Water heater drain rework.

[WRingling]

Second project for this weekend was to install a few fittings that I hope will make it easier to drain my water heater when winterizing or repairs. First this does require taking loose the burner valve connection and requires you to make sure you turn off both of the propane tanks that feed the coach. The other thing that I do not understand is why in as long as these manufactures have made these units do they not provide a way to drain these units without running the water all over the door and side of the coach.


After taking the burner valve loose I put a brass 1/2 all thread nipple into the tank and added the 112 deg angle and 90 deg angle elbow to get around the burner connection. The other thing I liked about these fittings is they are all brass, are full port sized and have rubber gaskets to seal the connections.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...?ie=UTF8&psc=1

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...?ie=UTF8&psc=1


I put a 1/2 female to male ball valve on the end of the elbow fitting. I am thinking of looking for a 1/2 ball valve that is full port as this one has a smaller hole. Below is how it looks all put back together.

When I prepare my RV for winter I will blow the lines clear as I have done for years but now hopefully I can put a hose on the end of the valve and direct the water away from my coach. I would love to find a short full port ball valve that would fit in here would be perfect. I also intend to put a cap/plug in the end of the valve when in use. This project is still a work in progress and if you have some ideas on how to make it better please let me know.

[howson]

WRingling ,
When I did mine back in 2019 there was much discussion about using a brass insert on an aluminum tank. I commented that the T&P valve was brass--why was that OK but not the plug? I never did get a good answer, but at that point I was such a newb I followed the advice I was given.

I ended up using a nylon bushing insert with a brass needle drain ****.
https://www.acehardware.com/departme...fittings/48737


https://www.acehardware.com/departme...e-valves/47092





Of course since I went to all the trouble to install this setup I haven't used it since.

I drain the tank via the low point drain. https://gdrvowners.com/forum/operati...lling-the-plug

[WRingling]

I have also heard the recommendations that brass and aluminum should not be connected together. Then I think about all the marine installations that I have seen over the years with brass flare connections in aluminum fuel tanks or how about aluminum forklift tanks that have brass connections in them. Many of those products are made to standards that have been created and revised for longevity of use. It sure seems like it could go either way for sure.

[Jlawles2]

WRingling Why I have done in the past (this one does not have a drain) is put the 1/2" NPT to 1/4" NPT bushing with a close nipple and a brass ball valve. This all neatly tucks up behind the burner assembly and is essentially what you get in the expensive kits. https://www.amazon.com/90030-ATWOOD-...6456528&sr=8-4

[Chipster]

It's as if y'all read my mind. I was just looking into 'how to' on this, the other day.
Great options, thank you all

[JBill9694]

The corrosion between two materials is determined by their electric potential and is called a galvanic reaction. It is easy to search for galvanic reaction tables and charts that show the potential for corrosion between different metals and alloys. All the ones I glanced at show that aluminum and brass don't play well together, particularly in wet environments.