4 Hot Water Tanks and 4 leaks

[Googly]

Hi All,

I’m new to this forum and I’m hoping someone can shed some light on an ongoing issues I’ve been having with my hot water tank. The tank is an electric hot water tank, the manufacturer is Giant Inc. History of the issue is as follows:

- Original Tank was under 10 years old and began to leak from bottom.
- A few months prior to the tank leaking, we made a change to some of the plumbing and tapped in the hot water line to a cold line which ran outside to the yard. We did this so we could get warm water outside for the kids to play in. Installed check valve on the cold line so there could be no reverse flow back into the hot line. I do realize now that this is a code violation and will have this changed but I wanted to share this fact as it could be relevant, as the tank problems all started coincidentally after this piping change.
- Original tank was replaced under warranty. This second tank began to leak the evening after it was installed. Water was forming underneath and then a good flow began coming out around the drain valve. Called plumbing company and they replaced the tank for free as the drain valve was faulty.
- The third tank was in service for a couple of months and then began to leak. Leak was again coming from under the tank. It would leak for a day or two then stop, but would be recurring. Plumbing company spoke with the manufacturer who agreed to replace this tank as well. Manufacturer stated there had been ongoing quality issues with their tanks’ welding and believed this was from the bad production batch.
- 4th was installed and again began to leak quite heavily from the bottom. This time I noticed brown water coming out from the bottom which to me indicated that the tank was rusted from the inside, which in itself is very strange considering this was supposed to be a new tank.
- Plumbing company came out to check the house water pressure but could not find anything wrong. I’ve been away for a while so I drained the tank and shut it off before leaving. But not I’m coming back home and need a solution.

Questions:

- Has anyone experienced repeated leaks from new tanks like this? The first issue was a bad drain valve, and the last seemed like rust. The others appear to be due to poor welding.
- Any experience with Giant Inc water tanks? Are they defective or do they have a poor reputation?
- Could tying tht hot water line into the cold be a cause for these issues? It’s far fetched but could cold water be passing through the check valve and back into the hot water tank resulting in some sort of thermal shock to the tank resulting in cracking?
- Are new tanks really “new” ? Or do they just refurbish these and sell them again?
- I’m thinking of reversing the plumbing changes and purchasing a new tank from a different manufacturer. Any recommendations for electric water tanks?

Any insight would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks.
Allan

 

[voletl]

Sounds like deffective batch of water heaters. Thanks for the insight will not go near that brand now.

 

[Mr_David]

Hi All,


Questions:

- Has anyone experienced repeated leaks from new tanks like this? The first issue was a bad drain valve, and the last seemed like rust. The others appear to be due to poor welding.

NO

- Any experience with Giant Inc water tanks? Are they defective or do they have a poor reputation?
- Could tying tht hot water line into the cold be a cause for these issues? It’s far fetched but could cold water be passing through the check valve and back into the hot water tank resulting in some sort of thermal shock to the tank resulting in cracking?

No. Not likely. cold water always enters tank when you draw hot water from it.

- Are new tanks really “new” ? Or do they just refurbish these and sell them again?

I would hope they were all new
Maybe In Canada they recycle old tanks.

- I’m thinking of reversing the plumbing changes and purchasing a new tank from a different manufacturer. Any recommendations for electric water tanks?

It's not the piping causing the tank to leak unless it's the actual piping that's leaking and somehow fooling you and the plumbers to think it's the WH. But not likely

Any insight would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks.
Allan

never heard of Giant Inc. Could be a Canadian thing. BUY AMERICAN

 

[Diehard]

Curious....Who is paying for the plumbers time? Is this part of their warranty?
If you're getting charged for any of these subsequent installs I would definitely contact Giant Inc for reimbursement and discuss with them what your next step should be after so many failures.

Don't follow your statement, "Installed check valve on the cold line so there could be no reverse flow back into the hot line." Did you word that correctly?

 

[Googly]

The manufacturer is paying for all the tanks as well as the plumber’s time, although I did pay for the plumber’s time for the first replacement as those were the terms of the warranty.

Sorry I worded it backwards, installed check valves so that when we opened water to the yard there could be no reverse flow of cold water into the hot line.

 

[Googly]

never heard of Giant Inc. Could be a Canadian thing. BUY AMERICAN

Thanks. It’s definitely not the piping that’s leaking. I’m just shocked that 4 tanks have leaked. Any brands you recommend?

 

[Diehard]

A.O. Smith and Rheem are 2 that come to mind.

 

[frodo]

demand that a different brand tank be installed.
we have a lemon law in the states, if the manufacture can not fix the problem in 2 tries, you can make them
pay for a different brand.

call a Canadian lawyer and ask if you have the equivalent of what we call a lemon law

 

[Diehard]

demand that a different brand tank be installed.
we have a lemon law in the states, if the manufacture can not fix the problem in 2 tries, you can make them
pay for a different brand.

call a Canadian lawyer and ask if you have the equivalent of what we call a lemon law

Good point but typically they would only be required to replace it with one of their own, or if you're lucky, buy it back. I doubt they would be required to pay for a different brand. But I guess it's worth a try if you sue for lawyers fees as well.

 

[Matt30]

I’ll chime in quickly without reading the whole thread because of my recent experience with Giant tanks.

We have been having an awful time with leaks because of the relief valves and nipples. If you unthread them you will find they come with just white silicone on the threads that is still wet when you unscrew it. We have to take them out and apply a real thread sealer.

We do not buy the tanks, the tanks are coming in pre fab homes we plumb

 

[Tech]

Hi All,

I’m new to this forum and I’m hoping someone can shed some light on an ongoing issues I’ve been having with my hot water tank. The tank is an electric hot water tank, the manufacturer is Giant Inc. History of the issue is as follows:

- Original Tank was under 10 years old and began to leak from bottom.
- A few months prior to the tank leaking, we made a change to some of the plumbing and tapped in the hot water line to a cold line which ran outside to the yard. We did this so we could get warm water outside for the kids to play in. Installed check valve on the cold line so there could be no reverse flow back into the hot line. I do realize now that this is a code violation and will have this changed but I wanted to share this fact as it could be relevant, as the tank problems all started coincidentally after this piping change.
- Original tank was replaced under warranty. This second tank began to leak the evening after it was installed. Water was forming underneath and then a good flow began coming out around the drain valve. Called plumbing company and they replaced the tank for free as the drain valve was faulty.
- The third tank was in service for a couple of months and then began to leak. Leak was again coming from under the tank. It would leak for a day or two then stop, but would be recurring. Plumbing company spoke with the manufacturer who agreed to replace this tank as well. Manufacturer stated there had been ongoing quality issues with their tanks’ welding and believed this was from the bad production batch.
- 4th was installed and again began to leak quite heavily from the bottom. This time I noticed brown water coming out from the bottom which to me indicated that the tank was rusted from the inside, which in itself is very strange considering this was supposed to be a new tank.
- Plumbing company came out to check the house water pressure but could not find anything wrong. I’ve been away for a while so I drained the tank and shut it off before leaving. But not I’m coming back home and need a solution.

Questions:

- Has anyone experienced repeated leaks from new tanks like this? The first issue was a bad drain valve, and the last seemed like rust. The others appear to be due to poor welding.
- Any experience with Giant Inc water tanks? Are they defective or do they have a poor reputation?
- Could tying tht hot water line into the cold be a cause for these issues? It’s far fetched but could cold water be passing through the check valve and back into the hot water tank resulting in some sort of thermal shock to the tank resulting in cracking?
- Are new tanks really “new” ? Or do they just refurbish these and sell them again?
- I’m thinking of reversing the plumbing changes and purchasing a new tank from a different manufacturer. Any recommendations for electric water tanks?

Any insight would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks.
Allan

Switch back the plumbing the way it was originally. If you use a check valve, you close the system. Water has no where to expand. An expansion tank needs to then be installed.
Many plumbers miss this simple fact.

 

[Diehard]

Switch back the plumbing the way it was originally. If you use a check valve, you close the system. Water has no where to expand. An expansion tank needs to then be installed.
Many plumbers miss this simple fact.

???? His original comments said CV in the cold water line but he clarified it to the hot water line. But neither way wouldn't affect the hot water expansion. Unless it was put in the CW line feeding the water heater.
I believe he also said he planned on removing that cross connection. Actually if one did connect a hot to the cold, as he described, a check valve in both lines would be the way to go.

 

[Googly]

Thank you all for the replies. Ok, I had someone double check the piping arrangement so I can explain it more clearly. Here it goes:

There is a take-off from the main hot water outlet from the tank which connects to the cold water line which runs outside to the yard. On the hot water take-off line, there is a on/off valve and then a check valve. This hot water take-off line connects on the downstream side of a on/off valve and check valve located on the cold water line running outside to the yard. I hope that makes sense? In this case, as Diehard has explained a check valve on both lines would be the way to go, so I think this is the correct installation if I wanted to keep the crossover?

I have also attached a sketch if that makes it easier.

 

[Diehard]

Looks good to me!

 

[TomFOhio]

Why are you doing this. Is it to have warm water come out instead of hot or cold. Why didn't you put two hydrants outside
and then have hot and cold and then you could of put a wye hose on for mixed water. Maybe I am missing something here.

 

[Googly]

Yes I did this so that we could have warm water coming outside. I didn’t want to drill through concrete to install a separate hot water connection outside so this seemed easier. Are you seeing an issue with this?

 

[TomFOhio]

I was just thinking of the cost for check valves and ball valves compared to one hydrant. During the hot summer I like to
get a cold drink of water out of the outside faucet and you won't be able to do that. Lol I know, you'll just go in the house and get
one. What you did will work fine.

 

[Googly]

Haha yes but I can still get purely cold water outside, I just keep the hot valve closed. I only open that valve when I want some hot water mixed with the cold.

 

[TomFOhio]

Ok, got the point now. Good job.

 

[Matt30]

The other thing we have recently discovered about Giant tanks is that there have been thousands of tanks produced with a welding defect in the steel. An issue with the computer made the welder stop pre maturely. We have replaced 4 in the same place in the last 6 months. They just give you another tank and hope for the best because they don’t know what serial #s are affected