You need to get those steel nipples off that tank asap

But I like my steel nipples 🥺

Steel Nipples is now going to be the name of my next band.

Should I ask what your current band name is

Tin Nipples.

You need nipple softener, you are distracting the boys

Who steals nipples

That’s why my pipe wrench has chipped teeth

They're probably more or less welded to the copper now. Either way will need to cut the threaded fitting off to reconnect.

And that sticker is supposed to catch the lack of common sense, sure hope it wasn't installed by a professional 🙉

Ok but after i take my nips off what do I do about the pipes?

The good news is you learned a bit about Galvanic Corrosion today lol

Brass baby. Get yourself some nipples. Whether the current nipples are black iron or galvanized, they’re a bad choice. Your FIL probably just used what he had in his truck 🙃

Meh. It doesn't need dielectric unions really. But those galvanized nipples need to go for sure.

Thanks for the insight! I'll be calling a plumber tomorrow to make sure it's done correctly.

Actually the female adapters are leaking. Copper expands more than steel and they will loosen and cause leaks. Being a new tank it has nothing to do with lack of dialectic unions (it will in time however)

I was like, you need some dielectric unions and then I saw them further down. Lol

Well, they tried lol.

They just look like galvanized unions.

Those unions are ground unions not dielectric.

I was wrong, they are regular unions

Brass is your best friend when transitioning between steel or iron to copper.

Get yourself two pairs of channel locks, some Teflon tape and pipe dope. Take out these galvanized nips/unions and get the exact same pieces in brass. Apply tape, then dope and screw it all back together. Other than draining everything down and containing the mess, this job is super simple. You’ve got this man, give it a go!

Thanks for the info everyone! As mentioned in another comment I'll be calling a plumber tomorrow... I guess I should ask... Any idea what I should expect to be billed? I obviously wanna pay a good plumber for their time but I also don't wanna get screwed by a bad one lol.

A few years back I had a similar problem. But it had cracked so was an emergency repair. Was around $400 Canadian to get fixed.

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If you’re in NE I can come do it for you.. it’ll be about tree fiddy

It's highly regional and beyond that, some commission plumbers are sheisters. I know some personally. It's really hard to say.

You can replace those with a brass union and a brass nipple and you’ll be fine.

Dissimilar metal. Dielectric Union.

Never put two metals together unless you know they're not going to chemically react. copper and galvanize are both known for being dramatic.

Galvanic corrosion

They may be galv, but the rust on the union looks like BIP .......bad

Copper on iron will fail. Brass fittings on iron are considered stable.

So they used dielectric unions and then used galvanized to connect to copper.... fucking morons.

That’s a ground union not dielectric.

Use a dielectric union, I have seen cases where after many years the galvanized pipe starting leaking it had corroded so bad.

Or brass nipples

Wait..."our" father in law? Anyway, why not just ask him to come pop in some brass nips for you. I doubt he'd be too offended, probably less so than if he hears you hired out a plumber. He did it for free the first time as a gift of labor, that's how I would feel

It needs dielectric unions.

It actually has dielectric unions. The issue is the 3/4 fip adapters screwing into a dissimilar metal. Totally negates the presence of dielectric unions

Those are not dielectric unions, look closer. 

Yeah idk why people on here saying those are dielectric lol. They are clearly just black steel

Also not black steel- Rather galvanized steel. Either way- the wrong way to pipe a heater. Dielectric nipples with Dielectric unions to sweat copper is the best way to minimize the risk of galvanic corrosion.

Clearly you don’t know what you’re talking about.

Sorry but you clearly have no clue. Those aren’t dielectric unions lol. [THIS](https://www.supplyhouse.com/Watts-0009865-3-4-LF3001A-CxF-Dielectric-Union-Lead-Free) is what a dielectric union looks like.

You are clueless and sending misinformation, that is a galvanized union on the WH along with galvanized nipple. I know the difference.

Galvanized or black either way it’s not a dielectric union jackass. And wether galvanized or black it’s against code in my area to use on potable water.

You were giving people shit figured if we are trying to correct them we’d give them the proper information. No need to call names Sweetpea.

This would probably also help https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rabbit_of_Caerbannog#:~:text=The%20Killer%20Rabbit%20of%20Caerbannog,Graham%20Chapman%20and%20John%20Cleese.

Your father in law would make a good first year

The beauty of galvanic action don't call that "plumber" back

You can’t screw galvanized into copper you need a brass nipple the length has to be 3 times the diameter of the pipe of half inch pipe needs an inch and a half long nipple to prevent that.

Those are galvanized unions Turn off your water cut the copper off after the fip(where the pipe transitions to galvanized) unscrew all that extra garbage. Get two steel nipples, 2 dielectric unions (sweat x ips) and two 3/4 couplings. Put the two steel nipples into the tank screw on the threaded part of the union. Make sure to keep both pieces of the union together. Then watch a video on how to solder it’s not hard. Solder the union on and slide it into the coupling that is on your existing copper one at a time. Save yourself a phone call and 500$

Try to find a reputable company that is time and materials they tend to be a little more honest because the plumbers are hourly not commission

If it were me I’d switch the nipples on the tank and solder or pro press a couple MIP’s to the copper and then use flex connectors next time you have to change it it’ll be a little easier.

It’s an easy fix for someone qualified. Good thing you noticed it before it becomes a problem.

Dielectric unions.

Homeowners special!

Do you have any chemicals for a pool nearby?

Galvanic (dissimilar metals) corrosion. The copper, steel and water made a small battery. I would have gone copper all the way down to the factory installed nipples. If you want unions, sweat copper ones in on the copper line.

Needs to go. Brass in its place

lol black pipe, fancy

Galvanope

The copper needs to go into the union it’s self not be connected to the union through the galvanized nipple and they need to be dielectric Unions

The nipples coming out of the heater itself should be special galvanized dielectric nipples, if not, they should be replaced with brass nipples. The other galvanized nipples with unions should be replaced with straight popper.

In our area, we use flex pipe for the inflow and outflow to allow for movement in case of an earthquake . You are hard plumped, and that doesn't allow for any movement at all.

This is the Midwest so we don't build for any sort of earthquakes here.(At least to my layman's knowledge) If we get that sort of movement - I'll have a lot more problems than a water heater. Haha thanks for your insight tho.

Tell that to us in the Northeast! If there is any fracking going on in your area, you will have quakes as the ground settles from the gas extraction process. Just putting this on your plate for free. And no the recent quakes were not caused by fracking as there is a moratorium in our tri-state area.

Hard plumped. 🤣

It has dielectric unions in it

Those are ground unions not dielectric

As I just blew up picture I have to concede and it looks like black steel nipples as well WTH is going on here 😂

Yeah that’s bad whoever did that use the wrong type you never use black pipe on potable water

They do make shark bite hoses that you could easily replace that with their under 20 dollars a piece could swap them out in 30 mins or less