Water Heater Pressure Relief Tank

Reasons for water discharging from the relief valve.

Water heater pressure relief tank. 1 either the water pressure inside the tank is too high 2 the water temperature is too high 3 the t p valve hasn t been used in a few years 4 the wrong t p valve was installed or 5 the t p valve itself has failed. For example in frisco texas all new homes currently require a prv and an expansion tank. This water heater expansion tank stops hot water from backflowing into the cold water line and prevents hot water from escaping through the pressure relief valve and onto the floor. A 40 gallon water heater with 80 psi line pressure will build to a pressure of 145 psi with a temperature increase of 16 f.

A water heater expansion tank is another small tank that is attached to the water supply pipe of the water heater. Depending on the place of residence the city may need an expansion tank regardless of the water pressure for example when installing a new water heater. When you see water coming out from the water heater release valve there are two most likely causes. Temperature pressure relief valve and thermal expansion the temperature pressure relief valve is a safety feature designed to operate as an emergency relief control and not as a constant thermal expansion control.

The water heater expansion tank serves as an overflow receptacle by absorbing excess water volume that occurs when water is heated as well as absorbing fluctuations in the incoming water supply pressure. What size expansion tank do i need. As the temperature increases the maximum working pressure for which the water heater was designed 150 psi can be exceeded. The expansion tank is designed to handle the thermal expansion of water as it heats up in the water heater preventing excessive water pressure.

The excess water volume instead of causing too much pressure on the plumbing rushes into the expansion tank and lowers the pressure in the water heater to safer levels. So when the water pressure gets too high it will flow into your expansion tank instead of damaging your home s plumbing valves fixtures and joints and potentially causing a. Constant fluctuations in water pressure can be dangerous and they can damage the water heater properly installing a thermal expansion tank can solve all these issues. A water heater expansion tank is an additional small thank that is attached to your water heater unit.

This ultimately protects it from damage. Since water expands when it is heated due to thermal expansion the water heater creates extra water volume every time it heats water. The relief valve is working the way it s intended and water drained to reduce the pressure inside the tank. There are numerous possible reasons your water heater s pressure relief valve leaks.

The expansion tank serves as a backup system to prevent overworking your plumbing. A hot water heater expansion tank is the cost effective solution to thermal expansion and high water pressure.