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Removal water heater

My water heater has started leaking under pressure, if not found a way to access the connectors in the rear of the heater, and clues?
I need to replace it.
My 2002 U295, has a motor aid installed, can I bypass that when replacing the old heater with a new?
The Goose 🍻✈️🧰 United Airline Retired
2002 U295

Re: Removal water heater

Reply #1 –
Tank,

I haven't pulled a water heater out of an 02 so not sure as to how to get to the back. But:

Can you tell where the leak is coming from?
Is it from being frozen? 
Could it be the over pressure/temp valve leaking at the threads?
Could it be a gasket leaking where the water lines connect to the rear of the heater?

Yes you can bypass the engine loop if you want. Just have to connect the 2 hoses (feed and return) together.

Pamela & Mike
Pamela & Mike 97 U 320

"It's not what happens to you, but how you react to it that matters."

Re: Removal water heater

Reply #2 –
May be from lines in back, no leaks in the front, as this the original I'm assuming it's the tank, leak does appear to be from rear. Just can't see or feel anything back there.
Seams like a dumb way to build it, never seen a heater installed without access to rear connectors.
The Goose 🍻✈️🧰 United Airline Retired
2002 U295

Re: Removal water heater

Reply #3 –
If you remove the screws around the edges, the water heater will slide out and you can reach the connections in the back.

Rich
Rich and Peggy Bowman
2002 U270 3610 WTFS, build #5939--"Freedom"
2022 Jeep Grand Cherokee Summit 4xe
SMI AirForceOne brake system
PakCanoe 15

Re: Removal water heater

Reply #4 –
Thanks, have you ever done that?
The more I've thought about this leak; it only leaks when system is under pressure, that leads me to think that a connection in the pressure side of the plumbing, where it connects to the tank, if the tank was bad, it probably would leak anytime it was full.
Hopefully your advice is correct, my arms are to short to reach back there, and having only purchased this coach 45 days ago, I've been chasing one problem to another,
After 62 years as a aircraft mechanic, my hands and arms are just worn out.
The additional  pressure of having sold our house in the first 5 days of listing it. Didn't think that would happen so quickly.
We are moving into our coach full time for at least a year
So I've got to get it livable.
We did this full time deal back in the mid 90s, then it was in a 40 foot new coach. But still being new you always have do-do happening.
Thanks again for your input, I'm also to cheap to pay camping World to replace it.
The Goose 🍻✈️🧰 United Airline Retired
2002 U295

Re: Removal water heater

Reply #5 –
I would agree that it is most likely leaking from the connection at the back of the tank.  Mine did the same thing.  I pulled the tank out to discover that the cone shaped seals had compressed over time, which caused the slow leak.  A quarter turn on the fitting probably would have stopped the leak but I replaced both fittings with flexible braided stainless steel extension hoses so that any future removals would be much easier.  I cut off the existing pipe and added Sharkbite connectors.  I also installed a Seelevel tank monitor system while the water heater was removed since access to the fresh water tank was available.  If you can reach the fitting without removing the water heater, you can probably tighten it in place.  If you have to remove it, I'd recommend the conversion rather than replacing the cone washers.

Re: Removal water heater

Reply #6 –
Your information that it could be pulled out was great, after a bit of a struggle,,I worked the heater out till I could reach the water lines, they seam tight, so I left it out about halfway ,to see what as leaking,
Of course no leaking, I'll leave it out and check back.
Like I have it this far want to replace it.
The Goose 🍻✈️🧰 United Airline Retired
2002 U295

Re: Removal water heater

Reply #7 –
Pulling the tank half-way out has probably put the lines under a little bit of tension that is temporarily causing the cone gaskets to re-seal.  I wouldn't trust that it won't leak again eventually.  There's almost nothing else at the back of the tank, short of a hole in the tank itself, that can possibly leak besides those 2 fittings. You're almost all the way at this point to easily replacing the gaskets, which are due anyway, or getting rid of the hard piping entirely.  Once the fittings are removed from the back of the tank, I found it almost impossible to reconnect them due to the tight working space and the angle of the hard piping not allowing the threads to align properly.  Replacing the hard piping with flex hose made it much easier.  Maybe yours is different.
 

Re: Removal water heater

Reply #8 –
The mobile tech just finished replacing our hot water heater. NOT an easy job. As mentioned above, the screws on the front are holding the unit in place. Some of them may be covered by trim (ours was). Ours also had the motor aide, so there were two more connections to deal with.

While the unit was out, we decided that the washers on the water lines were dead, and the fitting didn't look much better, so the old fittings were cut of and new ones installed. We never did determine whether the tank or the fittings (or both) were leaking, but after seeing the piece of junk that came out, there was no question in my mind that replacing the whole thing was the smartest way to go.