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Water heater pop off valve issue Joe 12-03-2006
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Posted by Joe on December 3, 2006, 6:45 pm


3 days ago I noticed water leaking out of the pop off valve on my three year
old hot water heater. My first thought was bad pop off valve so I replaced
it. The problem persisted. Then I thought maybe the thermostat was sticking
on and over heating the water so I bought a thermometer and check the water
temp at the closest faucet to the tank and the water was 130 deg with the
tank set on 125. I then thought I must be having water pressure spikes so I
bought a pressure tester and screwed it into the pop off valve outlet and
just left the pop off valve open. Initially there was only 75 pounds of
pressure. I went back and checked an hour later and the gauge showed the
pressure had been as high as 160 pounds. I thought ok my water pressure
regulator had bad so I replaced the regulator coming into the house and the
pressure was 60 pounds initially. I come back and hour later and the
pressure gage had gone up to 200 pounds which tells me if the gauge had not
been there the pop off valve would have again let water escape as it is
designed to pop at 150 PSI or 210 degrees. The hot water in my house is not
scalding hot by a long shot.

Where do I go from here? Why is so much pressure building up in my water
heater?

Thanks Joe




AppliancePartsPros.com, Inc.
Posted by hallerb@aol.com on December 3, 2006, 6:52 pm


do you have a anti siphon valve at the water line entrance? if so you
need a pressure tank.

with no abilty to backflow when your heater heats water it expands and
causes the valve to open.

if not you need a pressure regulator valve installed at the entrance


Posted by Joe on December 3, 2006, 7:06 pm


I have a regulator coming into the house which I replaced today.

Why would I need an expansion tank now when there has not been one for the
last 9 years I have owned this house and it has not been a problem up till
now? What has changed?
Joe

> do you have a anti siphon valve at the water line entrance? if so you
> need a pressure tank.
>
> with no abilty to backflow when your heater heats water it expands and
> causes the valve to open.
>
> if not you need a pressure regulator valve installed at the entrance
>



Posted by hallerb@aol.com on December 3, 2006, 7:15 pm



Joe wrote:
> I have a regulator coming into the house which I replaced today.
>
> Why would I need an expansion tank now when there has not been one for the
> last 9 years I have owned this house and it has not been a problem up till
> now? What has changed?
> Joe
>


some areas require anti siphon valves or check valves when plumbing is
worked on or homes sold.

say you have a garden hose in a swimming pool filling it.

the water goes off, suction will pull water from your pool, it might be
yuk dirty and flow to your unsuspecting neighbors.

so a check valve is now required at home sale time.

this makes the plumbing in your home a sealed system. when you hot
water tank heats water the pressure increases sometimes dramatically
and the valve opens.

a pressure tank absorbs the change in pressure


Posted by Joe on December 3, 2006, 8:49 pm


Ok I grasp what the pressure tank does and it makes perfect sense. I can see
how this would solve my problem. I also understand why codes would have
check valves. I do not know if my house has one or not. What I do not
understand is why everything has worked just fine for 9 years and now all of
the sudden I am going to need an expansion tank. My HWH sits right by the
garage entrance to my house and the drain dumps water on my garage floor if
it dumps water. I walk right by this every time I come in my house so I
would have noticed if this had happened before but it hasn't. So why has
thing work just fine up till now without an expansion tank?
Joe
>
> Joe wrote:
>> I have a regulator coming into the house which I replaced today.
>>
>> Why would I need an expansion tank now when there has not been one for
>> the
>> last 9 years I have owned this house and it has not been a problem up
>> till
>> now? What has changed?
>> Joe
>>
>
>
> some areas require anti siphon valves or check valves when plumbing is
> worked on or homes sold.
>
> say you have a garden hose in a swimming pool filling it.
>
> the water goes off, suction will pull water from your pool, it might be
> yuk dirty and flow to your unsuspecting neighbors.
>
> so a check valve is now required at home sale time.
>
> this makes the plumbing in your home a sealed system. when you hot
> water tank heats water the pressure increases sometimes dramatically
> and the valve opens.
>
> a pressure tank absorbs the change in pressure
>



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