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[hrc200x]

I need a new water heater just three months after hooking up the side arm on the current water heater. I see alot of them have plastic drain valves. Is this plastic threaded into the metal tank and all I would need to do is remove it and thread in a nipple with a T?

Do propane units tend to be taller than electric ones? My side arm is 48" long, for ease of install it would be nice if that was the distance between the pop off and drain, but the total height of 40 gallon "tall" electric ones seem to be shorter than that.

My current one is a propane and I'm leaning towards switching to electric.

[Trint]

Yes that plastic valve is threaded into the tank.  Plumber told me best thing you can do it throw it away and get a brass nipple and valve to replace it, so you can actually clean it out with any amount of flow.

as far as the height, I can't help you.

[slimjim]

Put the tank on blocks and drop the side arm down to the level needed to be level with the relief valve

[JTS717]

I switched my water heater from natural gas to an electric heater.  It had plastic drain and I pulled it out and put in all copper.  My electric 50 gallon was shorter than my 40 gallon natural gas.  So my new water heater is up on blocks and the top of the sidearm is tight to the top of the water heater.

[farmboythegreat]

I bought a new Rheem  heater just before christmas
the  chitty  plastic drain tap had a steel nipple that was screwed into  tank