New Hybrid Water Heater Install

[MTy]

I'll get a picture once I get this water heater hooked up and running so I can have hot water. Cold showers are absolutely no fun. Going to put it in all electric mode until this weekend when I can take a proper look at the condensate line.

That being said got the cold line all hooked up and tested it. ( Hooked the garden hose to the tank so water wouldn't come out the hot side.) No leaks except around the nuts of the thermostatic mixing valve. A drip but significant drip.

Resideo braukmann (formerly honeywell) Am1 mixing valve. The sealing gaskets are in place and nuts were hand tightened. The instructions don't specify hand tightening vs wrench and don't mention use of pipe dope. Would pipe dope and snugging with a wrench work?

 

[wwhitney]

Pipe dope is only used when the threads themselves seal the joint. When the job of the threads is simply to bring together the sealing surfaces (flare or a gasket), use nothing on the threads, or in some cases a drop of oil (the instructions on the compression stops I installed recently).

So if it's weeping now when hand tight, give it a quarter turn with two wrenches; see if that stops it. If not, repeat once. If that doesn't do it, find someone who knows more about that particular product.

Cheers, Wayne

 

[Sponsor]

 

[Tuttles Revenge]

The sealing gaskets are in place and nuts were hand tightened. The instructions don't specify hand tightening vs wrench and don't mention use of pipe dope. Would pipe dope and snugging with a wrench work?

If its the union connection that is leaking from the two flanged sides with the gasket between, those should be tightened with a wrench. You need to compress the two flanges against the gasket enough to not leak. If its a fiber washer that could be a fair bit of umph.. if they're rubber gaskets its a bit easier to compress.

The only Hand Tightened connections I can think of in pressurized water are connections that use an o-ring that inserts into a fitting to create a seal by compressing the ring and the nut is used to prevent the o-ring side from pushing out.

 

[MTy]

If its the union connection that is leaking from the two flanged sides with the gasket between, those should be tightened with a wrench. You need to compress the two flanges against the gasket enough to not leak. If its a fiber washer that could be a fair bit of umph.. if they're rubber gaskets its a bit easier to compress.

The only Hand Tightened connections I can think of in pressurized water are connections that use an o-ring that inserts into a fitting to create a seal by compressing the ring and the nut is used to prevent the o-ring side from pushing out.

Yup fiber washers (certainly aren't rubber so assuming fiber). So I'll try Whitney's quarter turn suggestion and go from there. Just didn't want to over tighten.

 

[Tuttles Revenge]

If the surfaces are perfectly in plane, then it requires little umph.. if they're slightly out of plane, then it requires more Umph!

but basically those will just need tightening up.. easy peasy.

 

[MTy]

Thanks everyone for all the help. Got it hooked up last night. It's in electric only mode right now until I can get the condensate line hooked up this weekend.

After a closer look I'm pretty sure the current condensate line drains down and ties into the bar sink drain line on the first floor. There is no neutralizer as far as I can tell so my plan is to add one and the tie in the heater condensate below the neutralizer.

Is this one any good?https://www.supplyhouse.com/Axiom-N...TpQDUMnX4WJNXTuc8O1YwLmORS-8SR6RoC4BQQAvD_BwE

 

[wwhitney]

Just to double check, the condensate line from your furnace is because it's a condensing combustion furnace, not for an A/C coil installed in the air handler? As the latter case wouldn't require a neutralizer.

Cheers, Wayne

 

[MTy]

Just to double check, the condensate line from your furnace is because it's a condensing combustion furnace, not for an A/C coil installed in the air handler? As the latter case wouldn't require a neutralizer.

Cheers, Wayne

Yes, high efficiency Trane natural gas furnace. I think there was originally an air handler there as there is still one for the upstairs. I suspect that is why there was no neutralizer there before. Why one wasn't added when the furnace went in...idk.

 

[Reach4]

I think there was originally an air handler there as there is still one for the upstairs. I suspect that is why there was no neutralizer there before. Why one wasn't added when the furnace went in...idk.

If all-plastic pipe all of the way to the non-metal city sewer, then no neutralizer may be fine.

 

[wwhitney]

If all-plastic pipe all of the way to the non-metal city sewer, then no neutralizer may be fine.

Perhaps functionally, but I believe IPC 803.2 would require one.

https://up.codes/viewer/tennessee/ipc-2012/chapter/8/indirect-special-waste#803.2

Cheers, Wayne

 

[MTy]

Perhaps functionally, but I believe IPC 803.2 would require one.

https://up.codes/viewer/tennessee/ipc-2012/chapter/8/indirect-special-waste#803.2

Cheers, Wayne

And there is no local amendment negating that section so I'll be installing the neutralizer.

 

[Reach4]

And there is no local amendment negating that section so I'll be installing the neutralizer.

You could build one using limestone as the media, but pre-built is handy.

 

[Fitter30]

Putting the pan under before taking it up I think will make things more difficult getting it up but putting it under while on the hand truck might be a stroke of brilliance.

I might also keep it on electric only mode for a couple days after putting it in in case I've up set any of the refrigerant during the move. Couldn't hurt anyways.[/QUOTE
lay heater and cart down duct tape a pan to the bottom tip the whole heater with cart up

 

[Fitter30]

You don't need a neutralizer it's condensate like from a ac unit.your working with a heat pump not a 95% burner.

 

[wwhitney]

You don't need a neutralizer it's condensate like from a ac unit.your working with a heat pump not a 95% burner.

The OP is directing his heat pump water heater condensate into the condensate drain for his condensing gas furnace, which he noticed doesn't have a neutralizer.

Cheers, Wayne