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Rinnai Water heater leaking

MikeG1979
MikeG1979 Member, Email Confirmation Posts: 6
edited February 2021 in THE MAIN WALL
Rinnai Tankless Water Heater is leaking from where the water goes into the unit. We just had a freeze here and lost power for 3 days off and on. Can I repair this myself?

Comments

  • Jamie Hall
    Jamie Hall Member Posts: 24,837
    A very faint maybe. It depends on what froze and burst. I'd say... unlikely. But you might get lucky and find that it is a threaded nipple.
    Br. Jamie, osb
    Building superintendent/caretaker, 7200 sq. ft. historic house museum with dependencies in New England
    geno907
  • Intplm.
    Intplm. Member Posts: 2,194
    You might be able to. Depends on where the specific leak is.
    Is it a pipe, pipe fitting, manifold, thread from a flange that is replaceable?
    Post a few pictures up close and a few feet away for a better look.
  • MikeG1979
    MikeG1979 Member, Email Confirmation Posts: 6
    file:///var/mobile/Library/SMS/Attachments/77/07/3937BEAA-8958-42A3-841E-495AE6C4096B/Screensho.jpg
  • Intplm.
    Intplm. Member Posts: 2,194
    @MikeG1979 Try to load that again. The posted attachment is not highlighted and will not react when scrolled over. It will not open.
  • MikeG1979
    MikeG1979 Member, Email Confirmation Posts: 6
    Screenshot 2021-02-19 105040
  • MikeG1979
    MikeG1979 Member, Email Confirmation Posts: 6
    I'm having trouble uploading this pic
  • mattmia2
    mattmia2 Member Posts: 10,919
    You have to click on the little picture icon above the comment box and then select the file to attach which may be a little difficult to do on a phone, you can't paste an image in to the comment box.
  • MikeG1979
    MikeG1979 Member, Email Confirmation Posts: 6
    edited February 2021
    ok
  • MikeG1979
    MikeG1979 Member, Email Confirmation Posts: 6
    https://share.icloud.com/photos/0eD9ric68NEQjIumMOkSs95rA
  • mattmia2
    mattmia2 Member Posts: 10,919
    I hate to be the bearer of bad news, and there is a very small possibility that someone here will know of some miracle part that can be replaced without more time and materials than replacement, but that split looks like it is right in the middle of the heat exchanger and is fatal.
    kcopp
  • Jamie Hall
    Jamie Hall Member Posts: 24,837
    If it's the deformed pipe in the yellow circle, it's dead. I'm not surprised -- the heat exchanger pipes are, of necessity, very thin wall and if anything is going to split, that's what it will be.
    Br. Jamie, osb
    Building superintendent/caretaker, 7200 sq. ft. historic house museum with dependencies in New England
    kcopp
  • rick in Alaska
    rick in Alaska Member Posts: 1,466
    I need to see a better picture. Those fittings are held in place with a clip, and I have seen them where the fitting pushed the clip out a little after freezing, and caused it to leak. I have been able to take the clip off, put on a new o-ring, bend the clip back, reinstall it, and make it work ok.
    Rick
  • psb75
    psb75 Member Posts: 903
    The leak appears to be spraying out of a crack in the steel body of the heat exchanger and not on the copper pipes. Difficult to fix.
  • Eric_32
    Eric_32 Member Posts: 267
    That leak is not fixable. I wouldn't do it. You have to replace the heat exchanger to save the heater. Be aware, if water got into any wiring connections at the bottom of the heater, they will eventually corrode. The age of the heater would determine how I would proceed.

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