Mystery leak from old water heater

[SuzairMcD]

Hi.

This is my 2nd post to the forums.

I'm in "final" stages of preparing my '78 Sovereign Excella. Have been living in it full time since purchase and you know that I have a story to tell!

After the original toilet was removed to replace flooring, flange was replaced and toilet replaced, the old Atwood 6 Gallon Water Heater Pilot Model started leaking. This was not a new leak as evidenced by water marks on cardboard exterior of insulation and rust on exterior of hot water heater (at LP pilot area.)

The water was leaking out holes of back bottom pan of trailer and out hole for gas line to underside left of exterior of hot water heater unit. (I think that line goes to refrigerator.)

Repair guy came out and plugged off all water to old hot water heater tank so that (theoretically) there is no water running into hot water tank. He neglected to drain hot water heater tank so that continued to leak. I pulled the plug on hot water tank and drained it.

Here's the mystery. The hot water tank continued to drain well after 6 gallons worth. I cut off city water. Tank drained dry. Turned on city water, tank started draining. Leak resumed through gas line hole to underside left of exterior of water heater. I called the repair guy who is mystified at how water could be going into tank. Obviously, there's both a source that is filling tank (and a hole that is leaking from tank.

I can't seem to spot plumbing configuration in my original manual. Probably, I'll get responses that the source to tank was not, in fact, plugged off. I am attaching pics by this public link to a zip file on my dropbox folder.

https://dl.dropbox.com/u/4504871/aau.../airstream.zip (hope it works!)



Thanks in advance for your input!

[Jammer]

There's probably water draining back into the tank from the outlet (hot) connection, either because you have a bypass valve somewhere, or because a faucet is leaking across from cold to hot.

[SuzairMcD]

Thanks for the prompt reply, Jammer.

So... is there a way for me to identify and plug the bypass valve and/or identify and address the faucet leak?

[SuzairMcD]

Okay. I think this is resolved. It IS the shower faucet that is weeping (barely.) As I understand it, when the hot water heater is replaced, this shower faucet issue will not be a problem any more - in terms of concern about leaking out the old hot water heater which will be history.

Thanks again, Jammer.