gas water heater leaking at water connections fixed www.valueteste... merch = teespring.com/... / stevenlavimoniere lavimoniere productions llc subscribe to my channel / @stevenlavimoniere lavimoniereplum...
Now I've watched about 40 of your videos. On the job today I joked around with the customer, pointed out the major malfunction and how to avoid recurrence in a colorful way, did a quick and efficient repair, and left feeling extra good about the job. It was fun. You're a good influence Steve Lav. 👍👍 Thank you
Steve, admire how you make it right for your customers. The close up shots of the work being done were excellent. You do good work and I have learned alot from you!
Teflon is not a sealant but actually reduces the friction of the threads and allows the joint to be tightened an extra turn or so which is what helps the seal. Without teflon I believe the joint didn't go far enough on to make the pipe dope alone effective, and the water slowly washed it out. I have found by DIY experience working on pools that teflon alone is my favourite solution, dope alone leaks after about a year, and using both is messy. That's just how I do it.
@@anthonygrimes1977 I did so once on pool plumbing, used pipe dope but not the teflon tape. It sealed for the first season and partway through the second season the water washed the dope out of the joint and it was dripping. Since then I use just teflon cause the dope makes a mess.
That would have been the proper way to address this issue. Those fittings are rusted out and could lead to more rust and failure in the near future. I'm sure Steve will be there that day to patch this boiler again ;-)
You have copper touching a galvanized fitting, thats why its leaking and corroding. It's called "Galvanic corrosion" A Dielectric union is needed at both the cold water inlet and the hot water output? The only thing you are guaranteeing is that you will be back to fix this again in a few years. Adding Dielectric unions would've only added about $40 to the job.
They might call those "nipples" dielectric but you still have copper touching galvanized pipe. Here in Illinois it's code, a dielectric union is required where 2 dissimilar metals touch each other which is what you have. Galvanized dielectric nipple(s) coming out the top on both the cold and hot side, connected to copper supply lines. The $40 cost of those dielectric unions would have been saved if they had been used on the original install. Don't know what you charge for a service call like this, but I'm sure it's way more than $40 @@stevenlavimoniere
on those single PVC vented heaters there is a tapping with a rubber plug on it.. 16:20 . Sometimes those heaters will condensate and the corrosive water pools around the connections. I will take some 3/8 clear tubing, make a loop in it (condensate trap) and run it to a drain. I been back to several tanks that we thought were leaking and that was the problem. Install manual even suggests it.
@@lambition I likely live in a colder climate than you...northern alberta canada. It's a worse problem on 2-pipe take...drawing cold combustion air from outside. That condensate mimics a failed tank. Corrosive condensate gathers at the top of the tank and then starts leaking down through the jacket. The blackened nipples on steve's video suggest corrosive water. Galvanized steel is basically zinc plated mild steel.. the zinc in that steel is just a sacrificial element that degrades instead of the steel when oxidized. Water that is leaking shouldn't oxidize that steel and turn it black that badly in 2 yrs. Carbonic acid is a rapid oxidizer like all acids and would turn those nipples black.
replying to myself..... Mr. Steve L. is a fine plumber.... 2 leaks on one tank...not likely...A guy like that is a one leak per year guy. BTW if a plumber says he has never had a leak... he's lying... or isnt a plumber.
Does anyone know why he installs vacuum breaker on every top fed water heater, is it some sort of local code? they all have a dip tube that serves the same purpose because it has a hole in its top. Is it in case the dip tube breaks off? I never see it in my area.
Hey, just a opinion question for you. Do you think the copper water nipples are better(less likely to corrode) then the plastic lined galvanized nipples(like the one in this video) ? Thanks.
Can someone let me know who is "mama" ? At first I thought it was the dog, but no. LOL. I've been enjoying these videos and want to get in on the "lingo".
I have the same issue because my plumber didn't use dielectric unions. I went and bought 2 unions and 2 new dielectric nipples. Up to me to fix it right. I let my plumber know and sent a picture he say yeah that will leak eventually.... gee thanks... this video helped me but this is not the way to resolve the customers issue...
Mr. Steve... why didn't you use dielectric unions or brass couplings??? Dissimilar metals in contact with each other like that will corrode. Electrolysis. Don't agree with your repair on this one.
@@mct8888 what makes it a dielectric nipple? The plastic that lines the inside of the nipple? That keeps the nipple from corroding from the inside out. The copper threads still make contact with the metal threads of the "dielectric" nipple which is where the corrosion from electrolysis occurs.
Steve I know you installed that hot water heater because I could tell by your handwriting on the date that you wrote on the hot water heater. I always use teflon tape and pipe dope together that's why I never have leaks. Where is the video of the trackless in the snow because you all had snow the other day. Peace brother and Molly
He already said shit happened why you are so direct AND at the end he said he installed that WH. .Steve use insulation pipe to isolate the two pipes that cardboard is not permanent if you don't have one in truck just advise the customer.
So many people, think that they know everything here in the comments... Plumbers are starting to sound like electricians here.. cocky, know it all, big mouths..
