Eddie,
You guessed it. You have a winterizing by-pass for the hot water heater.
Very handy to have if you are anywhere where it gets and stays below
freezing during storage. It also eliminates a persistant antifreeze
smell/taste in the spring. As for using PEX at the hot water heater I would
think that it is OK. Several years back when my hot H2O tank was replaced
the paid "profossionals" used plastic lines.
Scott
> Need help again.
> Off the back of several water heaters I pull, there is a 1/4 turn 90 valve
> in brass on the hot and cold connects. There is a line off one leg
> connecting each to the other direct as a bypass. Then there is the typical
> hot supply line out the other leg. There is the typical cold inlet on the
> valve other leg. Why do people do this? What is the purpose of being able
> to open the inlet cold leg and hot leg to each other which would
> simultaneously cut off the hot water heater from the system for cold water
> flow to the hot lines? Is this for winterizing fluids to avoid putting the
> fluid into the hot water heater?
>
> I need to know if I should use a length of copper or other metal line
> material at the heater instead of direct PEX plumbing at the water heater
> female connects. Even if I use the brass bypass valves, do I still need to
> keep some sort of distance from the direct heat of the water heater for
> the PEX?
>
> Trying to complete this today to get the trailer closed up before the
> rains.
>
> Thank you..
> -Eddie-
> Houston, TX