I got a puddle of water in the garage under the gas water heater. In addition, the outside where the T&P valve discharges to is dripping water so the temperature or pressure is building.





I am pretty familiar with how to deal with electric water heater but gas water heater I am a novice.

The WH is raised on a 18X18 paver sitting on two 16X16 concrete block. The paver is wet around the perimeter and water underneath. I am pretty sure the tank is rusted through and the step forward is replacement?

So first thing I did was to turn off the gas shutoff valve.

for some reason, the post got cut short so the rest of the post and pictures do not show. If I go into Edit mode the entire post is there but otherwise just a small part of the post.

remaining portion of the post.

This is the sticker on the WH, so it was installed in 2003, 23 years is pretty good and most likely time to retire it anyway.



What I need some help with is how to disconnect the gas end. I already turned off the gas shutoff valve to the WH on the lower left. From the valve there is a soft copper tubing that leads to this box. The box has two dials on it one in the front one on top.

The dial on the front I turned to "Pilot Lighting"? There is no OFF position here.



The knob on top there is an OFF position so I pushed down and turned it to OFF.



Is that correct?

I next connect a garden hose to the drain valve to test the discharge. I turned it on and water shot out pretty strong. I turned it off again because I don't want to empty it yet while the cold supply line is still feeding it.





My next step would be to turn off the water feed to the WH, but I don't dare to do it yet until I know the WH has no gas to it. Is it safe to turn water feed off and turn drain valve on to empty the tank or there is something else I need to do first?

My next question is looking at this gas control box, is this part of the WH or is this an accessory to the gas WH? If I want to disconnect the WH, where do I do the disconnect? Do I open the box and disconnect the tubings from the WH coming from below? Or do I disconnect the galvanized piping to it's left?



I am also not quite sure how to disconnect the vent up top.



Trying to decide if this is something I can tackle or whether I need a pro for this replacement.

With the gas supply valve off, you can proceed with whatever you want to do.
You disconect the downstream end of the copper tubing, The control bas is part of the WH. The galvy drip leg, tee and nipple is supplied by the installer, so you might as well replace them with new ones.
Ensure that the gas supply valve actually turns off the gas a hundred per cent, you do not want to blow up your garage.

Nice ... regarding it looks like over 25 years of use.

Slightly open the gas connection at the gas control. IF no gas comes out you're good to go as you determined that the gas valve still held/works.

Personally I'd install a new gas valve and flex. Propane is much more dangerous (for many reasons) than natural gas and so if natural gas be careful of course however knowing you I wouldn't be too concerned as you're top notch as far as brains, etc.

To change the gas valve (if natural gas) I personally do it on the fly ... meaning I don't even shut off the main gas valve however you're safest to turn off the main gas house gas valve. Natural gas inside the house (after the presdure regulator) actually has very little pressure. So little thst one can on an open pipe stop the natural gss from flowing.

Also see if you can lift the 3" vent and what happens if you can. There isn't any "only one way" to do the venting.

Gas vs electric water heaters as far as water piping as you well aware are basically piped the same as far as water and t&p discharge.

Today's gas water heater controls are much more complicated as well as more frequent issues.

FYI: 6 months ago I installed a new Bradford White brand gas water heater and feel that it's descent quality and plan to buy another one for one of my other homes.

1. In my area of California (Ventura County) gas water heaters with FVIR (Flammable Vapor Ignition Resistant) no longer have to be on a raised platform when installed in the garage. Heater can be installed on the floor. Verify this with your local authority. Have to extend water lines, vent etc. It makes it easier to replace heater in the future.

2. To remove the vent you can bend the legs on the down draft diverter on the top of heater that the vent is attached to. This will allow you to slide it out of the way. A lot of the times you can also just lift the vent pipe up. Without more pictures of the vent pipe can say if this is true in your case.

3. I use the Rheem heaters from HD. Usually the 12 year warranty is the best buy. The warranty also covers the parts (thermostat, pilot generator etc. ) for 12 years. Replacement parts on todays heaters are very expensive. As Vic mentioned they are also more complicated. To the best of knowledge Bradford White only covers their parts for 6 years. Rheems customer service has improved in the last several years. You have to answer a lot of questions which is annoying but in the end they will send you parts if needed.

Just my 2 cents.

Thanks george I have seen installations where the drip leg section is next to the gas valve and some like mine that is next to the WH gas control. Is one better than the other? In other words, to have the gas valve and the tee and drop leg than the line to the gas control, or to go from gas valve to the line to the tee and drip leg and gas control. Is this a matter of personal preferences or one way is better than the other?

In addition, my installation currently use a 3/8" (I think) soft copper tubing from the gas valve to the WH. It looks to me the connectors on both sides are flared fittings - I could be wrong, I haven't tried taking it apart yet as I am not sure where best to take it apart. See the annotated picture below.



I could try to loosen the nipple at "A" into the tee, and close the tee with a 1/2" plug to be on the safe side.

With an electric WH I turn off the breakers and I can check for voltages at the WH before disconnecting. With this gas WH once I turned off the gas valve how would I check to see if valve is really off 100%? Is it just see if there is anything smelly from the pipe?



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Vic, thanks for the comments.

I think I would prefer to redo all the way back including the gas valve. However I am not sure how to test if gas is still coming out with the valve in the off position. With electric WH I can use a miltimeter to check voltage at the WH end, with gas is there a way to test it once I turned the gas valve off? I know it has an odor is that all? Turn valve on and see if I smell it and turn it back off and it no more smell?

I need to take another look at the valve later on today as it's very close to the wall I wonder if they have room to rotate the valve onto the galvanized nipple. The gas valve look a bit wimpy kind of have a springy feel to it as I open and close the lever. Would a standard WOG ball valve be better or a new one like what I have now is fine?

Curly thanks I will check later on today with an update.

Regarding the height of the WH not needed to be raised I will check local code, I am not sure if it needs to be raised, or if it needs a drain pan etc...

However I think mine has to be raised like it is now because of the way the T&P valve discharge line is plumbed, I don't know if the new replacement will have the valve on top or on the side, right now it is on the side and basically a 3/4" copper flex goes to the wall which is only 2" lower than the height of the T&P valve. If my new heater is suddenly sitting 18" lower, my T&P valve will have to run up to the connection at the wall which will not work.



Unless I can remove the T&P valve, connect a riser pipe to it, and put the T&P valve on top of that and do the discharge line down from there. I doubt this is allowed though.



Edited 1 times.

Sum, you can't remove A by itself. Disconnect C and you can smell/hear if the valve is leaking. Disconnect B, unscrew the drip leg and then unscrew the tee and A nipple. The current drip leg setup is the proper one. It should be close to the thermostatic gas valve and the inlet to the tee should be from the top, as it currently is. If the outlet of the gas valve at C is going to be open to atmosphere unattended, it's recommended(required?) to be capped. There are flare caps available that you can screw on the valve outlet.



Edited 2 times.

Sum, some jurisdictions require a steel bollard be installed, to protect the water heater from being run into by a vehicle. Another thing to look into.

So I disconnected the soft 3/8" OD tubing with the flared nuts on both ends. On the 3/4" valve I have what looks like a 3/4"MIP X (? what size)Flared? Or is that two different fittings?



It probably won't matter if I am going to change out the 3/4" valve anyway, it looks quite worn and most likely exceeding 23 years old.

I turned on the lever on the valve and heard a hiss and I could smell some gas, then I closed the lever. I hope this is good enough as a test? Or not?

As insurance I decided to put back the flared connector and pounded flat and folded the copper tubing.



But after a while I wasn't sure the folded copper is really air tight so I put onto the end of the copper tubing using the outlet 3/8" compression of an water supply angle valve and turned it off.



I will go get a flared cap, but I am not sure what size.

I think I found where the leak is, may be.

At the bottom where the tubings come out to the gas control, I removed the cover and used a flashlight I saw what may be a corroded crack?

I checked the stub out at the garage wall where the T&P discharge line connects to is 55" above garage floor. This is quite high and may dictate the heater to be raised?



With the vent is the bottom piece the diverter where I can bend the legs to free the vent connection?

I also disconnected the hot and cold supply connections to the WH, and just bypassed it for now with a 3/4" SS flex line.







I also drained the WH so it should be near empty. Once I disconnected the vent line, I should be able to move the WH out of the way.

Any guess as to how much this empty WH would weight? 60 pounds? 100 pounds or even more?

The empty water heater will be 125/150 lbs. The flare fitting on the gas cock unscrews, so if you have a 3/4 pipe plug, that could be screwed into the cock outlet, eliminating need for a flare cap.

Yes, those are the legs you bend.

Some water heaters have the T&P located on the top and that might work with your current drain line.

T&P drain lines are to only run down hill. They are also suppose to be hard piped - no flex connectors. Can't say that I always agree with this rule.

If you cannot lower your T&P drain line maybe place the water heater on top of a couple of the pavers to get it at the correct height.

Your flare fittings look to be 3/8". As Steve said you can remove flare adapter and just use a pipe plug until you can replace the gas shut off valve.

To remove the flare adapter on top of the gas valve, I would use two wrenches one on the valve one on the adapter's flats.



I think I have a brass 3/4" MIP plug, and also a PVC one. If this was a water line I would use some pipe dope on the threads of the plug, with gas do I need a special gas dope or PTFE tape?

You can use either tape or dope.

I didn't need to bend the legs after all, turns out I was able to slide the vent pipe up a good 2 inches to clear it.

I am looking to replace that valve. Should I get a regular 3/4" gas ball valve FIPXFIP like what I have now, or is it better to get one that is 3/4" FIP X Flared?

I would use a FIP x FIP gas valve and use a stainless steel appliance connector(corrugated flex line). The appliance connector will come with new flare fittings.

I removed the flare adapter.





I can't find a 3/4" plug, I thought I have some but only 1/2". I end up using a 3/4"X1/2" close nipple with a 1/2" PVC cap. I know it's not a good idea to put plastic female over brass male as the fitting may crack if tightened too much, but this is temporary insurance in case the valve is not closing 100%, it will be replaced soon.



Back to the valve, when I put on a new valve, I need to tighten it enough so the lever will face in the correct direction, normally I would use two large adjustable wrenches, but since it is galvanized pipe below I need to use a large plumber's wrench to hold the pipe still when I loosen the old and tighten the new right? What if I slipped and the lower joint on the galvanized nipple loosens instead? I need to remake that joint too right?

Finally, when I loosened the flared adapter off, I noticed it's threads has some white compound that is hard. Is does not look like the pipe dope we use today because that stays soft. Any idea what it is? I think I may need to clean that off the galvanized male threads after I remove the old valve.

Yes, if the nipple loosens, just remove it and reseal it. If you reseal the nipple, tighten the new valve and the nipple at the same time by tightening the valve, and that helps in getting the valve aligned.

+1 for Bradford White as mentioned earlier by Vic.

If you are installing any modern gas water heater that does not connect to power, be certain that the electrical ground is connected properly or the controller will not work properly. If ground is connected through galvanized water pipes and you replace part of the circuit with PEX, the path to ground will disappear. Ask me how I know.

The controller is self powered. What issue did you have?