Water heater install with SS connectors?

[Ed]

I am about to replace my water heater. My house has galvanized pipe throughout so I am reluctant to use flex copper connectors for fear of increased corrosion problems. I am thinking of using flexible stainless steel connectors that I saw at Home Depot and am wondering if there is a downside to using stainless steel? HD has a kit that includes two 18" stainless water connectors and one flexible stainless steel gas connector. Thanks for any comments on this.

[hallerb]

hows the galvanized? you must use die electric unions when connecting the hot water tank to galavanized pipe or the connection will fail fast.

[Ed]

I assumed the water heater will have galvanized nipples on top so everything would be compatible. Are they copper? If so, then I would need to use copper connectors with di-electric unions between the copper connectors and the galvanized house pipe. Is this correct?

[Richard J Kinch]

Dielectric. But steel pipe to steel tank is not dielectric. Galvanization is irrelevant.

[Ed]

So I am better off using ss connectors and not introducing any copper to the system. As I recall the connectors have bronze nuts on each end but these shouldn't react much with my piping should they?

[Curmudgeon]

Ed you're fine with the SS flex pipes....and your water heater will fail internally LONG before there's any dielectric problem, even if you did connect copper to steel.

[Richard J Kinch]

Stainless to non-stainless may present a problem.

Nuts and such that are not wet don't matter.

I would just use the dielectric unions. They don't cost much, and having a union fitting is a mechanical plus.

[hallerb]

Even room moisture can cause troubles for dissimiliar metals. I have seen it occur.

[Toller]

A single shower Bosch electric tankless needs 120a, so think it through with gallon per minute and temp rise needed.

[Ed]

My house is about 40 years old and I've had a couple of problems with the hot water line. A joint failed just above the water heater several years ago and a pinhole leak developed in the vertical run in the wall behind the water heater. There is also a lot of mineral buildup in the pipes. I don't want to do anything likely to make things worse. I don't want to have to re-pipe the entire house.

[Ed]

This is strange. I was out of town last weekend and turned the water supply off. When I turned the water back on Sunday night, the leak had stopped. A bit of mineral deposit probably got in the hole so I realize I'm on borrowed time.