Forced into DYI

[Nando]

Hello!
After reluctantly taking on a few simple plumbing projects over the years, I've decided to join this forum in the hopes of better preparing myself for what might come next.
We just moved into a house in Las Vegas and it has been a job learning all the different water features: salt pool/spa system (possibly leaking), water softener, RO water, hot water recirculator, solar collector drainback.
As of last week we had one leaky faucet (I fixed) and a drip from a pitted galvanized fitting on the water heater drain (sowed with putty but not yet fixed).

Two plumbers in the area wouldn't touch the drip job because we have this solar collector drainback system. The company that installed it years ago (Integrated Solar, Phoenix) appears to have disappeared. Now that I've bypassed the collector I suppose I can change the fitting myself; hate to dump 50G of water though!

Glad be here lurking. I'm a EE by training so maybe I can contribute on some level.

 

[Geofd]

Glad your here,I'm sure you could help with electrical issues,thanks ,and welcome

 

[breplum]

Here is a trick related to water heater drain fitting work:
If it is only a hose bibb or lever handle valve: First, open the drain and flush any sediment, close the hose bibb.
Then, if you shut off the pressurized water supply, open the drain again and no water should flow (except to piss a little to depressurize), then you can remove the valve and no water will flow because it is under vacuum conditions (UNLESS there is a leak on the hot water system).
There ought to be a youtube of this (just an assumption)

 

[Nando]

Here is a trick related to water heater drain fitting work:
If it is only a hose bibb or lever handle valve: First, open the drain and flush any sediment, close the hose bibb.
Then, if you shut off the pressurized water supply, open the drain again and no water should flow (except to piss a little to depressurize), then you can remove the valve and no water will flow because it is under vacuum conditions (UNLESS there is a leak on the hot water system).
There ought to be a youtube of this (just an assumption)

I had to look up bibb! Thanks for my new word and the advice. Posting pics in case it's interesting to others. Weird little pitted hole in that tee. The tank itself is only 6mo old but house seller said he did not use a new tee so maybe that's been around a while. BTW, this is a storage tank in between the solar collector and gas heated water tank. Quite a few fittings at this drain; it would be nice to clean it up with all copper.

 

[Geofd]

Change those fittings to brass,I think that spot on the tee is electrolysis, steel+brass react to each other