Hello all,
I'm hoping someone can help me out with a water heater problem. First of all, I have a 40 gallon, natural gas water heater. It is installed in a closet in my home, which doesn't have a drain or a drip pan (drips/leaks are a problem). The house was built in 1998 and I purchased it in 2003. I assume this water heater has been in the home since it was built.
I realize the water heater is probably nearing the end of its life, but I would like to get a little more time out of it before spending the money to replace it, if possible. The water heater seems to be doing its job just fine.
A couple of weeks ago, I randomly opened the water heater closet and noticed a pretty good sized pool of water on the floor. I tracked the drip to the temp./pressure relief valve. I figured the valve was shot, so I purchased a new one and replaced it. A couple of hours later I found that the new valve was also dripping. It seems that the drip only occurs when the water heater is on and heating the water.
So, I purchased a water pressure test guage and took some measurements. I attached the guage to the drain valve on the water heater and got a reading of around 80 psi. When the heater kicked on, the pressure gradually rose to 150 psi, at which time the valve started to drip. I took the pressure at a hose bib and also got a reading of around 80 psi.
I should also mention that I have a Watts Potable Water Expansion tank installed on the cold water inlet line.
After reading some information on the internet, I decided that maybe my water pressure was too high at 80 psi. So, I went into my crawlspace and adjusted the pressure regulating valve at my main water inlet. The pressure at a hose bib after doing so was around 55 psi last night. This morning I took another reading and it was around 70 psi. I'm not sure why that changed. Now, with the lower water pressure, the pressure in my water is still climbing to 150 psi and triggering the valve.
I'm not sure what to try next, any suggestions? A couple other items to note. The hot water coming out of the tap seems to be an appropriate temperature. I don't believe the water heater is overheating the water. Also, I pressed the valve on the expansion tank and only air came out, no water. So, it seems to operating correctly.
Are there any other ways to test that the expansion tank is working? Could the increased pressure just be due to a failing water heater? Any ideas would be greatly appreciated.
I'm hoping someone can help me out with a water heater problem. First of all, I have a 40 gallon, natural gas water heater. It is installed in a closet in my home, which doesn't have a drain or a drip pan (drips/leaks are a problem). The house was built in 1998 and I purchased it in 2003. I assume this water heater has been in the home since it was built.
I realize the water heater is probably nearing the end of its life, but I would like to get a little more time out of it before spending the money to replace it, if possible. The water heater seems to be doing its job just fine.
A couple of weeks ago, I randomly opened the water heater closet and noticed a pretty good sized pool of water on the floor. I tracked the drip to the temp./pressure relief valve. I figured the valve was shot, so I purchased a new one and replaced it. A couple of hours later I found that the new valve was also dripping. It seems that the drip only occurs when the water heater is on and heating the water.
So, I purchased a water pressure test guage and took some measurements. I attached the guage to the drain valve on the water heater and got a reading of around 80 psi. When the heater kicked on, the pressure gradually rose to 150 psi, at which time the valve started to drip. I took the pressure at a hose bib and also got a reading of around 80 psi.
I should also mention that I have a Watts Potable Water Expansion tank installed on the cold water inlet line.
After reading some information on the internet, I decided that maybe my water pressure was too high at 80 psi. So, I went into my crawlspace and adjusted the pressure regulating valve at my main water inlet. The pressure at a hose bib after doing so was around 55 psi last night. This morning I took another reading and it was around 70 psi. I'm not sure why that changed. Now, with the lower water pressure, the pressure in my water is still climbing to 150 psi and triggering the valve.
I'm not sure what to try next, any suggestions? A couple other items to note. The hot water coming out of the tap seems to be an appropriate temperature. I don't believe the water heater is overheating the water. Also, I pressed the valve on the expansion tank and only air came out, no water. So, it seems to operating correctly.
Are there any other ways to test that the expansion tank is working? Could the increased pressure just be due to a failing water heater? Any ideas would be greatly appreciated.