Hot Water Tank By-Pass Kits

B

Blue Cruiser

Member
Joined
Sep 16, 2006
RO Number
23441
Messages
45
For two years in a row even after replacing the old by-pass kit with a new kit the check valve did not prevent boat antifreeze from entering the hot water tank which I had drained and left the hot water tank drain valve open. For the last two years I wasted antifreeze as it went through the hot water tank and into the bilge. Therefore for two years in a row I wound up removing the hot and cold connection to the tank and connecting them together with a 6" PVC nipple and reversing the connections in the spring. Have others had trouble with hot water tank by-pass kits or have you simply installed a nipple?
 
Use air and you avoid this
If you must use pink I used to drain hot water tank.
Connect cold in an hot out together with a coupling.
Leave valve open.
 
Why are you draining the antifreeze from the tank? I don't so just curious what made you decide to do that. I only drain the actual water out of it.
 
I would think the check valve is stuck open or has maybe something pinched in it.
 
Actually, my bypass kit has two 3-way valves and a connecting hose between the two. Turning lever on each valve closes the path to and from the heater and opens the path between the two valves. Of course it took some time to figure out which was the "always open" port of the valve, but once that was accomplished, it was simple enough.

Gene
 
I just disconnect the cold water line going to water heater and connect it to the hot water line; fully bypasses the water heater and only takes 5 minutes to do.
 
Pa Mikee, I did it the same, I used 2 unions, one installed one way, one installed the other, on the tank. Unhook them and hook the lines together. No problem, been doing it for 20 years now. Problem here is some of these guys don't understand what a plumbing union is.
 
quote:
Originally posted by JimPend

Problem here is some of these guys don't understand what a plumbing union is.

Click to expand...


Jim.......Here is a Plumbing Union........

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........sorry....couldn't resist
 
Speaking about plumbing unions; there are 3 things you need to know.

1. Fresh water flows uphill
2. Crap water flows downhill
3. Pay day is Friday.
 
I also disconnect the cold and hot from the water heater, and connect together with short pipe nipple, as PA Mikee and Jim Pend. It takes a few minutes, and is fool proof. I then open the drain valve on the water heater, and leave it open until spring. In the spring I reconnect the hot and cold line, and it is good to go.
eric
 
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