water heater bypass valves

[B_Hunter45]

Hi All,

Going to replace the water heater and want to install bypass valves to ease the winterizing process.
Which valve should I use? Brass? PVC ? Bronze? anything else?

Thanks

[S/V Illusion]

As it’s not salt water, the choice is whatever you want...

[River Cruiser]

I used pex type on mine.

[ggray]

As our boat is plumbed with Whale plumbing fittings, that's what I used.

Even if yours is not, easy to use Whale pipe and fittings right at the tank, and then connect to what lines you have.

[Crown Royal]

The choice is your when I’m working on a boat i try to match what most of the other parts are done like If all brass than brass if all pex than pex and so on this makes it fit in as always there and professional done

[jr_spyder]

I did this project a few years ago using PVC valves with threaded fittings. I’m petty good at this stuff but it failed. The HWH gets as hot as the engine temp, ~180°f when heated by the engine and it seems that was too hot for the pvc. The threaded joints didn’t leak at first but did after getting so hot. I tore it all out. I still haven’t redone it but will do it with brass ball valves and add a mixing valve to control the temp of the outflow.

[Lepke]

Threaded PVC will leak with high heat, but valves with glue fittings will last a long time. Look for CPVC valves and pipe. Also use schedule 80 pipe, not much more but with a thicker wall. It's more resistant to breakage from vibration.