Electric Water heater leaking Nipple?

[john waters]

Have a slow leak at the cold water inlet to nipple connection and replaced connection but no help, so I was told it was the Nipple leaking and to replace it but there is a issue!

Watched vids but my nipple has on ly thread above the heater top and no place to applya wrench to remove it except if I try to fit it to threads but don't think that would work.
Do I need to take top off to get to a spot on nipple where I can apply a Wrench?

Please Help!

Thank You very much!

 

[Reach4]

There are inside pipe wrenches (nipple wrenches), but the one I bought did not work for me. It did not grab. Plus most of your steel water heater nipples are "dialectric nipples". Those have a plastic liner, which I would suspect would bother getting a grip.

A strong pair of big curved-jaw locking pliers should work, but that would bugger up the thread if it did not remove. I have the Milwaukee 10 in. MAXBITE Curved Jaw Locking Pliers.

 

[Sponsor]

 

[john waters]

There are inside pipe wrenches (nipple wrenches), but the one I bought did not work for me. It did not grab. Plus most of your steel water heater nipples are "dialectric nipples". Those have a plastic liner, which I would suspect would bother getting a grip.

A strong pair of big curved-jaw locking pliers should work, but that would bugger up the thread if it did not remove. I have the Milwaukee 10 in. MAXBITE Curved Jaw Locking Pliers.

 

[john waters]

From what I seen & read that would cause the nipple to collapse but would it be better to put a bolt in nipple so it would not crush or take lid off heater but then I think I need to also remove other nipple since each nipple sits in a scalloped/indented area.
So am not sure?

 

[Terry]

Normally a pipe wrench works fine for removing the threaded nipples at the top of a water heater. Keep in mind that when you remove the nipple, it may have the dip tub attached to it. Remove the nipple and you could wind up having to replace the dip tube also.
How is the water heater connected? If it's a flex connector, often you can replace the rubber washer or install a new flex with new washers. I normally throw on new flex connectors in that case.
How old is the water heater? If it's over then years old, there is a limit on how much I want to throw into it.

 

[john waters]

About 8 yrs. and is a Reliance 501 model it was connected per copper tube soldered on a connector and I did replace it with a Shark bite but leaks just as much.
The steel nipple did not have interior lined washer and I read some don't but most do have that!