Leaking Atwood Water Heater

[mchenry]

We have an Atwood Model GC10A3E gas/electric water heater that has a slow leak at the rear of the water heater on  the hotwater line weld.  Is there any way to repair this slow leak without having to completely replace the water heater???

[huuligan]

Are you sure it's in the weld? My guess is that it is in the threaded outlet fitting. If it has plastic fittings, those tend to leak due to the expansion/contraction of heating and cooling. Mine did. I changed them out for brass fittings and no more leaks.

If it is in the weld, my guess would be that it could possibly be repaired by doing some grinding at the leak point and using an epoxy repair cement, maybe. That would require removing the water heater. At that point it may be easier to just replace it. But, that is just a guess on my part.

Gary

[thebadexample]

One of my plastic fittings was cross-threaded. I put it back on correctly and
it hasn't leaked since.

[Fred A.]

If tightened too much, the plastic fitting could be cracked. Use a mirror to check all around it.

Fred