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Topic: Atwood water heater drain plug (Read 554 times) previous topic - next topic

Atwood water heater drain plug

Grrr! Put last years drain plug back in with 3 wraps of teflon tape, it leaked slightly. Again with 4/5 wraps and it leaked slightly, did it again with pipe dope and a wrap of Teflon tape, it leaked slightly.
Got a new plug (Camco brand) read that 5 wraps of teflon tape would be perfect and it has the slightest of drips!
This is (supposed to be) a simple plug job, I have plumbed whole houses without leak and this is frying my brain cells!
Any ideas, advice, suggestions would be appreciated!
Thanks
David
David & Emma Roche
Dino (Golden Doodle)
1999 U270 WTFE 36' Build # 5534
Xtreme "Lights, Stripes & Roof"
Motorcade# 18321
Dayton, Ohio
Towd: Jeep Grand Cherokee
Two Townie Electra Bikes

Life is made to enjoy, the Foretravel helps!

Re: Atwood water heater drain plug

Reply #1 –
Try the blue liquid Teflon with no tape, it works for me in those cases, let it dry according to the instructions.
1999 40 ft. U-320 wtfe build 5563 Chuck & Lynda's "Rollin' Inn"  2030 watts solar
prev. mh's 71 GMC 5 yrs. 73 Pace Setter 1 yr. 78 Vogue 5 yrs 81 FTX 40ft all electric 18 yrs. 1996 Monaco Signature 3 yrs.
2014 Grand Cherokee Overland
Dream as if you will live forever. Live as if you will die today.  James Dean

Re: Atwood water heater drain plug

Reply #2 –
Make sure the threads on the waterheater tank aren't cracked  The blue sealant should fix it
Leonard and Sherry Casteen                             
1998 u295 36'   
Build # 5257                     
2001 Jeep Cherokee                                             
Springdale SC                                       
Australian Labradoodle    Ginny

Re: Atwood water heater drain plug

Reply #3 –
I use ptfe tape on all my threads, brilliant stuff
1990 foretravel grandvilla, Oshkosh chassis
8.2ltr Detroit turbo

Re: Atwood water heater drain plug

Reply #4 –
All this tape and pipe dope sounds really good until it doesn't work, so go to the plumbing department and by a white plastic threaded pipe plug. No leaks fits perfectly every time and cheap.
IMHO
88 Grand Villa 36' ORED 3208 (throwaway)Cat.
 Build # 3150
Happiness is the maximum agreement of reality and desire.

Re: Atwood water heater drain plug

Reply #5 –
Cracked treads not something I would have thought about
Thanks
David & Emma Roche
Dino (Golden Doodle)
1999 U270 WTFE 36' Build # 5534
Xtreme "Lights, Stripes & Roof"
Motorcade# 18321
Dayton, Ohio
Towd: Jeep Grand Cherokee
Two Townie Electra Bikes

Life is made to enjoy, the Foretravel helps!

Re: Atwood water heater drain plug

Reply #6 –
Are you using a brass plug,if not try one.
96 U270 BUILD 4810
85 380SL
Drummonds TN.

Re: Atwood water heater drain plug

Reply #7 –
No, using the standard plastic/ nylon. Brass is non conductive, just a standard plug I may have one somewhere.
Thanks
David & Emma Roche
Dino (Golden Doodle)
1999 U270 WTFE 36' Build # 5534
Xtreme "Lights, Stripes & Roof"
Motorcade# 18321
Dayton, Ohio
Towd: Jeep Grand Cherokee
Two Townie Electra Bikes

Life is made to enjoy, the Foretravel helps!

Re: Atwood water heater drain plug

Reply #8 –
Quote from: "Irish" –
Grrr! Put last years drain plug back in with 3 wraps of teflon tape, it leaked slightly. Again with 4/5 wraps and it leaked slightly, did it again with pipe dope and a wrap of Teflon tape, it leaked slightly.
Got a new plug (Camco brand) read that 5 wraps of teflon tape would be perfect and it has the slightest of drips!
This is (supposed to be) a simple plug job, I have plumbed whole houses without leak and this is frying my brain cells!
Any ideas, advice, suggestions would be appreciated!
Thanks
David

I've had a slight drip twice immediately after replacing the plug.  Turned on the hot water heater and heated it up.  Drip stops and never came back.  Maybe the heat expands the plug enough to provide a tight seal that stays intact.   
Joe Phebus and Jaime Trujillo
2002 U270 3410  Build: 5953 Motorcader # 18595
2100 W Solar, 600 AH Battleborn Batteries,  Victron Multi-Plus II 3000 Inverter, Cerbo GX, & MPPT Chargers
1992 Geo Tracker

Re: Atwood water heater drain plug

Reply #9 –
Just like Joe said!
I did not have time to drain the water heater again to retry now that every has helped, and  had a 4 hour drive, the engine heats the water and upon arrival the drip was gone.
I will arm myself for next year with this new data and be ready for putting the drain plug back in.
Thanks all
David
David & Emma Roche
Dino (Golden Doodle)
1999 U270 WTFE 36' Build # 5534
Xtreme "Lights, Stripes & Roof"
Motorcade# 18321
Dayton, Ohio
Towd: Jeep Grand Cherokee
Two Townie Electra Bikes

Life is made to enjoy, the Foretravel helps!
 

Re: Atwood water heater drain plug

Reply #10 –
Permatex, right stuff will fix it. Amazing gasket maker
1996 U295-36, Cummins 300hp, 8.3. Build number 4864. Vin number 1F97D536XTNO54271. Purchased October 31, 2019.