Cooked my heat traps and dip tube ?

[pommeree]

Dad and I dragged a new Whirlpool "Flame Lock" water heater home last weekend. (I'm sure you're all gritting your teeth already)

Installation was EZ with Dad sweating the fittings up top while I hooked up the gas below. Once everything was running and the water was hot, Dad noticed we had a leak at the cold inlet.
When I climbed up to investigate, the first thing I notice is the "Under no circumstance are you to apply heat" warning label. Well &#$% that's exactly what Dad did, threading two copper male adapters directly into the tank and then sweating the existing copper back exactly where it had been on the old tank. this made install a piece of cake but both the heat traps have been incinerated.

Anyway, now it's leaking. My question is how #$%^ am I?
Can I simply replace the heat traps and dip tube then install correctly? Or is the tank trashed?

Thanks and Regards,
E.P.

[Cass]

Go back to the big box store and purchase 2 dielectric nipples and 2 copper slip couplings...go home...open the T&P valve and leave it open... cut the copper at a spot where it can be re soldered away from the adaptr...remove the female adprs....remove the nipples...teflon tape and pipe dope both ends of the new nipples...install the nipples in the tank...install the female adprs. on the nipples with slip couplings already on...prep copper...slide slip couplings into place...sweat copper being sure T&P is still open...fill with water and purge air out...relight heater...

Then when the gas valve goes bad in a few months you get to deal with that...

[pommeree]

Good to know all is not lost!
Plain copper slip couplings or the "shark bite" kind?
Do I need to worry about examining or replacing the dip tube or heat traps?
Thanks a *TON*
Regards,
E.P.

[MACPLUMB 777]

Yes all above check dip tube ! ! !

USE THE NIPPLES AS ABOVE ,
BUT GET 2 COPPER MALE ADP'S, AND 2 3/4" X 18" NUT BY NUT COPPER WATER FLEX'S AND CONNECT TO WATER HEATER
THE SOLDERING IS DONE ON THE HOUSE PIPING NOT THE WATER HEATER

[Gary Swart]

Not only will the flexible copper tubes avoid applying heat to the tank, but because you don't have to make the pipes fit exactly to to tank, the installation is much easier.