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Home > Archive > Plumbing forum > October 2006 > Home water pressure increases when water heater is used
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Home water pressure increases when water heater is used
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| Salto Jorge 2006-09-15, 3:25 am |
| Home water pressure increases when water heater is used.
Installed the following new parts.
* water heater
* pressure regulator on the main supply line
* pressure gauge on the cold line in the house, reads 50 when nothing
is turned on
* relief valve on the hot water heater
After the hot water heater turns on the pressure in the system increases
until the relief valve on the water heater starts to drip water out the
drain pipe. At that time the pressure in the house increases to 120 and
above.
We called Home Depot who installed the heater in my mothers home, they
now refuse to call her.
The mfg., GE insists that the heater is good, and something else in the
system must be faulty.
We have spoken to a master plumber and he asked other friends and they
are stumped but insist that home depot should be involved.
What can cause this problem ?
Salto
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| Bob Wheatley 2006-09-15, 3:25 am |
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"Salto Jorge" <Dr.Salto@guidedadventures.org> wrote in message
news:450A1789.EC028901@guidedadventures.org...
Home water pressure increases when water heater is used.
Installed the following new parts.
water heater
pressure regulator on the main supply line
pressure gauge on the cold line in the house, reads 50 when nothing is
turned on
relief valve on the hot water heater
After the hot water heater turns on the pressure in the system increases
until the relief valve on the water heater starts to drip water out the
drain pipe. At that time the pressure in the house increases to 120 and
above.
We called Home Depot who installed the heater in my mothers home, they now
refuse to call her.
The mfg., GE insists that the heater is good, and something else in the
system must be faulty.
We have spoken to a master plumber and he asked other friends and they are
stumped but insist that home depot should be involved.
What can cause this problem ?
Salto
Please don't post to Usenet in HTML.
It sounds like someone installed a check valve on the cold water entry on
the heater (or possibly elsewhere) without using an expansion tank or
checking the pre-charge on the existing expansion tank.
The bottom line... Heating water will cause expansion and if there is a
check valve - it creates a closed system where pressure will build without
an appropriate expansion vessel.
Bob Wheatley
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| Ned Flanders 2006-09-15, 5:25 pm |
| "> pressure gauge on the cold line in the house, reads 50 when nothing is
> turned on
> drain pipe. At that time the pressure in the house increases to 120 and
> above.
"
The expansion tank comes pre-charged for a well(28psi), which assumes a
pressure range of 30-50.
you need to add air to the expansion tank, most guys fail to do so.
"Bob Wheatley" <xmaster.dancer@directway.com> wrote in message
news:12gk5pp4gmk5b9a@corp.supernews.com...
>
> "Salto Jorge" <Dr.Salto@guidedadventures.org> wrote in message
> news:450A1789.EC028901@guidedadventures.org...
> Home water pressure increases when water heater is used.
> Installed the following new parts.
> water heater
> pressure regulator on the main supply line
> pressure gauge on the cold line in the house, reads 50 when nothing is
> turned on
> relief valve on the hot water heater
> After the hot water heater turns on the pressure in the system increases
> until the relief valve on the water heater starts to drip water out the
> drain pipe. At that time the pressure in the house increases to 120 and
> above.
> We called Home Depot who installed the heater in my mothers home, they
> now refuse to call her.
> The mfg., GE insists that the heater is good, and something else in the
> system must be faulty.
> We have spoken to a master plumber and he asked other friends and they are
> stumped but insist that home depot should be involved.
> What can cause this problem ?
> Salto
>
>
>
> Please don't post to Usenet in HTML.
> It sounds like someone installed a check valve on the cold water entry on
> the heater (or possibly elsewhere) without using an expansion tank or
> checking the pre-charge on the existing expansion tank.
> The bottom line... Heating water will cause expansion and if there is a
> check valve - it creates a closed system where pressure will build without
> an appropriate expansion vessel.
>
>
> Bob Wheatley
>
>
>
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| kennybs@adelphia.net 2006-09-15, 5:25 pm |
|
Salto Jorge wrote:
> Home water pressure increases when water heater is used.
>
> Installed the following new parts.
>
> * water heater
> * pressure regulator on the main supply line
> * pressure gauge on the cold line in the house, reads 50 when nothing
> is turned on
> * relief valve on the hot water heater
>
--
sounds like the installation of your pressure regulator on the main
supply line is isolating and closing/checking your system from the
incoming water supply. The pressure regulator is not allowing for
thermal expansion to push back into the water main therefore causing
the T&P to release with the increased pressure. The Watts AUB-25 allows
for thermal expansion, that is one option. The other is to put an
expansion tank somewhere in your system to allow for the thermal
expansion of the now closed system.
The fault isn't in the tank or with Home Depot, it's with the person
doing the plumbing that doesn't know any better.
kenny b
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| Salto Jorge 2006-09-16, 5:25 pm |
| I will look at the system for items that could have been added or changed
kennybs@adelphia.net wrote:
> Salto Jorge wrote:
> --
>
> sounds like the installation of your pressure regulator on the main
> supply line is isolating and closing/checking your system from the
> incoming water supply. The pressure regulator is not allowing for
> thermal expansion to push back into the water main therefore causing
> the T&P to release with the increased pressure. The Watts AUB-25 allows
> for thermal expansion, that is one option. The other is to put an
> expansion tank somewhere in your system to allow for the thermal
> expansion of the now closed system.
>
> The fault isn't in the tank or with Home Depot, it's with the person
> doing the plumbing that doesn't know any better.
>
> kenny b
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| Ned Flanders 2006-09-18, 8:25 pm |
| just look for your expansion tank and make sure it is properly inflated.
sounds obvious . You might damage the water heater and void the warranty
"Salto Jorge" <Dr.Salto@guidedadventures.org> wrote in message
news:450C7102.F39617C7@guidedadventures.org...
>I will look at the system for items that could have been added or changed
>
> kennybs@adelphia.net wrote:
>
>
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| Snakebite 2006-10-09, 8:25 pm |
| Ken is a Plmming professor, say thank you
"Salto Jorge" <Dr.Salto@guidedadventures.org> wrote in message
news:450C7102.F39617C7@guidedadventures.org...
>I will look at the system for items that could have been added or changed
>
> kennybs@adelphia.net wrote:
>
>
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