Under counter hot water heater

Martin Brown · 2016-12-08T08:50:23+00:00

Help! Local charity had one of these installed by well meaning cowboys. Just been to take a look. It has plastic screw threaded fittings on the top in blue and red for water in and out. The guy who put it in must have got both on cross threaded first time around and then over tightened to try and stop it leaking. Several people have tried to sort it out since with no success. They have already had two biggish floods! Someone else has put them on properly threaded and then over tightened them even more. It still leaks at a level where after an hour about 0.1L escapes. Both hot and cold sides are compromised but hot is worse. There are rust marks running down the side from the connectors. This might be irrelevant but it is rated 2.2bar maximum pressure but I am told as originally installed it was set on 3bar (despite what the rating plate said). Will this have done any permanent damage? I was thinking of taking it apart and putting Viton O rings around the pipes and then tightening the compression fittings again. I also have PTFE tape and circular section but I am undecided which would stand the best chance of working. Any other suggestions for how to make the thing leak proof - any magic gunks that would be worth a try. Bearing in mind that it will get hot and cold cycled so anything too rigid will fail. I hate plumbing but I am the best chance they have of getting a repair for free - otherwise they will be buying an entire new unit (again). Thanks for any tips or suggestions on a better way to proceed.

Dec 08, 2016 22 Replies

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Brian Gaff 9 years ago

However if the threads are plastic on such an item I'd have junked it as soon as i saw it, Most people will tell you how useless plastic to metal compression fittings willbe in the long term. I had one on my toilet valve. it too leaked from the start, so had to buy a proper metal one and use that. Brian

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MrCheerful 9 years ago

There is a weird bit with those heaters in that the plastic fitting is a requirement of installation, something to do with the exposed element and a sacrificial anode.

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alan_m 9 years ago

I assume your million pound liability insurance is in place for this bodge that other people will be using. Walk away!

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