I had the inlet/dip tube break on a water heater about 25 years ago. I had read or saved a Popular Mechanics magazine article how to use a piece of copper pipe and cutting its end to keep it in place as a new dip tube, and that worked for me.
The nipple type on the dip tube body can be purchased online, can work well in your case, I installed it today. It's good idea that you came up with this pex tube replacement idea.
I've seen some dip tubes with a bend at the bottom to swirl the water in the tank so it reduces sediment. Maybe you can make the bend with the heat gun.
thanks. my dip tube broke off. make a wooden stick with like a small mouth, should look like a Narwhal wale or a whale mouth. and wrap a rubber band around 3 or 4 times at end, at head of whale so to speak. pinch it down in the inside of fallen dip tube and it should come out through Anode rode hole. Make the hand held side of stick thinner. My dip tube broke off because I was cleaning/draining stirring away sediment from the Anode rode hole, while replacing Anode rod. I guess they can break off easily.
Too low will stir the silt on the bottom, water moving thru pipe stays going after it leaves the dip tube, and the fact it is cold doesn't help the situation.
I agree. Did this on a water heater that wasn't that old. There was enough of it left, I was able to grab it with some needle nose pliers. All in all, the dip tube was about 3 inches from the bottom of the tank. No issues with sedement coming out hot water side getting trapped in aerator on sinks, and other faucets with aerators on them. If any, just unscrew it from the faucet and run water over it upside down to clean out.
I did use his method and do have some hot water come out from a faucet nearby the heater but for the faucets far from it those don't have hot water. Problem is the new tube is smaller from the original tube so that reduces the water pressure like 30-40%. For that reason the hot water would not be carried far enough. I may have to order the original DIP tube.
He did it right the first time. He forgot to reverse it for the other side. This sort of simple mistake is VERY common any time a camera is rolling. ("Camera turns on, brain turns off.") The fact that he narrated it correctly the first time tells you he understands this, and doesn't need to be educated.
Right.. people are far better off just shelling out $2-6000 for a highly rated plumbing service to unnecessarily replace their hot water heater every few years for no reason. 🤡
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I had the inlet/dip tube break on a water heater about 25 years ago. I had read or saved a Popular Mechanics magazine article how to use a piece of copper pipe and cutting its end to keep it in place as a new dip tube, and that worked for me.
I did this a year ago I'm glad someone made a video because you can't buy that pipe anywhere but online
Ace hardware had it in stock today.... I had to buy one and that's the only place local I found
The nipple type on the dip tube body can be purchased online, can work well in your case, I installed it today. It's good idea that you came up with this pex tube replacement idea.
Good Video. Great Idea on the Drip Tube, I never thought of that, but looks like it worked good. Thanks.
Where did you get that wrench that you use to tighten the inlet ?
I've seen some dip tubes with a bend at the bottom to swirl the water in the tank so it reduces sediment. Maybe you can make the bend with the heat gun.
That could work. But chances are most of the sediment is reduced by ending up in your faucet screens. A good tank flush might be better.
@@unti419 yeah into your aerator
I did this same thing with ¾ red pex. Had to file it a little but it worked great!
I've done this also
But one tip you installed the Teflon tape backwards
thanks. my dip tube broke off. make a wooden stick with like a small mouth, should look like a Narwhal wale or a whale mouth. and wrap a rubber band around 3 or 4 times at end, at head of whale so to speak. pinch it down in the inside of fallen dip tube and it should come out through Anode rode hole. Make the hand held side of stick thinner. My dip tube broke off because I was cleaning/draining stirring away sediment from the Anode rode hole, while replacing Anode rod. I guess they can break off easily.
Very resourceful!!
Next time drop the pipe in as far as it will go then just take a couple inches off. The lower the better.
Too low will stir the silt on the bottom, water moving thru pipe stays going after it leaves the dip tube, and the fact it is cold doesn't help the situation.
I agree. Did this on a water heater that wasn't that old. There was enough of it left, I was able to grab it with some needle nose pliers. All in all, the dip tube was about 3 inches from the bottom of the tank. No issues with sedement coming out hot water side getting trapped in aerator on sinks, and other faucets with aerators on them. If any, just unscrew it from the faucet and run water over it upside down to clean out.
@@avflyguyhow will it function without the heat trap?
Great "in a pinch" fix but I don't like not having the flap on the inside of nipple to prevent heat loss.
I did use his method and do have some hot water come out from a faucet nearby the heater but for the faucets far from it those don't have hot water. Problem is the new tube is smaller from the original tube so that reduces the water pressure like 30-40%. For that reason the hot water would not be carried far enough. I may have to order the original DIP tube.
My original tube had a bunch of holes drilled through toward the bottom, maybe that's why.
You put the seal tape on wrong, your way will unwrap the tap as you turn the fitting in, the tape tail should drag as you tighten the fitting.
He did it right the first time. He forgot to reverse it for the other side. This sort of simple mistake is VERY common any time a camera is rolling. ("Camera turns on, brain turns off.") The fact that he narrated it correctly the first time tells you he understands this, and doesn't need to be educated.
You put your tape on counter clockwise on the nipple going into water heater .
Yep. I noticed that also
Noticed that as well.
How long do you think this would last?
Get the right one man
How old was your hot water tank when this happened?
How did you get it out?
It looked 2 me like he put the bottom tape on backwards
Good video. What type of pipe wrench you have?
It's a Crescent Self-Adjusting pipe wrench.
What size pex? 1/2?
That's a crafty way to fabricate a hard to find part
you wrapped the top end with teflon clockwise but the bottom end of nipple you wrapped counterclockwise sujut saying ok
i approve
U. Need. Drill. Holes
Teflon is wrong way
Such a strange design of water heater. Could just have the inlet piped into the bottom of the cylinder and not have a silly plastic tube inside it.
Its designed that way so when that part fails, you buy a whole new one!
Hybrid water heaters
Guys who have never done This should not be making videos about it, at their first time.
Right.. people are far better off just shelling out $2-6000 for a highly rated plumbing service to unnecessarily replace their hot water heater every few years for no reason. 🤡
What the hell