Stripped Heat Water Tank Plastic Plug

[Ky76Argosy]

Dang when will people understand plastic is never over-tightened. Water heater has low pressure. Plastic plugs hand tighten then half turn can do the job, please think when tightening anything plastic or into plastic. It will crack. It will strip threads. Get a spare. Easier to get a socket on plug. It is generally at a tight spot. Make sure easily turns if not you may be cross threaded. Retract and fit again. Not rocket science.

[Ky76Argosy]

Sorry to add on this, but plastic plug is probably the proper plug not brass etc. Doesn’t the WH have plastic interior threads? If so metal plug if over-tightened or cross threaded would cut or gouge!! If interior thread are eaten away so starts to leak, I don’t know process to fix. Just a thought.

[bartzstream2]

Originally Posted by Hawk-ination

No offense to anyone but the plug is designed to blow out if there is a pressure problem. You should replace it with the correct plastic plug. We were told specifically not to use brass and especially not to use teflon tape.

If you are having leaking problems, replace it with a new plastic plug. Don’t modify to fix the leak. No one should risk having a mini bomb in their trailer or RV because if it can’t blow out through that hole, the pressure is going to go somewhere.

No offense, but isn't the water heater's pressure/temperature relief valve supposed to handle that?


Also to the original poster, as another commenter said drill a hole in the cap and insert a tool for removing broken-off sprinkler nipples.