[Shop-talk] Water Pressure Relief Valve

[Doug Braun]

If this is a city water system, wouldn't the expanding water simply back up
into the supply lines?

If it is a well system, shouldn't there already be an expansion tank that
can deal with it?
If there is an expansion tank, perhaps it has lost its air supply and is
completely full of
water? ( I'm not really familiar with the details of maintaining a well
system...)

Doug




On Fri, Sep 13, 2013 at 4:36 PM, Brian Kemp <bk13 at earthlink.net> wrote:

> Jim - It might be building up too much pressure.  Check the water
> temperature of the hot water.  It should be no more than 140.  120 is safer
> and recommended if you have kids.  A meat thermometer should be close
> enough and covers the right temperature range.
>
> The two consecutive showers probably made the tank colder than normal.  If
> it then heated fully without a hot faucet being opened, the pressure
> reached the point were the valve tripped like it should.
>
> If you have a water pressure gauge, you could connect it to the laundry
> sink or washing machine hot water valve.  Check it after a shower or other
> big use of hot water then again after 30 minutes to see how much it went up.
>
> I've seen cases were people also put in a small expansion tank near the
> heater.  Search "hot water expansion tank" for details.
>
> Brian
>
>
> On 9/13/2013 11:58 AM, Jim Stone wrote:
>
>> The major appliances in the rental property we bought last year were all
>> on
>> their last legs, but we have been trying to stretch out replacing them as
>> long
>> as possible to keep it from becoming a money pit.  The furnace and
>> refrigerator were the first to go.  Stove, dishwasher and air conditioner
>> are
>> all close behind.  The water heater is from 2002 and, not knowing how
>> well it
>> was treated in the past, is probably also at the end of its life
>> expectancy.
>> The pressure release valve had a very slow drip when we took possession,
>> so I
>> replaced it.  The new one still dripped and, thinking it was a defective
>> replacement, I replaced that too.  But the drip remained.  It probably
>> drips
>> about a cup a day, but I have the valve running into a floor drain, so I
>> have
>> never been too worried about that.  However, yesterday after both my wife
>> and
>> I took relatively consecutive showers, the valve opened up completely and
>> shot
>> water out.  I shut off the water supply and the tank and reset the valve
>> and
>> all has been  normal  since.  I hadn t notice the setting before the valve
>> opened, but the water had been very hot and I suspect the renters had
>> turned
>> it up pretty high.
>>
>> Is the drip and one time opening up an indication of impending failure?
>>  I am
>> not happy about spending the money right now, but it is certainly better
>> to
>> replace it ahead of a catastrophic failure.
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