How To Replace A Water Heater Dip Tube
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- Опубліковано 2 жов 2024
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Go to www.house-impr... for help. Shannon shows you how to replace your water heater dip tube. Common symptoms of needing replacement are that you don't get a lot of hot water out of your tank, you seem to run out of hot water when taking a shower, etc.
If you have questions about your home improvement or maintenance projects, stop by the forum on our website, where Shannon will answer your questions in detail for free.
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![How A Water Heater Works [Cutaway View]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/OHDsNtGXEEY/mqdefault.jpg)
Thank you for the info, it perfectly matches the issue I am having. But before I change it, what happens to the old pipe that broke off? will the corroding piece sitting in the tank affect my water?
Thank you so much for this video, I really appreciate it
Thanks man! You saved me some Bucu Bucks
My basement ceiling doesn't have enough room to pull the tube straight out. How do I get the new one in without breaking that too?
They have replacements that are in sections linked together.
@@HouseImprovements Ok thank you and love your channel❤️💪🏻!!
Informative video. Thank you!
I had the water heater moved outside, the plumber installed a box to shield it from the weather. Problem is that the 4" rod won't be able to be removed because there is only 18" clearance at the top, not that I have yet tried it as it's newly installed. How can I get around that problem, thanks.
Thanks for this video. I didn't realize individual parts could be replaced. Keep up the good work! I love learning something new.
This video is coming at the perfect time! We're replacing the dip tube in our heater this weekend! Thanks!
Would love to see a version of this video where you change the dip tube in a water heater that's in place in an apt/condo, in a utility closet, behind the forced air system, with about a foot of clearance above the unit. Or a tall tank with a low ceiling in a basement.
really can not be done with that low of head room.
Could you not replace it with a more-flexible tube?
R. Spivey is that an option? I just assumed (maybe incorrectly) they were all basically rigid PVC-like tubes. Can I get flexible anode rods, too?
You can get flexible anode rods. They are segmented so they can be installed in tight quarters.
I don't know about the dip tube. Just seems that there should be an option for a flexible dip tube in cases where head room is tight. Must the dip tube be PVC? Is using a braided tube or other flexible tubing an option, or would it cause problems inside the tank? I don't know.
You have to pull the heater to work on it. No other option. More trouble however, that's the breaks when you don't have the space.
Don't ever let them tell you that your water heater is buggered, it might just be your dip tube
You should have your own TV show! I learn more from you than any home improvement show on TV these days. Most DIY shows on cable TV just rush through a renovation and never show you how to actually do anything.
LOL They have to worry about fitting in enough commercials to pay the bills.
HouseImprovements Plus your paying to watch all those commercials ,at least with youtube,you get to choose what to watch and skip most ads !
I didn't know the inside of water heaters were so dirty!
Why not vacuum the crud with a Shop-Vac and that it won't go in the tank at all
Great video, thanks!
Weren't dip tubes made out of copper years ago and would last the lifetime of the heater? Why not use copper?
Copper mimics the effect of the anode rod. They would tend to develop mineral buildup resulting in a clogged tube.
Our hot water tank sits under our stairwell, its top only inches below the underside of the level steps, so withdrawing the dip tube, if it's rigid and won't bend, won't be possible. Is there such thing as a flexible dip tube that I may acquire to install once I've gone through the anticipated agony of trying to tilt my emptied tank so as to succeed in pulling out the present (probably faulty) tube? 🥵
Not that I have ever seen. Change your anode rod as well while you are at it, since you are going to all that work.
What do you do if, like most installations, you do not have 8ft of clearance to remove the dip tube straight out the top of the tank?
What about putting the new one back in with very little clearance?
good video, but what do you do if the ceiling is too low to pull the dip tube out, or put the new one in?
Empty the W/H----then tilt it to allow sufficient vertical distance.
Video well done, provides details that others leave out.
Thank you so much. Is there a flexible dip tube available as we know there is a flexible annode rod available on the market? I'm asking for cases where we don't have enough clearance above the heater. Pls advise.
How's possible for a dip tube (it's really it?) which is steel-made (not plastic) be on hot water outlet, not in cold one, as seen on this video and other anatomies of electric tank water heaters?
I mean, the hot outlet has this dip tube, and the cold inlet does not.
Like the video. But how do you get the new proper length dip tube in if there is not enough ceiling space above the water heater? Please don’ttell me I have to disconnect, drain and tilt the heater?
Thank you again.
I have a question: instead of a dip tube, why don't manufacturers just make the cold line hookup at the bottom and keep the hot exaust at the top?
KINGsizeWINNER Very good question?
+KINGsizeWINNER , well I would guess "gravity" and simply less holes on the bottom of the tank to worry about. If the cold hook up was at the bottom the gravity would force all the tank's water to backfeed into the cold water feed.
The cold water (mains) is under fairly high pressure... gravity wouldn't backfeed the tank water back into the inlet/supply.
1 reason is to keep service work steady at all times...they wont make cars the same because there will be lack of jobs so....everything now is made to break to have fixed...
Cars are built better than ever!. They last longer than ever before.
Thanks for schooling me just finished a chapter on boilers and this really helps.
The flexible braided hose idea is a great time saver. Thank you.
I,used a shark bite flex hose
Great video, but what do I do about all the sediment lying in the bottom of the water heater from the old dip tube that is clogging up my faucets, shower and washing machine? tia
I was wondering the same. Maybe its fine? or worth it for the price diff pending circumstances? but what if I drink hot water from the tap?
@@Generictubeuser Good question. I just went ahead and bought a new water heater since mine was 20 years old anyways.
Good video. While on the subject of corrosion on the water tank, One thing you forgot to do, and is a required building code in all states is to use dielectric fittings. One on the cold water inlet and one on hot water outlet. The fittings in the tank are steel. When you connect the copper pipes to those steel fittings rust much like the rod you just replaced tends to build up at this point. These fittings have a nylon pressure barrier that doesn’t let the steel and copper touch. Water and metals of all types don’t get along rust always wins. We can only delay the rust but never eliminate it. That’s why the rod was invented and these dielectric fittings. To better understand this look up dielectric fittings and why they are used. Remember, these are mandatory building code requirements for all states. If not required outside of the US I would advise you use it anyway.
Correct that dissimilar metal contacting each other corrode very fast.
If this is just a band aid fix to carry the water heater in for a couple more years at your own home, whatever
When I used to work at Home Depot, we couldn't keep these in stock after folks figured out they could just change these.
I just replaced my dip tube and the anode rod and the heating element. I did it the expensive way, I replaced my 15+ year old (never been maintained) water heater. I heard from a plumber not to test the pressure valve because he thinks it will get fouled and then start leaking. He did say draining and flushing the water heater every 6 months was a good idea.
That could be true on a older heater that has never been maintained before.
HouseImprovements
I was thinking that if you flush it first but even then, a water heater as old as mine was is going to have significant debris around the pressure valve opening even if it's flushed first. I didn't get a chance to open it up and take a look, but I'm sure it was pretty messed up after close to 20 years unmaintained.
So what if on an old water heater you pull the valve and fiber brush the valve fitting, then flush it and reinstall the pressure valve. I'm just trying to work out an sequence to use on an old water heater. It just seems so easy to cause yourself more trouble by trying to maintain something that might look like your old one on the inside. Not to mention running all that rust through your pipes and faucet fittings when you refill the tank if you don't get it flushed out all the way.
Great video. Seems like a DIY with the exception of the reconnect of the water. Most people can’t solder or have a propress rig. Not sure I would want to do a shark bite here.
@Houseimprovements, Two questions.
1).What are the options to remove a Hex head.I'll explain.Got a tank, someone did not put nipples on hot cold inlit.What they did is, copper fitting that screws right into inlit.Slide pipe in middle of fitting, soldered all the pipes etc while on tank.Melted the hell out stuff.I then get tank and lines are cut down to the hex head about where connection screws in.Anothers words I have a nub.I need that off.Tank is like yours, no way to get a pipe wrench over hexhead.Deep socket stripped copper hex.I hate to toss tank just because can't get undone.I want to put nipples on it and make sure whoever soldered while on tank did not melt dip tube which I worry of.
2).You say in a reply the hot side has no dip tube? If correct, how does the water flow up into pipe say when tank is half full or even full? My tank I speak of is a Whirlpool gas 40 gal.Factory date 2004.
I took the anodes out of my heater yesterday without thinking about draining the water. Whoooooo what a damn mess lol. Now I know lol. I'm gonna have to try the dip tube thing. See if that's my issue.
Not sure how to connect a dip tube to the cold-water nipple. The video doesn't show that part. It just demonstrates a dip tube that is already connected to the nipple.
Really appreciate your demonstration and sharing of your experiences! Thank you!
How often does this happen to a 5 month old water heater mind you I turn the heat up a lot about all the way but about 3/4 or more
What if you don't have enough space to take it off?
The dip tubes are a little fixable so depending on how much room you have you may get it in. Otherwise the heater may have to be moved or tilted and for that you will need a plumber unfortunately to unhook the gas line if it is a gas heater.
Some water heaters are in their own closets with little overhead room. In this event how do you insert the new dip tube. Great video by the way.
you could only install one that is as long as the overhead space you have unfortunately
Can you tilt the water heater enough so that you have room to install the new dip tube?
I love how I have a foot of space above my damn water heater.
... well, pulling out the old (shortened!) piece should be a breeze...
If it takes forever to get hot water when washing hands, this will solve your problem.
If the dip tube is broken off..will it effect the hot water output pressure..I have hot water but it flows slowly to all fixtures..I cleaned all the aerators on the faucets and shower head already.i also checked the hot water side nipple hole to check for clogged outlet already.
It should not effect pressure.
Very helpful with good detail for dummies like me. subscribed.
If it takes forever to get hot water when washing hands, this will solve your problem.
great video shannon, what about the hot side . there is no dip tube to be replace? also how you test the water valve,? or how do we know when is bad, thank u , from ontario ca
+Everardo Camacho No dip tube on hot side. The water drain valve is fine unless it starts leaking.
Hi guy. I have replaced the mixer valve on my shower and still have an issue with the hot water turning cold. I turn the valve to hot and it goes back to being hot, but then I mix to get the temperature comfy again and it turns cold again. Any ideas? Thanks!
I have a leak at the bottom of my water heater. It leaks nowhere else from the tank. I took the cover off by pilot and finger checked the inside the bottom and it has water. Is this all I need to do to fix the water heater? Or do I need to replace?
If you have water inside the burner area ,your tank has a leak. Replacement is your only fix.
Is the dip tube supposed to have anything inside of it? I took the water pipe that connects to the dip tube and noticed it had a plastic like ball with a toothpick like pointing through the hole.
Depending on the brand of water heater you have this might be a check valve / heat trap device to prevent the hot water from running back into your cold water supply line. It helps with energy efficiency and to prevent contaminating the cold line going to the rest of the house. Some brands use a ball-type design while others use a flap-style design.
thank you so much for this clear and excellent explanation. I've been trying to see what's wrong with my water heater and you have explained it perfectly.
my question to you is that, is it ok to leave the broken tube in there?
thank you so much.
Very often they do fall in and there is really no way to get them out. Check out this video it may be of interest to you. ua-cam.com/video/OHDsNtGXEEY/v-deo.html
I have a bradford white M280S8DS unit - electric fired. Stopped getting any hot water about a month ago. Plumber came by put a new upper element in. All good. for about a month and a bit. Now have hardly any again. I troubleshot it to the lower thermostat being bad. Replaced it with the kit of upper/lower thermostats and put 2 new elements in. Now, getting some hot water but nowhere like it was before all this started. It's a 2015 model (M in serial #). Could the dip tube be bad in only 4 years? The water here is quite hard. The lower element was caked over with limescale and had filled in the gap between the 2 element prongs.
turns out I had added a Y connector under the cottage for washing the car, etc and had left the hot water side on. that messed up the hot water tank somehow...plumber came by and saw it and said I know what the problem is...
it is possible
Sorry if you already answer this question but if it's not attached to the dip tube how do you take the dip tube out
Sometimes the dip tub has fallen off and is lost in the tank, or some times it is there and you can reach it with needle nose pliers.
I no longer replace the dip tube, anode rode or even drain and flush my water heater. Since my community switched from well water to Lake Michigan water I get about 20 years out of a water heater with no problems. Now if you don't install the water heater installations yourself maybe you would consider fixing these things since installation cost is about four or five hundred dollars. (this can vary widely) I have rentals and I find it easier to replace these items on my schedule instead of getting a call in the middle of the night or when I am out of town.
A thousand dollars for a new water heater? What are you Rain Man? I paid $339 for a builder quality 40 gallon electric ten years ago. They couldn't have gone up that much since then.
natural Gas heater and install
@@HouseImprovements oh installed? Then a thousand is a heck of a bargain...
This is an awesome video. I might consider doing this myself or getting my Hispanic Buddy to help. I changed out my hot water faucet on the tub and found some strange long pieces of plastic in it. Kindof looks like teflon tape but it is wider. It clogged up my tub's hot water faucet. So, I wonder if that cold water pipe is breaking down. Also, why don't they have it metal instead?
If the hot water from T&P valve is very hot - does that mean dip tub is broken?
no.
Only deal now is to find one at any local store to buy. Even a big plumbing supply company in my area only has the flared end ones. And no I do not want to be forced to buy one online. I want to walk into a building and pay cash.
with a tank that dirty, might as well get a new one, eh?
thank you that good information I was going to get a new one because I was that problem but now is working good.
glad it did the trick to fix your issue
Very informative video, I do have a question... Can a drip runoff tube be used in place of dip tube? I can't find dip tube at any stores near me but they all carry the drip runoff and to me they look the same...
Im about to replace my dip tube this weekend and would love the idea of a braided line,but kinda worry about these sharkbite fitting .hoe much reliable are they?
The sharkbites are advertised for use even under ground and in concealed wall spaces. Pushfit type fittings are relatively new still so i guess time will tell us for sure.
HouseImprovements Thanks, now im just trying to locate the proper dip tube. For what i can understand my bradford white use a different kind call hydrojet .
I have a pinhole leak in the sidewall of that thing in center? Fixable??
pin hole leak in the plastic part of the dip tube is no issue, just use it.
My electric water heater leaking water in bottom what cause it? How to fix it
its likely rusted through the tank and developed a pin hole leak. Replacement is the only option if that is the case and the sooner the better or you could have a flood.
After learning the hard way, my water heater sits in a leak retention tray. There’s a drain hose going to nearby floor drain. There are union joints on inlet and outlet tubes, to allow quickly swapping out the old water heater with a new one. The darn things need to be replaced every ten years to avoid rust thru and ruptures. I do have a salt based water softener, which probably accelerates the rust thru.
Can you open a nearest hot tap water to release the pressure and also the pressure relief valve??
best to drain some water from bottom of tank also
Cool, thanks for the video. One question. Is it not recommended to hook PEX straight to the incoming cold and PEX to outgoing hot on a water heater?
appreciate the video, but unscrewing it only removed a coupler and the dip tube is within the heater, there's no way to remove it since there is nothing to grip onto except inner threads, is there a tool to get the tube out?
Not that I know of.
@@HouseImprovements I did figure it out, basically I had to use needle nose pliers and pull out the old one which did not have a nipple, but the new generic dip tube fit along with my Shark Bite valve cold water supply valve. Again thank you for the helpful video!
My hot & cold inlets on HWH are both HOT when i havent run any water
Not super un common especially if your water heater is turned up pretty high. Turn on a hot water faucet for 30 seconds and then check the pipes about 1' - 2' above the heater.
Thanks for the video and tips.
I guess it would be best to replace both the dip tube and anode at the same time?
Anything else if water drained and drain is in good condition?
Thank you very much this video is wonderful, now I can do it by myself thank you.
Could this fix an issue of not receiving any cold water to any of the sinks and showers?
thank u shannon on the valve I meant the gas valve in front of the thank, yours videos are very helpful to me , saludos from Ontario ca
+Everardo Camacho Your welcome
my cold water inlet had an 18" dip tube. Is that necessary or can i just put in a new nipple
You need a dip tube. A taller water heater like this one in the video will have a dip tube that is much longer than 18" so yours needs replacing .
i messed up. my cold water nipple has the normal length dip tube. But my hot water nipple has the 18" dip tube, Do I need that same length again? Thank you for the reply
Thank you for your your video help needed to know how long to have it
glad it helped
5:07 excalibur!
Could you just replace the white plastic tube with a PVC pipe? Thanks
if you could make it work maybe you could.
Thanks for quick response it’s very well done video and very helpful! Happy Holidays be safe!
Keep doing like this awesome!
great video!!
I've got some sort of galvanic corrosion on my cold water side so I have decided to change the galvanized nipple. Will the old galvanized nipple come off the dip tube or do I have to get a new diptube with the nipple attached? (This is 1 year old Rheem water heater and I just caught the corrosion.)
depends on the heater. Go to a dealer and see what the new dip tube looks like , If it has the nipple all on it then I would just buy it.
I have a side inlet on my hot water heater does it still have a dip rod
My dip tube is kind of recessed in my heater where the only thing I can grasp is the threads with my pipe wrench/ It seems to not want to turn and I can not seem to get a good grip on it. Is it possible to get some kind of extension to raise the hole it screws into a little higher (1" perhaps) and how is a good way to get the dip tube out if it seems stuck or too tight?
Thanks!
Stan
Sounds like your issue is that, your existing pipe nipple that protrudes out the top of the heater above the dip tube, is short so the only part of it you can get a wrench on is its threads. The new pipe nipple at the top of the new dip tube, can be purchased taller than the old one, giving you a good area to wrench on (other than the threads) as you tighten the new one in. So if you have to mess up the upper threads of the old one in order to extract it... well, at least its coming out and not going back in. But doing so would mean you become "committed" to getting the old one out, as you likely would not be able to re-attach to the old nipple's threads (after damaging them) without a leak.
At 4am last night wife discovered water dripping from ceiling. I went into attic and discovered water coming from fitting of dip tube on hot water tank. Got hose and drained tank. Going to tackle problem today. Thank you for information how to work on these!
Oh wow!
The benefit of a electric water heater: you can remove the elements to inspect inside parts/clean out. You can’t do this with a gas unit.....
I inspected my gas heater internals by inserting an inspection camera through the port for the safety pressure relief valve on the side. (I had the PRV it off because it needed replacing anyways... was probably 20+ years old and did not re-seal tightly after I tested it.) I was pleasantly surprised to see my dip tube was still intact. But that made sense because, mine did not have the problem symptoms that Shannon described in video (Failed dip tube causes hot water supply to last much less time than tank volume would expect, because fresh cold water isn't carried by dip tube all the way to bottom of heater, cold water instead flows directly across the top from inlet nipple to outlet nipple..)
very nice video! thank you for all the visuals and THANK YOU for wearing a mic. I will get this fixed right away!
Great advise, excellent presentation! Dying to see the rest of your videos...Thank You Very Much!
How can you connect a flared tube and dielectric heat trap nipple? I cannot find anyone less than 60 miles away that carries the tube and nipple attached already..
Thanks!
not sure if you can just slip it in? I'm really not sure
I feel like 99% of people watching this stopped at "you have to cut the copper pipe"
Why? I don't think 99% of folks are all that inept. If you tackle changing a dip tube you can probably use a pipe cutter and torch.
thank you ,sir.
good idea on the braided hose... but is it to code ?
Good videos, thank you. I'm trying to learn and save my mom some $ :)
Thats why we started this...DIYers saving $$$
Much appreciated
Great!!!! Shanon very informative, more power to you!
Hope it helped!
How do you change the sacrificial anode
ua-cam.com/video/97ett_HNu4k/v-deo.html
Great video. Can you replace the fitting/tubing for the hot side? Have a leak right where the hot copper tubing comes out of the tank
I think on some you can change that fitting, best to ask a local plumbing shop.
What if the old tube is broken inside the tank and stuck at the top?
I don't know how many times i saw a service tech use a adjustable wrench backwards, but it bugs the hell out of me.
How are you going to pull the cooper pipe out of the way or even spin it when it’s sweated to the treaded fitting and sweated to the rest of the line above. ?
Floyd Albright - Please educate me on how using a crescent wrench backwards is actually done. Seems to me either way will work just like combination wrenches.
Thanks a lot for the help and excellent education Sr...
Why not an dip tube made of stainless steel ?
Good question. Likely because most people maybe would replace the heater thinking its not working right instead of knowing to change the 10$ dip tube?
Great demo. Thanks
thanks very helpfull..
This is for gas and electric waterheater?
Should be the same for most heaters
Very nicely explained. Thanks for your hard work.
Shannon, another great video!
hey i got a special request! i seen tankless water heater, could you talk a bit about this? i'm thinking maybe switching my old tank for that, or partially, maybe getting a small tank for the dishwasher and a tankless for the rest,
If you come to my forum and reask the question I can respond to you there.www.house-improvements.com/forums/
HouseImprovements of course! and i subscribed too! thanks for your videos, i watched a few already and it's been pretty helpful so far, i'm building a 3/4 of a house, mostly by myself, and i have to learn and do everything from electricity to carpentry, so i'm pretty glad when i see a channel like yours , straight forward with great tips from a pro (Y)