Heat trap on new Rheem hybrid water heater

[Timmed]

Hi all - Just purchased a new Rheem hybrid electric hot water heater. It's unclear to me whether the factory installed nipples are heat trap nipples, or just an inlet pipe. It sorta looks like a heat trap, but its installed horizontally, which makes me wonder. The installation guide also mentioned creating a loop in the cold water inlet pipe to act as a heat trap.

Can anyone tell me by looking at these pics? I guess I could create a loop on the inlet pipe just to be on the safe side.

Thanks in advance,
Tim

 

[Reach4]

I would think you would look directly into the hole to see that. Is there a clear shot, or is there something that would stop a gentle 1/2 inch dowel from entering the tank? I am betting on heat trap.

 

[Sponsor]

 

[Timmed]

I would think you would look directly into the hole to see that. Is there a clear shot, or is there something that would stop a gentle 1/2 inch dowel from entering the tank? I am betting on heat trap.

Thanks for the tip, Reach4. The dowel appears to go right through the top nipple (hot water outlet), but has slightly less clearance on the cold water inlet. It still goes in a good 8 inches or so, which makes me think it's just a diffuser.

 

[John Gayewski]

Look into the nipple. If you don't see anything but darkness is not a special heat trap nipple.

 

[Reach4]

It would be a dielectric nipple. Maybe you should use an external heat trap. See if your manual says something about that. An external heat trap is a pipe path that goes both up and down.

 

[Timmed]

Thanks all. Found out those nipples are dielectric only, and manufacturer suggests piping a heat trap, so that's the route I'm going.

 

[Glocklt4]

Ugh, not happy to see these nipple pictures. I have a replacement Rheem hybrid being delivered on Monday. These "dielectric" nipples are NOT DESIGNED WELL. See these threads about the corrosion you can expect because the plastic stops before the end of the pipe and does not expand out to cover the end of the pipe.

https://terrylove.com/forums/index.php?threads/yellow-water-after-heater-replacement.82598

https://terrylove.com/forums/index.php?threads/discolored-hot-water-after-new-hwh-install.89871

 

[hj]

It is a curved pipe that takes water from the to of the tank. The black line indicates which way it is facing so you can orient it proerly.

 

[CTho]

My new Rheem hybrid looks like this, so maybe they have finally fixed the galvanic isolation / corrosion prevention, at least on the hot. I can’t see the cold without removing the automatic shutoff valve, which transitions to brass.