Leak in red plastic water line from hotwater heater

[jessepenn]

I have a leak in the red plastic line coming out of water heater, before the valve In my X189FBS I need to repair the red tube or replace. Can i replace just the red tubing? I don't see any threads anywhere in the tubing system except at the outlet of hotwater tank. Do I need to replace the entire valving system? If so, any recommendations where to buy the replacement? Is there anything that i can use just to stop the leak in the red tubing? Some kind of epoxy?

Appreciate any advice!

[N&K]

Most hot water tubing issues can be fixed with materials readily available from local hardware stores. The challenge might be to find red tubing. An old time plumbing supply or the big box stores, Home Depot or Lowes, might have a big enough selection to have colored tubing. They also have hose clamps that you most likely have to replace. If you can't find red tubing you can always use clear and then find a way to mark it red. Electrical tape?

The bigger issue is where the leak is. Can you actually see the leak and make some judgements about why it is leaking? This is important in knowing how to fix the leak. If the leak is at an end you might be able to cut off the broken part and reuse the old tubing. Is the leak caused by a defective or loose tubing clamp? If so you can tighten or replace the clamp.

The other big issue is do you have the tools and the skills to do the job. Tools are fun to buy if you need them. Skills are a little harder and more costly to buy. Some help is available at the hardware stores.

Other factors involved in your questions are what is the age of the TT? How did the leak develop? Are valves the actual source of the leak?

This should be an easy fix if you can determine where the leak is and why it leaks. Of course rocket science is easy for a rocket scientist.

[jessepenn]

N&K - Thanks for your response. I'm a veteran camper and have a full basement shop. My question might have sounded like a novice, but the question that i have relates to the details about how the tubing system coming out of the hotwater heater is assembled. The red plastic line coming out of water heater has small split. The line feeds into the isolation valve. I do not see any threads. I'd like to replace this short piece of hose but with no apparent connections of any kind, i may have to replace the entire assembly. I'm wondering whether any fun finder camper has worked on the valving system for the hot water system and whether there are hidden threads on the valve connections.

Another approach would be to epoxy a larger tube around the leak, but then i'm looking for some experience from someone who had success with a specific type of epoxy. Not all epoxys will bind to plastic and i don't know what kind of plastic the red tubing is made of.

With that explanation, does anyone have any thoughts?

[N&K]

I've used a spray on "Flex Seal" liquid rubber sealant coating on ABS drain pipe, but not on the pressure side of the system. It put a thick coating on that solidified but remained slightly flexible. Don't know how that would work in your situation but it was much easier to use than epoxy. The can says it works on PVC. Here is a review spot: http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/m...eck/index.html

[jessepenn]

I may have found a solution, at least temporarily, for the leak in the water line coming out of hot water heater. I found a product called "Rescue Tape" at Ace Hardware. It is supposed to be used for garden hoses and other types of leaks. It is also used as insulation material. It claims to be ok for high temperatures and high pressures. It is a rubber type material that bonds to itself. Stretched tight and wrapped multiple times around the valve and hose, the leak is fixed. Since it doesn't look like I can replace part of the line, this likely saves me a lot of money. The question will be how long does it last. We'll see, but maybe I am now good for the summer camping anyway.

[jbfunfinder]

Jessepenn-
We have a 2012 189 FBS and I have done waterline repairs and modifications near the pump under the bed. When I replaced a malfunctioning pump, I moved some lines around to take the stress off a poorly-plumbed factory layout. The waterlines used in our model are normal PEX lines using factory clamping. In Southern California, both Lowes and Home Depot carry a fairly complete line of PEX lines, fittings and crimping tools. I use the copper crimp ring system with barbed brass fittings, although the other clamping systems probably work fine too. This required the purchase of a copper crimp ring tool in addition to the pipes and fittings. The PEX can be cut to length easily with the same tool used to cut PVC pipe and the pipes come in red, blue and white.

By the way, one thing I did not do during my last repair and will do in the near future is to add an accumulator next to the pump to quiet the system. There are others on this forum who have done this with good results. See link:

http://www.amazon.com/SHURflo-182-20...A1OTHLCYHK9AS8