Water Heater Leaking At Relief Valve Diagnose / Fix 

No problem! Glad to hear it was helpful and hopefully this solves your issue

The National Plumbing Code, and others, have required the installation of a thermal expansion tank on all new water heater installations/replacements for at least twenty years, even when the potable system is not a closed system. This was intended to be proactive. Some municipalities will let you get away with not installing a tank if you are not on a closed system, though, which is stupid. The code was put in place for the very reason this problem occurred. Municipalities are very likely to install new meters with check valves to protect the public system from contamination. They usually change the meters out because they replace the old ones with meters that can be read remotely via radio signal, and these new meters almost always incorporate at least one check valve. Something to keep in mind is that pressure reducing valves act like check valves and can close a system. Some have bypasses to allow thermal expansion to push back through them, but the orifice in the bypass is very small and it doesn’t take long for it to get clogged to the point where it won’t allow water to flow back through it.

Yeah it was a lot of talking, probably would have been better if I plugged some graphics in there. And thanks!

Being that he lives in a cold winter climate like me our water shuts off are Buried 4 feet deep to keep them from freezing

@@toddarnold2882 That makes sense. Crazy how different things can be from one region to another. I watch several RU-vid mechanics that live where they salt the roads and I'm always blown away at how aggressive rust/corrosion is. If they had to work on cars from Tucson they'd think they died and went to heaven. On the flipside if a desert mechanic moved to the northeast he would have alot to learn! Prob starve on flat rate in the beginning.

I think a mechanic from the desert would quit if he moved in to the salt belt lol

@@toddarnold2882 Seriously! I watch all these videos and I'm thinking... that would take 1/4 the time here where its not all rusted and corroded, plus the added cost of all the consumables, PB Blaster, Kroil, fluid film, gas for the torch etc. Man a rust belt mechanic could make it damned good living here in the desert!

Thanks man and thanks so much for checking the videos out! Definitely more to come on the tow truck

Awesome! Good luck getting it rectified. Let me know how you make out

Lol. Yeah her video is killer

Thanks for the info! I'll definitely keep an eye on mine

You have to have a good shutoff valve or you'll never get the joint soldered. Any dripping or trickle at all and the copper can't heat up enough. Then you have to give it time to drain too. If you can keep it dry, the rest is just in the preparation of the joint. Clean both parts (sand, wire brushes, etc), flux is a must, only make it hot enough for the solder to flow then take away the heat. Personally I love copper pipe and really don't trust that plastic stuff everyone uses now. Copper is expensive and a little more work but it's the best imo.

@@AlAllerton I'm working on never having to solder water pipes ever again in my life but just typing this I can feel the leaks beating on the joints a bit harder now. Lol. Thanks for the info for sure though!

Thanks Ronald

Lol! That's exactly what Jen said when she heard me editing the video and she heard that. She said somebody's going to comment about that reference. You were the first one

Spoke too soon, watched rest of video and you fitted this 😅

So the pressure stays at 45 when the water is being reheated in the hot water tank. Otherwise it will spike

It will also help reduce banging or "water hammer" in the pipes. That sudden stoppage of water at the faucet causes the water pressure spike and needs to release somewhere, so the expansion tank acts like a pillow when the pressure suddenly spikes.

They repaved it and did a pretty good job

The inlet side of the regulator that goes to the street should have 80psi. The expansion tank will not affect that

Oh nice. That makes sense. I was thinking the regulator was after the water heater.

Did you set the air pressure in your extension tank?

The old check valve at the street was probably not sealing properly and leaking. Or there was no check valve to begin with since these houses were built in the 50s

Putting the check valve in makes the water system in the house sealed off. So thermal expansion can be a real problem

@@NNKH2 Oh right - so there you have it. The street supply was the expansion tank! Very cool. Thanks again!

The installation was done by a company

Yes. I would definitely replace it. Unless it's in a area that you don't mind getting flooded when it inevitably starts leaking. They corrode on the inside once the sacrificial anodes are depleted

In apartments you’re are required to change them prior to the warranty going out even if they are working properly due to the risk of failure and insurance following the expiration of warranty. They all last different durations really. Some can fail in under 10yrs and some may last up to 20 or more years. They can be affected by water clarity and type or just by build quality. Pressure also as Chris noted here.

Pull

I'm afraid of forcing it 2 hard!