Don Young wrote:

"larry moe 'n curly" wrote in message
oups.com...

The plastic dip tube in my heater was made with a 1/8"
hole a few inches from the top. What's the purpose of
this hole, and what direction should it face?

It is to prevent siphoning the water back out of the heater
if the water pressure is lost. It makes no difference which
way it is turned.

Thanks, Don. Now I don't have to worry if I installed the tube wrong
or not. I originally thought the hole was for stirring up the
water around the thermostat to prevent a hot spot next to it that would
turn it off at too low a temperature.