suburban water heater relief valve - dripping
When turning on the water heater, (electric or propane mode) water starts dripping from the relief valve after the water heats up. I fiddled with the relief valve, letting some water spray out of the...
Forum Discussion
The Full name of that valve is Temperature/Pressure Relief valve.
Let's ignore Temperature as well. that's not the problm. Temp relief is a woods metal plug, it melts and NIAGARA FALLS level leak then happens and you have to replace the valve.. So that's not the problem.
Drip, Drip, is the pressure relief, this is a spring against a valve seat.
Now, there are three common causes of that drip This is NOT in order, in fact if anything it is in reverse order
1: Bad valve, weak spring (not common)
2: No inlet pressure rebulator (See below) Too much city water prssure, as the water heats the pressure increases, and DRIP DRIP DRIP two solutions
3: No "Air space" So as the wate heats the pressure rises much faster than it should, again two solutions
The easy solution to #3: Drain, flush and re-fill the heater.. To do this shut it off, let it cool (Safety issue) or run water till it's cool.. Then operate bypass valves to stop water entering. Remove lower drain plug and (on some models) the attachend anode, If anode attached inspect and get a new one if needed, if not attached, Well then no need to get a new one (The plug will be Nylon and likely a witch to remove in this case).
I replace the plug with a pipe, then open the TPR and let it drain. Close TPR, replace origi8nal plug (or new anode plug) and turn the water back on. Wait a minute or two (for flow to stop) and turn heater back on.
The hard method and common to 2 and 3: Some water heaters have a check alve on the INLET,, Remove this valve, it is not needed.
Finally the solution to #1.. Over pressure on the city supply.......
There are several regulators.. I( wi9ll classify all but one of them.
1: Standard.. This is a plastic or brass cylinder, about 3/4" in diamater, may or may not have a gauge on it.. Also HI-FLOW, models, same as above but usually have a bright plastic grip.. Good for dish washing, NOT enough capacity to feed the shower.. I rate them about a 1 and 2 on the old scale of 10.
Valterra adulstable: I do not have one and have not tested it but others give it a good rating
Sur-Flo.. (A Watts corporation) This is the type that is pre-installed as part of the city wate rinlet on many Motor Homes. Mine is an "inline" model, the exact same regulator but with a male hose fitting screwed on the outlet. and no "Benzel" attached.. But it is the exact same regulator I give it a 9 when new
Watts, and Zurin Plumbing supply house (Also Home Depot/Lowes) types.. These have a brass lower body and a bell shaped (Also brass0 Upper body with a bolt sticking out the top of the bell (where the handle would go on a hand bell).
Mine are 3/4 inch.. But I suspect a half inch would work as well, They do not fit Garden Hoses (thouh I have seen them sold with adapters both "in the package" and pre-installed like my Sur-Flo) but on the old 10 scale they score a nice solid 11 when new.
All of them: You know the old joke about Bo Derrek Gettin older (What goes 10-9-8-7......) Well they do. As they get older the internal parts stiffen and they begin to restrict water flow.. Watts, Zurin and I suspect the Sur Flo (though I have yet to research) can be renewed with new internal parts.
I plan on rebuilding my watts soon as I remember to get a kit,, Same for the Sur-Flo,,, Zurin is too new to need it.
How good are these "Whole House" type... Well I put a pressure gauge on the outlet using a "Y", and set it to 50 PSI (RV says macx 45 but 50 is safe for mine so I use 50). Turned on the shower and watched the needle... it did not move, it acted like it was stuck on 50 (moved when water was turned off and disconnected though).. I mean it did not move (new Zurin) A decade old unit the pressure would drop down to less than 20 PSI. Same with the cylinder jobs.
Let's ignore Temperature as well. that's not the problm. Temp relief is a woods metal plug, it melts and NIAGARA FALLS level leak then happens and you have to replace the valve.. So that's not the problem.
Drip, Drip, is the pressure relief, this is a spring against a valve seat.
Now, there are three common causes of that drip This is NOT in order, in fact if anything it is in reverse order
1: Bad valve, weak spring (not common)
2: No inlet pressure rebulator (See below) Too much city water prssure, as the water heats the pressure increases, and DRIP DRIP DRIP two solutions
3: No "Air space" So as the wate heats the pressure rises much faster than it should, again two solutions
The easy solution to #3: Drain, flush and re-fill the heater.. To do this shut it off, let it cool (Safety issue) or run water till it's cool.. Then operate bypass valves to stop water entering. Remove lower drain plug and (on some models) the attachend anode, If anode attached inspect and get a new one if needed, if not attached, Well then no need to get a new one (The plug will be Nylon and likely a witch to remove in this case).
I replace the plug with a pipe, then open the TPR and let it drain. Close TPR, replace origi8nal plug (or new anode plug) and turn the water back on. Wait a minute or two (for flow to stop) and turn heater back on.
The hard method and common to 2 and 3: Some water heaters have a check alve on the INLET,, Remove this valve, it is not needed.
Finally the solution to #1.. Over pressure on the city supply.......
There are several regulators.. I( wi9ll classify all but one of them.
1: Standard.. This is a plastic or brass cylinder, about 3/4" in diamater, may or may not have a gauge on it.. Also HI-FLOW, models, same as above but usually have a bright plastic grip.. Good for dish washing, NOT enough capacity to feed the shower.. I rate them about a 1 and 2 on the old scale of 10.
Valterra adulstable: I do not have one and have not tested it but others give it a good rating
Sur-Flo.. (A Watts corporation) This is the type that is pre-installed as part of the city wate rinlet on many Motor Homes. Mine is an "inline" model, the exact same regulator but with a male hose fitting screwed on the outlet. and no "Benzel" attached.. But it is the exact same regulator I give it a 9 when new
Watts, and Zurin Plumbing supply house (Also Home Depot/Lowes) types.. These have a brass lower body and a bell shaped (Also brass0 Upper body with a bolt sticking out the top of the bell (where the handle would go on a hand bell).
Mine are 3/4 inch.. But I suspect a half inch would work as well, They do not fit Garden Hoses (thouh I have seen them sold with adapters both "in the package" and pre-installed like my Sur-Flo) but on the old 10 scale they score a nice solid 11 when new.
All of them: You know the old joke about Bo Derrek Gettin older (What goes 10-9-8-7......) Well they do. As they get older the internal parts stiffen and they begin to restrict water flow.. Watts, Zurin and I suspect the Sur Flo (though I have yet to research) can be renewed with new internal parts.
I plan on rebuilding my watts soon as I remember to get a kit,, Same for the Sur-Flo,,, Zurin is too new to need it.
How good are these "Whole House" type... Well I put a pressure gauge on the outlet using a "Y", and set it to 50 PSI (RV says macx 45 but 50 is safe for mine so I use 50). Turned on the shower and watched the needle... it did not move, it acted like it was stuck on 50 (moved when water was turned off and disconnected though).. I mean it did not move (new Zurin) A decade old unit the pressure would drop down to less than 20 PSI. Same with the cylinder jobs.
