I just bought a water heater and completely installed it. When I turned on the water supply, a very very very slow drip can be observed where the cold water nipple screws into the water heater. I shut off the water, relieved the pressure and unscrewed the nipple. I then re-apply the teflon tape to both ends (about 4 passes) and flipped it just to see if it would leak for the top this time (this would indicate a thread problem in the nipple. I re-installed the nipple with a pipe wrench, making sure it was snug (not too tight and not too loose). I started the water again and the same very very slow water accumulation could be seen at the cold water entry point on the top of the water heater. The other nipple coming from the hot side is completely dry, and I used the same procedure when installling. So is it the nipple, or is it the water heater threads or something else. Thanks!

If you simply snugged it up I'd go back and put three wraps of tape on and see if it could be cranked down tighter. Let me know how you make out. Good luck, tom

I would suggest using more teflon and tighten that thing down good and tight. Or, you could use just two or three wraps of teflon tape and then apply pipe dope on top of that and still tighten more than snug, tighten very tight.

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Originally Posted by speedball1

If you simply snugged it up I'd go back and put three wraps of tape on and see if it could be cranked down tighter. Let me know how you make out. Good luck, tom

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The nipple ends look like they are tapered, if I tighten too tight could I damage the water heart (e.g. crack the pipe?)

Thanks

Hi Barking,

What kind of nipples did you installed, did you use the dielecric nipples or just regular nipples?

John

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Originally Posted by afaroo

Hi Barking,

What kind of nipples did you installed, did you use the dielecric nipples or just regular nipples?

John

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They look just like the image you have, which would be dielecric. (blue plastic inside the pipe)

As suggested by all here... wrap some more teflon... say 6-8 wraps and then retighten that nipple... should be all set! IF it leaks after that then the water heater tapping may have a small crack in it... ;)

In terms of overtightening I wouldn't worry too much here... just tighten it to about 2 or 3 threads exposed and you should be OK.

MARK

Well I put about 6 wraps of teflon on the pipe and then tightened it real tight and the leak went down considerabley (after about 8 hours there was about a teaspoon of accumulation). I think I will monitor it for a week or so to see if it stops on its own. Thanks for all the advice. I will ask a follow up question if needed.

Thanks!

Youv'e got a bad thread on the heater unit,SO,forget the teflon tape!It's time to repair it the "old school" way! Dissasemble the nipple again BUT this time coat the threads with "joint compound" or "pipe dope" such as Hercules "pro-dope".Then you need to run some "Quickwick" into the treads,wrapping clockwise the full run of the thread as facing the nipple end,put another thin coat of "dope" over this(clockwise,coating over the thread).This almost ALWAYS solves the problem! Quickwick is basically a small roll of VERY THIN cotton string.Most "good" plumbing supply houses carry it(I doubt the depot or Lowes).

ChazC,

Welcome to the plumbing website you responded to a year old post I believe the thread is closed by now, Thanks.

John