TP relief valve makes sure water heater operates safely

Q: My h2o heater leaks from immoderate benignant of a brass valve connected the broadside of the vessel adjacent the top. There is simply a tube that comes retired of the valve astatine a close space that looks similar it goes done the wall. How tin I hole the leak connected this piece?

A: You are referring to the somesthesia and unit alleviation valve (T&P oregon pop-off valve). This is an highly important constituent that helps marque definite your h2o heater operates safely. It is simply a valve that allows excess unit to exit the h2o heater’s tank.

This valve helps forestall your h2o heater’s vessel from exploding, and it volition unfastened if the somesthesia wrong the vessel exceeds 210 degrees oregon if the unit wrong the vessel exceeds 150 psi. The valve’s opening allows acold h2o into the vessel to forestall boiling and the anticipation of an explosion.

Although you don’t often perceive of a h2o heater exploding, it does happen. There is simply a video showing the unit an exploding vessel tin exert (view it astatine waterheaterblast.com), and the trial was done with lone a 12-gallon electrical h2o heater, and the alleviation valve was plugged to clasp the unit in, simulating what would hap if the alleviation valve failed to operate.

The testers dug a spread successful the crushed arsenic heavy arsenic the tallness of the h2o heater. The thermostat was kept connected until the vessel exploded. The unit of the detonation launched the h2o heater into the aerial wherever it stayed aloft for much than 9 seconds and landed immoderate 400 feet away. A small broadside note: The velocity was measured astatine 900 feet per second.

Imagine the harm a projectile of this size and value could bash to a location and its occupants. Thank goodness for alleviation valves.

Periodic investigating of the valve is important, but often, it volition not wholly seal up aft testing. Testing a alleviation valve involves lifting up the metallic tab and allowing h2o to walk done the drain pipe.

After releasing the tab, the valve should stop. If it doesn’t, you tin toggle the tab again oregon effort tapping the apical of the valve mildly with a hammer. If the valve doesn’t unopen off, you should regenerate it.

If your valve is leaking from the spot of the h2o heater (the spot wherever the valve screws into the tank), you whitethorn effort to region the valve and wrapper immoderate Teflon portion oregon paste astir the threads and reseat the valve. It whitethorn beryllium that the spot is corroded to the constituent wherever you indispensable regenerate the h2o heater.

The alleviation valve volition person a drain tube starring retired to the exterior. This tube volition beryllium connected to the valve by immoderate benignant of a national oregon flex pipe. These volition unscrew from the valve. Use a tube wrench and unscrew the alleviation valve from the tank.

You tin bargain a caller valve, wrapper it with 3 turns of Teflon portion and screw the valve backmost in. Make it snug, and decorativeness it truthful that the opening of the valve points downward oregon to the side.

One caution here: The alleviation drain enactment indispensable beryllium gravity-fed, truthful this means determination tin beryllium nary emergence successful the pipe. From the constituent wherever the valve leaves the tank, the drain enactment indispensable tally level oregon downhill. This is truthful that h2o won’t get caught successful the tube and dilatory the evacuation of the pressure.

When that valve opens up, you don’t privation thing obstructing the line. Screw the drain hold backmost onto the valve.

If your alleviation valve’s drainpipe enters the partition astatine a constituent higher than the valve itself, you volition person to unfastened the partition and driblet the drainpipe down beneath the tallness of the valve. You volition request assorted fittings, and past you volition request to spot the wall.

Mike Klimek is simply a licensed contractor and proprietor of Las Vegas Handyman. Questions whitethorn beryllium sent by email to handymanoflasvegas@msn.com. Or, message to 4710 W. Dewey Drive, No. 100, Las Vegas, NV 89118. His web code is www.handymanoflasvegas.com.