| Water Heaters: Friend or Foe? | | | | designed to release pressure if it gets up to 150 psi. |
| Your Water Heater is one of the most expensive and | | | | The problem is that it's really a safety valve and isn't |
| important parts of your plumbing system. Without one, | | | | designed to open and close a lot. Too much could |
| life just would not be the same. Imagine cold showers | | | | cause it to fail. |
| every day! But did you know that your water heater | | | | Thermal Expansion Can Cause Running Toilets |
| could be causing a problem in your pipes? | | | | Another symptom of thermal expansion problems is a |
| Hot Water Expands | | | | toilet that keeps running or kicking on from time to time. |
| Hot water heaters do their job by using either an | | | | This is caused by the excess pressure overcoming |
| electric heating element or a gas burner to heat cold | | | | the float on the fill valve, allowing water to run into the |
| water and make it hot. The problem is that water | | | | tank. Over time this can cause the fill valve to stop |
| expands when it is heated. This is called "Thermal | | | | working and make it run constantly. |
| Expansion". | | | | A Thermal Expansion Tank Will Solve These |
| An Extra Half Gallon Of Water | | | | Problems |
| Due to Thermal Expansion, a regular 40 gallon hot | | | | If you are experiencing either of these problems, or if |
| water heater creates about an extra half gallon of | | | | you are just replacing your water heater, it is a good |
| water in the pipes while heating water from 70 | | | | idea to install a Thermal Expansion Tank. This is a |
| degrees to 120 degrees. If the extra water doesn't | | | | small tank with an air bladder inside that is installed in |
| have anywhere to go it causes the pressure in the | | | | the cold water pipe near the water heater. When the |
| pipes to go up, sometimes way up. | | | | water heater comes on and starts heating, the extra |
| A Closed System Creates The Problem | | | | water that is created is forced into the tank and |
| If you have a "Closed System", meaning there is a | | | | compresses the air bladder. As the water cools, or a |
| check valve or "Backflow Preventer" on the incoming | | | | faucet is opened, the bladder pushes the extra water |
| water line, the extra water volume caused by thermal | | | | back out of the tank, |
| expansion has nowhere to go. This means that the | | | | A Fairly Simple Job |
| pressure in your pipes can get too high, possibly | | | | Installing a Thermal Expansion Tank is a fairly simple |
| causing problems. | | | | job. You just need to turn the main water off, install a |
| Too Much Pressure Is Bad | | | | tee and female adapter in the cold water pipe near |
| If your pressure gets too high because of thermal | | | | the water heater and then screw the Expansion Tank |
| expansion it can cause several problems. One of the | | | | into the adapter. A few basic tools and a little |
| main issues is that your T and P Relief Valve on the | | | | knowledge and you can eliminate thermal expansion |
| water heater can start to drip or run. This valve is | | | | from your piping system. |