I'm stuck. Have a leak at the back of the 24 year old Attwood 10 gal hot water heater. Trying to pull it out, but not having much luck. Removed some trim and screws. No screws visible on left side, no real room to install them either. I have managed to cut through the original black "silicon" sealant with combination of putty knife, heat gun, and a repurposed hacksaw blade. Can only access top, right side, bottom. Left side seems to have also been sealed. I get a little movement on bottom right corner, not much else. Pushing from back doesn't seem to work. My hot water heater on this 98 U270 is located passenger side, bay in front of rear axle.
Do you have the porthole access on the right where you can at least see the back side of said water heater ? If so, you can possibly confirm what and \ or where the leak is first.
I'd want to be sure it wasn't leaking at the hot \ cold fittings or the electric heater element..... before I yanked it out.
No porthole. Waste tank is mounted next to hot water heater on right side, bulkhead on left. No luck with mirrors or camera viewing the original leak. Fresh water tank is behind the hot water heater.
I have had mine out several times. It sounds like yours. I have screws on all four sides. The propane line is at the bottom left corner and needs to be removed. Might be silicone where the copper line goes through. Remove that so you can move the water heater independent of the propane line. Other than that it should be free to come out. Three places for a leak are cold line in, Hot line out or electric heater element.
Mark
After much futile effort it appears I will have to cut the rivets that connects the flange to the water heater. No screws on left side and it appears to be sealed with silicone with no way to cut through it. One long day to figure out what doesn't work.
Found this post: Removing water heater (https://www.foreforums.com/index.php?topic=36970.msg353435#msg353435)
On my 2002 U295 the water heater was very stuck! the glue around the perimeter was insane! I stuck with it and was able to pry it apart with prybars deforming the flange somewhat but was able to straighten out after. Mine has a shutoff valve for the engine coolant so no coolant loss. Stick with it its stuck like H!! Jim.
Might try heavy fishing line to cut through silicone?
Got it out! It was literally glued in three different ways: flange to frame, flange to water heater, water heater to frame with liberal amounts of silicone. Flange was pop riveted to water heater and screwed to frame on three sides. No access to left side of flange sealant. Hopefully I didn't damage water heater trying to get it out before finding all the different ways it was glued.
Preliminary diagnosis: cracked cold water fitting at back of water heater. Making up new lines with all new pex fittings. Wish I had time to install SeeLevel. May try to re-route overflow to floor, but time is really limited. Have to pull out on Friday and will be out in the boonies for five weeks.
Maybe wait until after seelevel to permanently seal it back in
That's my thinking at the moment. Get it running, make sure I didn't break it getting it out and in October when back in Texas at friends do the SeeLevel, overflow mods and change out the valve on motor aid. Also found electric heat switch off and good continuity on electrical heating element, so maybe that works.
I would order a new one and just replace it. Mighty old and when you do get it out, why just fix it. You may have a wait to get a new one. Many back orders
Even without a full See Level installation, if you could just get the sensor strip glued onto that fresh water tank. Everything else could be done later and you wouldn't have to pull that WH.
Just sayin.
Tank re-installed and working. Found the switch off in the back, so now it appears I have electric heat as well. At least we will have hot water this summer, thought it might be late as October before I could get it replaced. Ran new lines to the tank from the Maniblock with all new fittings. Had lots of trouble finding the 90 degree female 1/2" FNPT connections. Four hardware stores and found two, luckily had one on hand. Suggest you stock up on a few fittings as they seem sold out a lot. Thanks for all the help.
It is possible to install the seelevel without removing the water heater, it just makes it a lot easier when it's out.
My tool for cutting away sealant at top of water heater flange. Cut down hacksaw blade, heated and bent into 90 degree angle and then used heat gun to soften sealant.
On ours, it would be very difficult with the water heater in place. There are water lines running next to the tank and the See Level sensor strip has to go between those lines and the tank. ( SL strip is very sticky one side).
In fact the See Level rep told us that to avoid interference of the metal collars on the fittings and the SL strip to tape a rubber ( Home Depot ) strip over the sensor strip. Yet another level of difficulty behind the WH.
Having said that, one rubber strip fell off and no effect yet to SL readings.
Yes, I think there's a little more room on the 270 & 295 to get around and under the water heater to the tanks.
It's not fun or easy, but it's easier than removing the water heater! ;) (Everything is relative)
It took me several hours, but I got it done.