Hot Water Relief Valve Drip Normal?

ncrowley wrote:
Well, I tapped on the valve and the side a couple of times and it is no longer leaking! I hope it holds. If it does not, I will replace it. Thanks to everyone here.

Yep! That is what I have done the last two years, and it has also worked for me. Glad you got the valve to seat. Probably some alkali sediment got between the valve seat.

Mine would drip a bit also . . . . tapping the top stem got it to seal. I had to rid the tank of some sulfur smelling bacteria (chlorox treatment).

In this weeks "winterization" I noticed the pop-off valve was pretty creaky. Hitting the exhaust spout with a few WD-40 treatments got it to move better. I'll find out this week whether it seals or not (another trip).

BTW - Knowing I would have to winterize weekly I replaced the drain plug with a plug / anode rod / drain valve to make draining easier (Camco product). Don't waste your time with one of these - it takes HOURS to drip out through the drain even with the pop-off valve open. When I winterize I'll be pulling in about 10pm 2 - 3 times / month and will need to do this quick. I put the nylon plug back in and will dedicate a 15/16" socket for this task. It looks like a 1 foot section of 1/2" threaded pipe will keep the water from running down the side of the coach, too. Look in the sprinkler section at Home Depot for plastic "header" pipe.

Best,
- bob

Dog Folks wrote:

C-Leigh Racing wrote:
All that is good advice, but if that valve drips water, once you have the air pocket back in place, can it leak air as well & then your air pocket is gone again.

Back years ago when was doing plumbing work & like installing a new water heater & filling it back up, it was bad to open up that new relief valve to let the air pressure out to fill the heater completely.
9 times out of 10, that new relief valve would leak & drip afterwards if you did open it up.
Neil

Thanks for your post. Sounds like good advice. When I replace our relief valve I will definitely keep that in mind.

Hate to say it, but that's been my experience also. The problem is you need to know for sure that the valve is working so you have to try it. What I do is first spray the shaft with silicone spray. Then I work it back and forth a few times before "snapping" it shut. Seems to help.

Well, I tapped on the valve and the side a couple of times and it is no longer leaking! I hope it holds. If it does not, I will replace it. Thanks to everyone here.

ncrowley wrote:
I tried the process to recreate the air pocket and it is still leaking so I will need to get a new valve. A couple of questions:
1. Should I have done this with the hot water heater on so there is more pressure? Not much came out.
2. The pipe has rust on it. How hard will this be to get out? Will I risk hurting the hot water heater? Any hints on how to get it out easily?

NO! You got to have the heater off and the water has to have cooled down or else you are going to burn yourself. Be careful not to hurt yourself, IF you are not sure what you are doing, get a plumber to change it out for you.

I was worried about it coming out also, knowing the tank was Al and the valve was brass an it had been on there for 16 years. I used a long wrench, applied torque, tapped the valve with a hammer and it broke free easily. In retrospect it would have come out with just the wrench.

I tried the process to recreate the air pocket and it is still leaking so I will need to get a new valve. A couple of questions:
1. Should I have done this with the hot water heater on so there is more pressure? Not much came out.
2. The pipe has rust on it. How hard will this be to get out? Will I risk hurting the hot water heater? Any hints on how to get it out easily?

Gjac wrote:
Mine was 16 years old and has leaked off and on for several years. I reestablished the air space, snapped the lever on and off to clear any scale on the valve seat but the water would drip on the burner tube and the fusible link. I replaced the valve last year and no more leaks. If I remember correctly the valve was about $12 and easy to replace.

X2

Mine wasn't quite that old but the dripping went away with a new valve. And yes, I tried the other band aids first.

Relief valves don't last forever. The stopper eventually goes bad and the valve leaks. That's a clear indication it needs to be replaced. I recently replaced the relief valve and my 12 year old MH to stop the drip and all is well since then. That air cushion is great to have and meant to be there.

It's a standard item available at well stocked hardware and plumbing stores. Most household water heaters use 3/4" relief valves but this one is only 1/2". RV dealers don't have an exclusive on them.

Mine was 16 years old and has leaked off and on for several years. I reestablished the air space, snapped the lever on and off to clear any scale on the valve seat but the water would drip on the burner tube and the fusible link. I replaced the valve last year and no more leaks. If I remember correctly the valve was about $12 and easy to replace.