[brandong91]

would like to say hello and I am Brandon. I just joined this site minutes ago. I am a new home owner that bought a home about a year ago. The house does need work and I am doing stuff here and there. I am learning alot on how to do different things like dry wall work, electrical work, e.t.c. I recently re did the plumbing in my home. Ripped out all of the old copper plumbing and replaced. The water heater I had was from 1991 and it was rusty so I replaced that. I messed up and I had a few leaks coming from some of the elbows I put in on top of the water heater. So I turned the heater off for the night and this morning I redid the pvc lines going into the water heater. I made a foolish mistake when I was running lines to the top of the heater, I some how forgot to glue one elbow so when I turned the water on you can only imagine what happened. The new water heater got a little shower. After gluing it, and letting the water run for awhile, I have zero leaks. I'm now worried that it is damaged. I cannot get the pilot light to light. Water did get on the control module and got in the inner tank, no it didnt flood it, when I was outside turning the water on I heard a loud pop and shut the water back off. I have been drying it out all day with a fan but from what I was reading, once water gets in the inner tank, it will rust from the inside out. I'm having a service tech come look at it tomorrow and get his opinion. Ok so now the strange part, I am currently getting hot water. The hot water heater is and has been off since yesterday. It is a gas water heater. When I was washing dishes I noticed that the water was getting hot. Am I missing something here? The PVC I ran leading to the top of the heater going to hot does have hot water in it when you touch the pipes. Any input or advice for this noob would be appreciated, thanks.

 

[SeniorSitizen]

Please do not attempt to light that heater again until you get that dammed pvc off of there and replaced with the proper pipe.

 

[brandong91]

i used pvc40 on everything. i was told this would be fine

 

[SeniorSitizen]

i used pvc40 on everything. i was told this would be fine

For some reason I'm doubting it was a licensed plumber.

 

[brandong91]

For some reason I'm doubting it wasn't a licensed plumber.

Ok, I thought this fourm was to help. I didnt join this site to get ridiculed. I joined this to get a better understanding of doing it yourself. I think I'll move onto a different site. Admins/mods feel free to delete my account.

 

[SeniorSitizen]

Consider trying this for others safety .

 

[hkstroud]

PVC cannot be used for hot water lines. Must be CPVC and there is a restriction not closer to a water heater than 18 or 24 inches. Can't remember which. Since PVC cannot be used for hot lines CPVC is usually used for both lines. Don't think SeniorSitizen was ridiculing you, just questioning the knowledge of the person advising you.

 

[brandong91]

So how am I getting hot water if my hot water heater is off? It has been off all day.

 

[brandong91]

My house is small and it took me only two hours to rip out the old plumbing and put in new pipes. And thats with no experience other than doing a few irrigation jobs. If pvc 40 is not good for the house I can remove and replace with CPVC.
I've never installed a water heater before either but I followed the instructions step by step and it wasnt that hard. Yes I did make that mistake with giving it a shower, but I am not understanding how Im getting hot water if its off.

 

[JBoot]

No PVC on water heaters. Maybe you mean CPVC?

I always use copper, like SeniorSitizen suggested.

Maybe your new water heater doesn't have a pilot light. Perhaps it has a piezo ignitor.

 

[brandong91]

No PVC on water heaters. Maybe you mean CPVC?

I always use copper, like SeniorSitizen suggested.

Maybe your new water heater doesn't have a pilot light. Perhaps it has a piezo ignitor.

It has a piezo ignitor on it. But it says it will still have a pilot flame. Im sorry for the dumb questions, I'm a gunsmith not a plumber lol. But I am wanting to learn how to do this on my own. There is no flame coming on. I had it on yesterday testing it, but after it got water in it today, I cant get the thing to arc.

 

[JBoot]

"It has a piezo ignitor on it. But it says it will still have a pilot flame."

That's correct, but you might not be able to see it. If the water is heating, then you have flame!

 

[brandong91]

"It has a piezo ignitor on it. But it says it will still have a pilot flame."

That's correct, but you might not be able to see it. If the water is heating, then you have flame!

See, when I first installed it, I could see the flame. Now nothing ever since the water got inside it. I dont know. Its a Rheem 40gallon water heater.

 

[hkstroud]

Cannot use PVC for hot water because PVC not designed to take the heat. CPVC will take the heat of residential system, but not within a certain distance of a water heater.

Piezo don't arc, just gets hot (therefore no sound). That lights the pilot light which lights the burner flame when needed. You should be able to hear (and see) the burner flame when lit.


PS;
Heat from use should dry out the insulation between the tank and the outer jacket.

 

[JBoot]

See, when I first installed it, I could see the flame. Now nothing ever since the water got inside it. I dont know. Its a Rheem 40gallon water heater.

When you run the hot water for a few minutes, can you "hear" the flame kick on? Is the flue getting hot to the touch? Also, you should be able to hear the gas and the contractions in the metal container.

 

[brandong91]

Cannot use PVC for hot water because PVC not designed to take the heat. CPVC will take the heat of residential system, but not within a certain distance of a water heater.

Piezo don't arc, just gets hot, that lights the pilot light, that light the burner flame. You should be able to hear (and see) the burner flame when lit).


PS;
Heat from use should dry out the insulation between the tank and the outer jacket.

Looks like ill be removing the pvc tomorrow then.
The light isnt lighting. Could it just have moisture in it still? Anything I can do with it besides letting a fan sit on it?

 

[hkstroud]

Don't think a fan will help. You should be able to remove the burner cover and see the piezo get hot and light the pilot. If you see moisture in the burner compartment a fan might help there. Really shouldn't have much if any moisture between tank and outer jacket.

 

[hkstroud]

CPVC requires different glue than PVC.

 

[brandong91]

CPVC requires different glue than PVC.

Thanks, I was just reading about that. I still use primer on CPVC right?

 

[hkstroud]

Yes, I would. I have used CPVC glue with out the primer but think it would be best to use it.
PVC and CPVC glue are not really glues, they are solvents. They soften the surfaces of the pipe and the fittings and allows them to fuse together as one.

The primer aids by pre-softening the surfaces.