Need help removing the pressure relief valve

twinster2 · 06-04-2016, 09:10 PM

I decided to replace the pressure relief valve on my hot water tank and discovered that it was frozen in place. Not sure what to do because I literally destroyed the valve trying to remove it I used a pipe wrench, vice grips, WD40, heat, you name it. Hasn't budged. I suspect that someone cross threaded it when it was installed.

**LJAZ** · 06-05-2016, 08:45 AM

You might try a good penetrating oil like PB blaster or Kroil and apply it for several days in a row. Then try your vice grips again.

twinster2 · 06-06-2016, 07:50 PM

Success, sorta. After trying force, heat, WD-40, pipe wrench and vise grips with a hammer, I decided to get mid-evil on it. Took out my angle grinder and cut it off about 1/2 inch from the tank. Then I took a hacksaw blade and cut down to the treads at 4 and 6 o'clock. next I took a chisel and knocked out the section and bent the remainder in on itself and pulled it out. Only problem is I sawed a little too deeply on the tank threads. I put some JB wield into the cut and threaded in a temporary 3/4 plastic pipe until the JB cures. Tomorrow I will thread in the new pressure relief valve.

**LJAZ** · 06-07-2016, 08:11 AM

When all else fails - go Cave Man on it! Glad you got it out.

Haole Hiker · 06-07-2016, 12:00 PM

Congratulations! I love that approach! You just keep going to the next solution. Those Water Heaters are buggars to try and screw things out of. It seems like all the minerals in the water get deposited in those threads. Our Well water is full of junk, our plumber uses Teflon Tape covered with Teflon Pipe Dope on our fittings and that seems to work.

GrandpaX10 · 06-07-2016, 09:28 PM

I hope the JB weld works. Perhaps lots of teflon tape will help.

FYI, Camco makes a tool for easy (ha, ha) valve removal. http://www.amazon.com/Camco-10552-Un.../dp/B003VB15MC.

Another thought. If the JB weld doesn't work, you may be able to drill out the hole and tap larger threads for the next size NPT. Then reduce it back to the size of the valve threads. Not cheap but way cheaper than a water heater.

Let us know if the JB works.

Dale
Kalamazoo too!