how to stop hot water heater "dripping" (???)

[snowdog]

I've noticed another problem with my hot water heater - see my other threads for full details - briefly it is relatively new (2 years old), just had the bottom element replaced, then I found that when the plumber drained & replaced the element that the tank was then full of stirred up sediment which I had to correct myself by "flushing" it.

But I notice that I now have a puddle underneath the the outlet at the bottom where it gets drained. That fixture is dripping (slowly). But I cannot tighten it up any further than it already is.

Is this something I just need to leave alone for a couple days and hope it stops on its own or am I looking at yet another issue that needs some type of attention?

[HayZee518]

it is probably a plastic valve and its seat is not the best made. you can wait for it to seal itself over time or drain your system and put in a brass boiler drain. those things never seal once they've been opened.

[LazyPup]

I would highly recommend a brass boiler cock, but for the interim, get one of the plastic caps that are used to cap outside hose bibs. You can find then in the section of your hardware store where they have all the repair fittings for garden hose.

[SlowCoder]

Haha! Your water heater project sounds a lot like my bathroom project ... It just keeps getting bigger and bigger and bigger!

[snowdog]

Yeah, tis true SLowcoder.....unbelievable...

Thanks for the other tips guys. I don't really understand what you mean by a brass boiler drain but that's OK, I assume it is some kind of replacement fitting for what is already there, and I am not going to try to tackle replacing that, draining it again, etc, this is truly getting ridiculous!! This must be a real lemon but unfortunately there are no lemon laws for hot water heaters that I know of....

The fitting that is there is not plastic though - it looks brass and pretty heavy duty. Bizarre that this should be failing or something. I've left my short hose attached and have just been letting it drip into a bucket. Great idea Lazypup about finding a cap thingee like for a hose, I will look into that, it may be drying up now though, just checked my hose and seems dry.....i'll take the hose off and replace it with a cap once I get one.

THANKS!!