LP Water Heater Installation Question(s)

[Flipperman2a2w]

Hi Everyone-
I’ve decided to replace my 15 year old Bradford White gas water heater. The old one was making banging noises, so I flushed it twice. The water was brown for a day before settling, and now the pressure relief valve drips. It also looks like the sealant between the tank and the burner is peeling off, so I figured it was just a matter of time. With a newborn in the house, not having hot water would be a major problem. I’m replacing the unit with the closest equivalent BW currently makes- 40 Gallon - 35,000 BTU Defender Safety System High Efficiency Residential Atmospheric Water Heater (LP Gas).

I’m having trouble finding a plumber who will return my call in the remote area where I live. I’m pretty confident with the water hookups, as I’ve done a fair amount of PEX maintenance work on my house. I’m a little leery about the gas connection, particularly since the existing connection seems a little wonky to me. I’ve attached a photo for reference.

It looks like 1/2” pipe that connects to the water heater. From there, I think they used an adapter to expand it to 3/4” pipe that goes into a 3/4” ball valve. The piping seems like it gets bigger past the ball valve where the actual gas line hooks up. I assume it’s a flair fitting, and I think it’s a 1 inch connection, maybe? I installed my gas dryer, which had a much smaller line- 1/2” I think, and I replaced the gas regulator on my range with a similar 1/2” line.

Question #1: Can I reuse the existing ball valve and flare fitting? I figure I’ll replace the rest of the piping, since it’s 15 years old and looks rusty. Can anyone tell from the picture if I’m right thinking it’s a 1 inch flare fitting? I’m hesitant to take it apart to check, in case I have issues putting the connection back together. Also, 1 inch fittings are not that common and aren’t readily available at the local hardware store- I found one online for about $27... If I have to do this myself, I want to make sure I have all the necessary parts on hand, in case I run into an issue and can’t reuse the old fittings, ball valve, etc.

Question #2: The reason the existing setup seems sketchy to me is because (unlike my dryer and range) I have to shut off the gas to the entire house to do the install. If you notice in the photo, the ball valve that cuts off the water heater is AFTER the gas hookup. Is this even code? I can’t unhook the gas line, unless I close the main valve on our big propane tank, which is kind of annoying and doesn’t seem right...

 

[Reach4]

The water was brown for a day before settling, and now the pressure relief valve drips.

The relief valve dripping is probably not be the fault of the WH itself, and maybe not the pressure relief valve either. It may be that thermal expansion has raised the water pressure to 150 psi, and the relief valve is doing what it should. I am not saying you don't need a new WH. What I am saying is that in addition to the new WH, you may need a new thermal expansion tank.

If the water only drips when the WH is heating, that would indicate you need a working thermal expansion tank. You could use a pressure gauge to confirm this.

If you dribble water from a faucet, and the dripping stops, that would also indicate you need a working thermal expansion tank.

I’m having trouble finding a plumber who will return my call in the remote area where I live. I’m pretty confident with the water hookups, as I’ve done a fair amount of PEX maintenance work on my house. I’m a little leery about the gas connection, particularly since the existing connection seems a little wonky to me. I’ve attached a photo for reference.

I am not a pro. Could you move the valve to be above the flex? Then put a new coated flex line instead of the uncoated one, and possibly reuse your drip trap.

I did not read through all the rest. I did not see anything that I thought looked like a flare fitting..

 

[Sponsor]

 

[Flipperman2a2w]

The relief valve dripping is probably not be the fault of the WH itself, and maybe not the pressure relief valve either. It may be that thermal expansion has raised the water pressure to 150 psi, and the relief valve is doing what it should. I am not saying you don't need a new WH. What I am saying is that in addition to the new WH, you may need a new thermal expansion tank.

If the water only drips when the WH is heating, that would indicate you need a working thermal expansion tank. You could use a pressure gauge to confirm this.

If you dribble water from a faucet, and the dripping stops, that would also indicate you need a working thermal expansion tank.


I am not a pro. Could you move the valve to be above the flex? Then put a new coated flex line instead of the uncoated one, and possibly reuse your drip trap.

I did not read through all the rest. I did not see anything that I thought looked like a flare fitting..

Thank you for the reply! I don’t believe I have a thermal expansion tank? I’m on a private well and haven’t had any issues with the valve until I flushed it. Regrettably, I used to be really good about flushing the tank twice a year but have neglected that duty in recent years. I read somewhere that these valves can go bad over time, especially if you don’t periodically use them to flush the tank. The good news is that the dropping has slowed considerably.

I always though a flare fitting was used where the gas line connects to an appliance- or, in this case, where the gas line connects to the ball valve. Maybe I’m confusing that with a compression fitting. In order to relocate the cut-off upstream of the main line, I’d definitely be calling the gas company!

I wish it wasn’t so tough finding a good plumber around here I finally reached someone today, and he said they couldn’t come out for 2 weeks- then abruptly referred me to someone else who didn’t answer his phone. I’m not in an emergency situation here, which is a major plus.

 

[Reach4]

Thank you for the reply! I don’t believe I have a thermal expansion tank? I’m on a private well and haven’t had any issues with the valve until I flushed it.

Is there a check valve between your pressure tank and the WH? Many people put a check valve after the water softener to prevent hot water from expanding into the softener.

You should have a garden hose thread pressure gauge for troubleshooting and comparison with your main pressure gauge. They are under $20. You can connect to the WH drain line.

If the P&T relief valve is stuck open, then you can dribble regardless of the water pressure. When you test, you want to make sure it opens, and you want to make sure it closes. I tested mine this year. It was stuck shut. So I replaced it. You will get a new one with your new WH.

 

[Fitter30]

Your lp supplier should have a service man that could help you out on the gas side.

 

[Flipperman2a2w]

I did not read through all the rest. I did not see anything that I thought looked like a flare fitting..

After closer inspection, it appears that the gas line is TracPipe brand. The piping to my water heater is 3/4". I looked at the TracPipe website, and it looks like the fitting at the end of the pipe is a 3/4" TracPipe AutoFlare. This fitting then connects to the ball valve, which then connects to a reducer (1/2"). From there, it goes to the T, drip pipe/water heater.

I believe I can just unscrew the TracPipe nut and reconnect to the new piping on my water heater.

Question: Is there any issue with reusing the existing ball valve or should I invest in a new one?

 

[Flipperman2a2w]

Your lp supplier should have a service man that could help you out on the gas side.

Yeah, I might just call the propane company and see if they can send an installer. My concern is disconnecting the TracPipe fitting and having an issue with reconnecting the old fitting (i.e. a leak that I can't fix).

 

[Jeff H Young]

when you work the lever on the t and p valve testing or generaly messing with it some times they start dripping and never shut off again. Ive never tried cleanning descaling or anything with a t and p but so easy to replace. The Gas is easy for someone that knows what theyre doing but obviously someone thought it easy too that didnt know what to do. cant really advice on that partial picture to ensure safe operation. I think your right though you got a valve where you dont need one. and might not have one where you do need it