Possible to damage plastic threads on indirect water heater?

vtdiyer

I am installing a SuperStore Contender SSC-50 indirect water heater and one of the things I noticed is that threading for boiler feed and return connectors are plastic. I am sweating a pipe on an elbow right out of the feed connector and I am concerned with a possibility to melt/damage the thread. At the same time if I don't heat the joint properly I can not do a good sweating job. Does anybody know what kind of plastic is there and how resistant it is to this sort if thermal damage. Thank you.

kcopp

Boiler tappings....

on a SSC-50 and female and not plastic. They are steel and on the side. The top hot and cold water nipples have plastic lined dielectric nipples and can be damaged w/ heat. Hence the reason you presolder the fittings on and wrap the area w/ a cold wet rag.

vtdiyer

Thank you

Thank you. Yes, I was talking about the female 1" ones on the side. They looked and felt like black plastic. My mistake. Thank you.

pipeking

what u should do

is use short 1" nipples and female adp. instead of copper male adp. right into the sup/ret. i will say every one i ever used male adp. on leaked in 2yrs or less. i started doing this and never had a problem since! good luck

icesailor

Fittings:

And use quality PTFE pipe tape and a quality pipe paste like Rectorseal #100 or Meg-Loc.

vtdiyer

Thank you

I have already finished the job by the time I saw your comments about using nipple-female approach, but if what I have leaks, I will try than instead. I had used 1 to 3/4 galvanized steel bushings to step down as my boiler loop is only 3/4 anyway, then 3/4 copper male to sweat adapter and an elbow right out of it it. I've used paste but it took me two tries to do the bushings without a leak. Everything is running right now and everybody enjoys hot water in the house.