No Water Pressure in Shower; Water Heater Drain Plug Leaks

[Peggy]

I just de-winterized my little Minnie Winnie (2001; Ford E350 chassis) last weekend. As happened last year, the water heater drain plug will not tighten sufficiently with just my little hands, and I don't have a tool (what should I buy?) to get the thing close any tighter. It is currently about 3/4 of the way in and it has a butterfly on the end to permit flushing. As soon as I filled the water tank and fired up the water pump, the water just poured out of the water heater! No wonder I was getting very little water flow out of the house sinks. After I figured out that happened, I shut off the bypass to the water heater and fired up the water pump again. Water flowed just fine from both sinks, but the shower head is still dead in the water (pardon the pun!). No water pressure coming out of there at all.

What can I do now, shy of taking my little coach back to the repair place? They sold me the water heater drain plug; last year, I got it to fit well enough that it just barely leaked. I did consider getting some plumber putty to see if that would help the situation. Should I just buy another one and pray it fits better? My last drain plug was a dream as far as fitting, but it had an anode on it, which I don't need. Should I get another one?

Thanks for any advice you can provide, fellow FMCAers!!!

Peggy

[hermanmullins]

Peggy, Sorry for your problem. If your drain plug has a petcock (a butterfly on the end), you do not need to remove the plug to winterize. Just open it up and let the tank drain. What you need is a crescent wrench, about an 8" one should do. It can be opened to fit your plug. Remove your plug wrap it with several turns of Teflon Tape put the plug back into the water heater tighten by hand then use the cresent wrench set to fit your plug and continue to tighten the plug. If it still leaks just try to tighten is some more until the leak stops.

Now to your shower head. sound like it may be plugged up from calcium or mineral deposits. You can bay a bottle of CLR and soak the head in it according to the directions. Calcium, Lime, Rust remover.

You said that your last plug had an Anode on it but you didn't need it. Sorry mam, I beg to differ with you. You do need it. Go and buy your self another plug, one with a Anode and a petcock. The Anode is a softer metal that will deteriorate faster then steel and other metals in your water system due to electrolysis.

Hope this helps.

Herman

[wolfe10]

Peggy,

What water heater do you have.

Suburban water heaters DO use an anode.

Atwood water heaters use a nylon plug.

Put 2 1/4 wraps of teflon tape on the plug and tighten with a crescent wrench.

[Peggy]

Thanks, Herman and Brett!

I did not winterize it myself. The guys at the RV place took out the drain plug even though it had a butterfly. I always de-winterize it myself but have them do the winterizing..

I have an Atwood and I was told to buy the metal plug I have now by the RV place folks. There were no plastic or nylon ones, far as I know. I just bought what they said to get. I think I'll just go buy a nylon one, like you said and forget this plug entirely...assuming I can now remove it!

I will check regarding the a clog in the shower but it was just fine last fall. The toilet flushes just fine, by the way, so it's not the bathroom per se.

Thank you both again very much!