# Rheem Marathon water heater



## bkplumber (Jan 24, 2011)

I was called to a customers house for a leaking water heater 8 months ago. When i got there it was leaking around the bottom element. That water heater wasn't very old and i had lifetime warranty,so we got one just like it and swapped it out. Now he calles me and the other one is leaking from the same place. I checked the one I changed at it was also leaking. I think the tanks on these are made off plastic. Both are hooked up to ground source heat pumps of some sort. Does anyone know about these or why this is happening?


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## Protech (Sep 22, 2008)

How hot is the water coming from the heat pump? I know you can't go above 140 with those plastic tanks.


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## bkplumber (Jan 24, 2011)

I believe the hot water is coming out water heater to the hvac unit


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## U666A (Dec 11, 2010)

This should DEFINITELY be posted in the "Test your plumbing knowledge" thread...

Sent from my iPhone using PlumbingZone


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## Will (Jun 6, 2010)

Marathon is a POS. That is why it's leaking. Probably leaking on the POS O-Rings they use to seal that POS tank up with. Did I mention the Marathon is a POS?


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## bkplumber (Jan 24, 2011)

Its leaking around the bottom element all three of them it there an o-ring there. Im not taking it apart they are all under warranty


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## Will (Jun 6, 2010)

It's hard to locate the leak on a Marathon heater. Could be leaking on the connections for the hot and cold inlet/outlets, but you wouldn't know cause it would be leaking all under the shell, at the same time riuning the elements and thermostat. I have a brand new Marathon sitting in my garage that I'd make a hell of a deal on it for you it you want it. I'd stay far away from these POS water heaters.


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## bkplumber (Jan 24, 2011)

No thanks! This dumb home owner was sold on these heaters because the look like space ships!


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## Protech (Sep 22, 2008)

I haven't seen any problems with the marathon tanks. I have seen a few that were quite old and still working.The only issues I have ever heard of were from overheating.

I would be checking out the temps the desuperheater on that heat pump is putting out. The heat pump is prolly cooking that plastic tank. I've seen it happen before.


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