Camco Hot Water Tank Plug Failure

[ArkRVHog]

So my CAMCO brand plug failed out of the blue about 9 months after changing it. I saw water dripping out of the metal outside door of my hot water heater, opened it, and 2-3 tiny holes in the top of the plug were spraying water out 3-4 feet. (We were on city water with normal pressure.)

Would not have been surprised seeing a leak at the threads but thought this was pretty bad. Compared the CAMCO plug to an original plug I had with my tank and it was much thinner thus less quality.

Can I get these at a plumbing supply place or is it best to order name brand? As many issues as an RV can have, I don't want to give it any more opportunities!

[SlowrideHD]

Go to Lowes or Home Depot and get a brass plug. Make sure the internal threads are cleaned up and use some Teflon tape or potable water pipe dope on the male threads.

[SeaDog]

What brand of water heater do you have? It makes a difference one may take a nylon plug and the other an anode type plug.

[ArkRVHog]

Originally Posted by SeaDog

What brand of water heater do you have? It makes a difference one may take a nylon plug and the other an anode type plug.

It is the simple nylon plug. My point is where to buy a quality plug and not a cheapie that’s fails like mine did.

[5picker]

Originally Posted by ArkRVHog

It is the simple nylon plug. My point is where to buy a quality plug and not a cheapie that’s fails like mine did.

Any quality plumbing store can fix you up with a good nylon plug. (not necessarily the big box stores)

I do have to ask on a 2018 model, why you replaced the original plug? (and now the replacement has failed)

[SeaDog]

I was under the impression that the forester came with a suburban wh. with that said it may be like many things at FR same models have different equipment.

[bbbeebop]

Atwood Water Heaters use a nylon plug and Suburban use an anode rod plug combo. Do not use a Brass Plug in an Atwood heater, the two dissimilar materials aluminum and brass with have a bad chemical reaction and bind together

[nomad297]

Originally Posted by bbbeebop

aluminum and brass with have a bad chemical reaction and bind together

It’s actually an electrical reaction. Brass is more cathodic than aluminum, so you will get corrosion where the two dissimilar metals touch. It is particularly bad when an electrically-conductive liquid (water) is added to the mix.

Bruce

[ArkRVHog]

Originally Posted by 5picker

Any quality plumbing store can fix you up with a good nylon plug. (not necessarily the big box stores)

I do have to ask on a 2018 model, why you replaced the original plug? (and now the replacement has failed)

So in full disclosure, I lost the original when removing the plug and failing to release the pressure first (newbie mistake) and it blasted into a heavy patch of my yard...but I found it a few weeks later! Glad I was working to one side of the plug when that happened.

Just really surprised to see that Camco plug fail like it did with the tiny, tiny "fissures" in the top letting the water spew out.

And thus I was able to compare the two (original vs Camco) and see the Camco build was a lot thinner. There's a lot of pressure in those little tanks!

[ArkRVHog]

As the OP, thanks for the great input. Now let me ask if there's any simple and easy to use tool for the Atwood HW heater to get to that darn plug? (Those that have one know the configuration and the plug is somewhat blocked with parts of the heater.) Yes, I've used an extension on my ratchet set but wish there was something I could just keep right there with the HW heater to use as needed. Thx again.