View Post
Sure enough the new 50 gal water heater at Home Depot is 23 inches diameter whereas the old one is 20.5 inch diam. But no problem with flexible Sharkbites ( he said hopefully).

I broke down and called an HVAC place for an estimate. Just to replace my 50 gal electric with a Brad and White 50 gal, ground level, minimal changes to piping, easy access to WH, would be $1,150. Wow.

I then asked him what it would cost if I had my own new WH sitting there, for him to install, and he said..... $500. What?

Well, at least he was willing to talk to me about WH's. He said Rheem was a decent brand, and that Sharkbites were fine, and that he uses them himself if the customer requests it.

....
The size difference only matters in how close it is to walls, and of course the water connections. So if you have lots of room as in extra inches around it then no worries.

Call around a few places, as I got that at one place $500 when I had my own tank, and then the next place was $250.
Whoever you think you will use, check them with BBB or some review place to see they are ok.

The job at my place to hard solder in the water pipes and use the black iron pipe to connect the gas (and install a new gas shutoff I had purchased) took almost 2 hours.

It would have been cheaper by the hour, which is why none of them work like that for water heaters.

I also had a coupon for $30 off, which they accepted
Sunset is offline  
Old 10-06-2016, 12:30 PM   #1665
Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
John Galt III's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2008
Posts: 2,775
Update. Finally got the valve off! Then discovered what looks like vertical crack in threads of tank. Also, believe it or not, a vertical crack in the PTR valve threads ! Just for kicks, I wrapped some teflon tape around the TPR and screwed it back in. Water now is not coming out the top of the valve threads, but is still oozing in on the top of the tank around the bottom of the nipple(?) (the raised part that has the hole in it) that accepts the TPR. I think the tank might be cracked there. Can't actually see any crack there, but the water is coming from somewhere. I am looking through a hole from a plastic poput that I removed, that lets me shine a light onto the center of the top of the tank, where the TPR is. Tried to remove the whole top of the unit so I can see the entire top of the tank to see where the leak is, but seems to be a major PITA. May be new water heater time.
John Galt III is offline  
Old 10-06-2016, 12:39 PM   #1666
Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso)
Give me a forum ...
 
Join Date: Mar 2016
Posts: 8,968
Oh yeah, if the tank is cracked get a new one.
RobbieB is offline  
Old 10-06-2016, 01:42 PM   #1667
Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso)
Give me a forum ...
 
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: Northern IL
Posts: 26,806
Quote:
Originally Posted by RobbieB View Post
Oh yeah, if the tank is cracked get a new one.

Agreed - that valve is going to be the typical tapered pipe thread style, and as you tighten them, they exert a lot of force trying to expand that joint. Any sort of band aid fix would be poor, you really can't fix something like that easily.

You could clean it up and try to get JB-WELD in there everywhere and screw it shut and give it 24 hours. But I would not.

-ERD50
ERD50 is offline  
Old 10-06-2016, 02:39 PM   #1668
Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso)
Give me a forum ...
samclem's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2004
Location: SW Ohio
Posts: 14,404
Quote:
Originally Posted by John Galt III View Post
May be new water heater time.
Yep. It will probably be problematic from this point forward, and maybe in a very inconvenient way. Right now you've got time to shop for a new one and figure out the best way to get it installed. That's what I'd do.
It sounds like at least you got lots of years of use out of it.
We get tremendous value from our appliances (and utilities). The >amazing< convenience of hot water every day for less than 50 cents/day. A machine that washes clothes (an hour-long drudgery if done by hand) for about 50 cents per load. We live far better (and longer) than royalty of old.
samclem is offline  
Old 10-06-2016, 02:45 PM   #1669
Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
 
Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: Kerrville,Tx
Posts: 3,361
Quote:
Originally Posted by John Galt III View Post
Sure enough the new 50 gal water heater at Home Depot is 23 inches diameter whereas the old one is 20.5 inch diam. But no problem with flexible Sharkbites ( he said hopefully).

I broke down and called an HVAC place for an estimate. Just to replace my 50 gal electric with a Brad and White 50 gal, ground level, minimal changes to piping, easy access to WH, would be $1,150. Wow.

I then asked him what it would cost if I had my own new WH sitting there, for him to install, and he said..... $500. What?

Well, at least he was willing to talk to me about WH's. He said Rheem was a decent brand, and that Sharkbites were fine, and that he uses them himself if the customer requests it.

He thought the pressure relief valve leak at the threads that I have could be a crack (don't know if he meant in valve itself or in the metal tank. He must have meant the valve.)

Still can't get the TPR valve off. I held a propane flame to it for a few minutes and that didn't help. Still stuck.


Just had a new thought. Maybe I could apply some semihardening sealant around the threads. I think the PSI inside the tank wouldn't get much above normal water pressure (50 psi?) . I have the temp set at 170 degrees.
Home Depot has installers, have you called them for a quote as well. An independent plumber needs typically needs the margin on the water heater as well to break even. Note that an install might also result in a new floor pan around the heater.
meierlde is offline  
Old 10-06-2016, 09:10 PM   #1670
Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso)
Give me a forum ...
 
Join Date: May 2005
Posts: 17,194
Well, let me just say I am in the middle of this repair....

I was walking by when my sprinkler system was on since I reset it at the wrong time... need to put in a new 9V backup battery.... but need a rechargeable one...


Saw that water was flowing from near the sidewalk and one of our flower beds... so dug up a bit and found a plastic piece was broken... today I dug it up more so I can get at that piece... but NO.. it broke off close to the PVC pipe and I cannot get it out... either need to get a tap tool or find some other way to get inside that little piece and work it out....


NOW, the bad part.... there were LOTS of roots going back and forth near this area.... and low and behold.... so was a wire for my low voltage lighting!!! Somehow I messed that up and instead of 8 lights on the front of the house I have a total of 2 working
Texas Proud is offline  
Old 10-06-2016, 11:34 PM   #1671
Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
 
Join Date: Apr 2006
Location: North Bay
Posts: 1,246
I ordered all the parts and fluids, and yesterday and today changed all the fluids and filters in my little diesel tractor. The front tires were already badly dried and cracked when I moved overseas 5 years ago, and when I got back they were dried, cracked, and flat. I ordered new tires, but when I got the old ones off found that the inside of the wheels were badly rusted (the tractor began its life in a Japanese rice paddy). So I googled around and finally found a pair of rims that aren't a perfect match but should bolt on and work. So now I'm waiting for the UPS guy to deliver the rims before I can get the tractor going and till the weeds an the back yard.
scrinch is offline  
Old 10-07-2016, 09:58 AM   #1672
Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso)
Give me a forum ...
harley's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2008
Location: No fixed abode
Posts: 8,764
Quote:
Originally Posted by Texas Proud View Post
Well, let me just say I am in the middle of this repair....

I was walking by when my sprinkler system was on since I reset it at the wrong time... need to put in a new 9V backup battery.... but need a rechargeable one...

Saw that water was flowing from near the sidewalk and one of our flower beds... so dug up a bit and found a plastic piece was broken... today I dug it up more so I can get at that piece... but NO.. it broke off close to the PVC pipe and I cannot get it out... either need to get a tap tool or find some other way to get inside that little piece and work it out....

NOW, the bad part.... there were LOTS of roots going back and forth near this area.... and low and behold.... so was a wire for my low voltage lighting!!! Somehow I messed that up and instead of 8 lights on the front of the house I have a total of 2 working
Irrigation systems are a PITA! I've had many issues similar to what you've got. And at our FL house all the pipes are 6" or less underground, since it never freezes down there. It seems every time I stick anything into the ground I break a pipe, either irrigation or home water supply. And tree roots! My go to digging tool has become a sawzall. Good luck.
__________________
"Good judgment comes from experience. Experience comes from bad judgement." - Anonymous (not Will Rogers or Sam Clemens)
DW and I - FIREd at 50 (7/06), living off assets
harley is offline  
Old 10-07-2016, 10:35 AM   #1673
Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso)
Give me a forum ...
 
Join Date: May 2005
Posts: 17,194
Quote:
Originally Posted by harley View Post
Irrigation systems are a PITA! I've had many issues similar to what you've got. And at our FL house all the pipes are 6" or less underground, since it never freezes down there. It seems every time I stick anything into the ground I break a pipe, either irrigation or home water supply. And tree roots! My go to digging tool has become a sawzall. Good luck.

LOL... .the time I fixed a pipe in the back yard a few years back I got out the sawzall to cut through a one inch 'root'..... but found out that it was a Comcast cable in conduit that was less than 6 inches underground!!! It cut right through the conduit and cable... twice... since I had not noticed it was not a root on my first cut ....


They actually tried to bill me for the repair


BTW, was using a lopper to cut roots... and STILL cut my light system wire.... I have not been lucky when going below ground...
Texas Proud is offline  
Old 10-09-2016, 11:35 AM   #1674
Dryer sheet aficionado
Happyrick's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2012
Posts: 35
Have a Toyota 4R with a really ugly torn seat bottom on the drivers side near the door, seems to be a common issue on older Toyota's and has bugged me for a while. After some research I discovered that I could swap out the driver and passengers seat bottoms. On the passenger side it hides the tear as it is up against the console. took me several hours to remove both seats and swap out the bottom skins so I wouldn't mess with the air bag sensor on the passenger side. Well worth the effort IMO, local shop estimated $500+ to replace one bottom with no confidence in match.
__________________
"One of the big secrets of finding time is not to watch television" -- Captain Kangaroo
Happyrick is offline  
Old 10-09-2016, 05:03 PM   #1675
Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso)
Give me a forum ...
 
Join Date: May 2005
Posts: 17,194
Quote:
Originally Posted by Texas Proud View Post
LOL... .the time I fixed a pipe in the back yard a few years back I got out the sawzall to cut through a one inch 'root'..... but found out that it was a Comcast cable in conduit that was less than 6 inches underground!!! It cut right through the conduit and cable... twice... since I had not noticed it was not a root on my first cut ....


They actually tried to bill me for the repair


BTW, was using a lopper to cut roots... and STILL cut my light system wire.... I have not been lucky when going below ground...

OK.. went to the store and found this...

Hampton Bay Low-Voltage Cable Splice Connector-HD28351 - The Home Depot


I bought this so I do not have to strip the wires and reconnect them.... but not sure if it can be buried....

One of the answers says yes, but wrap in electrical tape....


Any wisdom from the EEs out there
Texas Proud is offline  
Old 10-09-2016, 06:26 PM   #1676
Moderator
sengsational's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2010
Posts: 10,622
I'm no EE, but I did take Circuits 101 in college

Might be more work than you're willing to put-in, but here's what I did with a signal cable (coax), and it's still working.

Created a "boat" out of aluminum foil and put it under the wire (while in the ground, exactly where it would be after I put dirt around it). Then I melted some soft wax (in a tin can in the garage), then came out to the hole and filled-up the aluminum foil "boat" with the wax, entirely covering the connector and wires going into the connector. Then I buried it, trying not to move it at all while doing so.
sengsational is offline  
Old 10-09-2016, 06:41 PM   #1677
Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso)
Give me a forum ...
travelover's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2007
Posts: 14,328
The way I'd splice a low voltage wire is to slide on a piece of shrink tubing away from the break, solder the wire, then slide the shrink tube over the soldered joint, then hit the shrink tape with a hair dryer or heat gun. Do each wire separately.
travelover is offline  
Old 10-09-2016, 06:44 PM   #1678
Recycles dryer sheets
 
Join Date: May 2016
Location: Orange County Ca
Posts: 162
Not really a repair but a maintenance item. Always do my own oil changes as I know it's done right (some not so good oil changes done by "professionals" in the past) and I like doing the work. But...the oil changes on my wife's Toyota 4Runner are quite the task. A 22 step process believe it or not! Took me about 90 minutes start to finish. I know some Porsches are crazy but surprised at the work needed for this Toyota.
SpinDr is offline  
Old 10-10-2016, 09:19 AM   #1679
Recycles dryer sheets
 
Join Date: Apr 2014
Location: Twin Cities
Posts: 55
Quote:
Originally Posted by travelover View Post
The way I'd splice a low voltage wire is to slide on a piece of shrink tubing away from the break, solder the wire, then slide the shrink tube over the soldered joint, then hit the shrink tape with a hair dryer or heat gun. Do each wire separately.
Wrap with silicone tape such as Scotch 70 before shrinking the tubing for better waterproofing.
manerac is offline  
Old 10-10-2016, 10:07 AM   #1680
Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
RockyMtn's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2009
Location: North Scottsdale
Posts: 1,545
Been in the remodeled house for a year so I guess it is time for things to start breaking.

Kitchenaid Range circulation fan started making an awful racket. Replaced fan. Warranty!

Pentair Pool Pump programming pad/led went out. Replaced control panel. Warranty!
__________________
FIRE'D in July 2009 at 51...Never look back!
RockyMtn is offline  
Closed Thread


Currently Active Users Viewing This Thread: 1 (0 members and 1 guests)
 
Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are Off
Pingbacks are Off
Refbacks are Off


Similar Threads
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
Your recent repair? - 2021 to ? Gumby Life after FIRE 1653 Today 02:51 PM
What's your recent concert? gcgang Other topics 208 10-17-2023 06:05 AM
The Photographers' Corner 2013-2020 FIREd Life after FIRE 3481 12-30-2020 04:42 AM
Any recent experience with buying a solar system for your house? eyeonFI Other topics 68 07-07-2014 06:41 PM

» Quick Links

 
All times are GMT -6. The time now is 10:03 PM.
 
Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.8 Beta 1
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.