SAS
Member
I recently flushed my hot water heater and now I have a very slow leak (a few drops per day) from the spigot. Can I just put a cap on it, or do I have to replace the valve?
Leaking Drain Valve
- Thread starter SAS
- Start date
Jadnashua
Retired Defense Industry Engineer xxx
A cap will likely work, but if it is a cheap plastic valve, probably a good idea to change it. A full-port ball valve will flush better, and should easily last the life of the tank (and probably the next one, too).
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SAS
Member
Thanks for the advice. It's not a plastic valve, but it's not a brass one either. It's a flimsy aluminum valve. I was out last night at Walmart and picked up this metal ball valve intended for a garden hose for $3. So far so good. If it works, at least I won't waste 40 gallons of hot water.
Jadnashua
Retired Defense Industry Engineer xxx
If you turn the supply valve off and don't open any faucets, you can often just unscrew the old valve without losing much water at all. Think finger over the end of a straw. If no air can get in, no water can come out (or at least much unless something's leaking). But, that will work, too.
SAS
Member
Good point. If this doesn't work (although for now it seems OK), I'll try shutting off the supply valve and opening the drain valve. If it doesn't leak much, I could change it without having to drain the tank.
You probably didn't flush the tank as well as you think you did, since a conventional drain valve won't let larger particles through (as you have found out by the leak).
Just bite the bullet and change over to a full-port ball valve like Jim says.
Just bite the bullet and change over to a full-port ball valve like Jim says.
