freeze ruptured water heater

[dikku@mac.com]

Last year I winterized without a list and forgot to empty the water heater. Now we are getting ready for our summer trip to Yellowstone and the Wife announces that the water heat is bilowing out water.(see photo)
Obviously I will have to replace it.
Questions:
1.How do I remove the old pex fittings with the copper sleeves so I can get the tank out? (cut the copper or slide it off?)
2.Where should I order a new water heater from? (old model is an atwood 6 gallon gas in my 92 21ft Sovereign)
3.How hard is it to replace?
4.How stupid am I for not draining the water heater?
Sincerely,
dik [IMG]file:///Users/richardcardosi/Desktop/100_4940.jpg[/IMG]

[05ModPod]

Poor dik sure hope your wife did not do this (as we can make mistakes too )

Anyway -the wrecked excella we bought last year or so - had a perfectly good water heater in it - but the insurance deal went way into the winter - so it was not winterized - or even the water drained out - and that is the same result an exploded tank.

We did the research and checked out aluminum welding - and it was about as much as you would pay for a "tank" replacement. If everything else works fine check out Marksrv.com Atwood water heater parts page

Just ordered one to replace the lp/elec dsi unit 6 gal.

We also need a HWT for the 61 Overlander - so I checked out the Camping world clearance centre in Bowling Green (which I hear by the grape vine is closing down) and lucked out to pick up a 10 gal lp only though but for a quarter of the price of a new one!!!! so we will go out and light the pilot wooopieee.

PS wow just realized you are from Kentucky - sorry I snapped up a real deal right in your backyard.

good luck.

Good sources are CW, RVS, VTS and PPL along with MarksRV - various parts all come in at different prices but you can usually get a good deal.

[Janets Husband]

Originally Posted by dikku

Last year I winterized without a list and forgot to empty the water heater. Now we are getting ready for our summer trip to Yellowstone and the Wife announces that the water heat is bilowing out water.(see photo)
Obviously I will have to replace it.
Questions:
1.How do I remove the old pex fittings with the copper sleeves so I can get the tank out? (cut the copper or slide it off?)
2.Where should I order a new water heater from? (old model is an atwood 6 gallon gas in my 92 21ft Sovereign)
3.How hard is it to replace?
4.How stupid am I for not draining the water heater?
Sincerely,
dik [IMG]file:///Users/richardcardosi/Desktop/100_4940.jpg[/IMG]

1,) Yes you can cut off the bands, I would use a Dremil tool. Don't try and salvage the old PEX, use new PEX and you should be able to reuse the old fittings with new bands.
2.) There are quite a few places to buy heaters, I would look for the best price on the Web. You could buy from a local RV shop but the cost is usually high. The cut out size on new 6 gal. heaters is the same as the old one so no problem there.
3.) A} Pull the water fittings, and the DSI connections if you have them. B} shut off the propane then disconnect the gas supply, then pull it through the floor. C} Remove the screws from the mounting flange behind the door.
D} This is where it can get tricky, ease the heater out. It might be difficult proposition if they used a lot of sealer on the inside, mine had a ton of what looks like Sikaflex on the inside, tough going had to do some cutting with a utility knife.
To reinstall is self apparent once you have pulled the old one out.
If this sounds at all like it is beyond your Peter Principle by all means have a pro do it for you.

[dikku@mac.com]

After much de-sikkaflexing, I bullied the old water heater out. There is water damage under the old unit site. I plan to dry it out and slide an aluminum plate in to cover the defect. [IMG]../ugala/forums/images/attach/jpg.gif[/IMG]Any other suggestions?
Are there any opinions about the replacement unit? Specifically, what about a tankless system. I dont know if there are alot of retrofitting issues. Obviously, if I put back in the exact same system as I took out, the fittings should remain the same. This might make the job easier.
Sincerely,
dik

[Silvertwinkie]

I think the tankless are great, but I do think you need to make some modifications, even slight to the size of the existing hole in the shell to make it fit properly. If they made one I could just slide in, I'd consider it if I were at the replacement stage.

I've had great luck with https://www.rvpartsoutlet.com/

[dikku@mac.com]

Well,I fnished the water heater redo. I put in a new 6 gallon Atwood model almost identical to the old one. I reused the electric heat element that goes in the drain plug. That is why I didnt adequately drain the unit, not knowing the drain plug has this dual function. I may have used the wrong sealant(vulkem 611 vs 636 listed on th AS website) but its too late to change it now. I had to tear out the floor that was bad. I put in 1/2 inch plywood coated with fiberglass resin over the bad spots that I could get to. I built a similar overlay for the rear trunk space.( couldnt get to the support beam near the rear bath to completely redo it.) I reused my old aluminum cover to match the trailer better. I tried to redo the pex plumbing with sharrkbyte fittings,but they were expensive and wouldnt fit in small gaps;so I bought a pex crimper at Home Depot($149.00) and reused the old fittings with new(white instead of grey) pex line. That is the way to go.
Satisfying to be done,1 week of solid work every off day at work. The wife and kids will leave northern KY for Yellowstone next week.
Thanks,
dik