Water heater questions from a newbie

[DBS2071]

Hi everyone I've been lurking for awhile and have enjoyed the tips. Well...I installed by water heater today. From reading this forum I decided upon a Rheem. Install went pretty smooth. But before my questions, I do have to share a bit of my stupidity. I hooked up everything, water, gas, vent, earthquake straps, (Chino Hills, CA). tested everything, lit the pilot and it stayed on like it should. Turned the temperature control to 120° and nothing. Would not fire up. I sat thinking what could be wrong. After about 20 mins. and no fire I figured it must be a bad thermostat. I figured I'd have to call Rheem on Monday. That was until my neighbor and his wife came over and after about a minute of them staring at the WH, the wife asks shouldn't this knob be tuned to on not pilot. Geez, I'm a moron. Works like a champ now.

My questions now. The T&P valve is dripping. Could this be a bad valve? Second, When running the pipe from the T&P valve can a flex line be used or does it have to be hard piped?

Thanks, Brian

[Redwood]

Brian, How about posting a picture of your installation?

[Gary Swart]

The TP valve should have been replaced with the tank. It is possible the TP is malfunctioning, but it sounds more like another problem. Do you have a pressure regulator valve on your water supply? If you do, you also must have a thermal expansion tank installed between the PRV and the water heater and it must be pressure-matched to the PRV. If you do have a PRV but do not have an expansion tank, because water expands as it heats it must have a place to expand to. If there is no PRV then the city water main absorbs this expansion and that's that. However, if you have a PRV, it has a check valve built in that prevents this expanded water from passing into the city main so a thermal expansion tank is needed. Without this tank or if the one you have is not set right or has failed, because the expanded water has no where to be absorbed, it trips the TP valve. The TP requires a hard pipe to the floor.

[DBS2071]

The TP valve should have been replaced with the tank. It is possible the TP is malfunctioning, but it sounds more like another problem. Do you have a pressure regulator valve on your water supply? If you do, you also must have a thermal expansion tank installed between the PRV and the water heater and it must be pressure-matched to the PRV. If you do have a PRV but do not have an expansion tank, because water expands as it heats it must have a place to expand to. If there is no PRV then the city water main absorbs this expansion and that's that. However, if you have a PRV, it has a check valve built in that prevents this expanded water from passing into the city main so a thermal expansion tank is needed. Without this tank or if the one you have is not set right or has failed, because the expanded water has no where to be absorbed, it trips the TP valve. The TP requires a hard pipe to the floor.

It came with a new TP valve already installed. I'm pretty sure there is a pressure regulator outside. The supply line comes up from the ground, has a shut of valve, a device that has a dome sticking out horizontally with a screw and lock nut at the end (which I'm sure is the regulator), then the hose bib, then 90's into the house. All of the houses around here have these devices and nobody has an expansion tank that i've seen.

[patrick88]

I would install an expansion tank. It sounds like you have done everything else right. You could change the t&p, but that might be a waste of money. The T&P blow off can be run with hard plastic. The box stores sell the ready made ones.

[sjsmithjr]

Just out of curiosity, did you pull a permit for your installation? To ensure their proper and safe installation, Chino Hills, CA requires a permit for water heater replacements. Contact the Community Development Department at (909) 364-2780 for information; the inspector might even spot the problem your having with your installation.

[hj]

The T&P discharge water will be 200+ degrees if it operates. There is NO plastic that is approved at that temperature, which also has a FULL 3/4" i.d. as required by the code.

[Redwood]

Just out of curiosity, did you pull a permit for your installation? Chino Hills, CA requires a permit for water heater replacements. Contact the Community Development Department at (909) 364-2780 for information; the inspector might even spot the problem your having with your installation.

I would highly recommend this as well!
That was the reason for asking for the picture of the installation.
It sounds like you have researched the topic and probably done it okay but...
I strongly feel that installing gas appliances is not a hobby.

The possibilities of an empty lot with a smoldering pile of toothpicks in the middle of it is very real. As is an entire family not waking up in the morning.

Please have it inspected!

As for the T&P dripping check the pressure with a gauge and a Thermal Expansion Tank will probably fix the dripping problem.

[jimbo]

SInce Chino Hills is in the South Coast Air Quality Management District, I assume your new WH is the Ultra Low Nox, and cost you an arm and a leg! What did you pay for that WH if you dont mind my asking? You have noticed that the burner in that is not just an open flame, but a glowing matrix. You mentioned it is a Rheem ......good choice. Rheem got the Ultra design right, just as they got the FVIR right. Some other manufacturers got both of those "wrong".


follow up: You were at ground zero of last weeks earthquake, I believe. Everything come through OK?

[DBS2071]

SInce Chino Hills is in the South Coast Air Quality Management District, I assume your new WH is the Ultra Low Nox, and cost you an arm and a leg! What did you pay for that WH if you dont mind my asking? You have noticed that the burner in that is not just an open flame, but a glowing matrix. You mentioned it is a Rheem ......good choice. Rheem got the Ultra design right, just as they got the FVIR right. Some other manufacturers got both of those "wrong".


follow up: You were at ground zero of last weeks earthquake, I believe. Everything come through OK?

Yep, ultra low nox. And I should have been more precise...It is a GE, which from what I understand is a Rheem. It was $579.00 for a 50 Gal/12 year. And yes, that glowing matrix was one of the first things I noticed

Made through the quake just fine. A few items on the floor, a couple of broken items. No biggie. It beats floods and tornados. Well that is until the so called BIG ONE hits, then I might change my mind.

[DBS2071]

I would highly recommend this as well!
That was the reason for asking for the picture of the installation.
It sounds like you have researched the topic and probably done it okay but...
I strongly feel that installing gas appliances is not a hobby.

The possibilities of an empty lot with a smoldering pile of toothpicks in the middle of it is very real. As is an entire family not waking up in the morning.

Please have it inspected!

As for the T&P dripping check the pressure with a gauge and a Thermal Expansion Tank will probably fix the dripping problem.

I'm very familiar with gases that go boom. I work with Hydrogen tanks and piping as well as piping natural gas to heat treat furnaces. So I am well versed in gas safety. I handled this job like I do with hydrogen, no margin for errors. I am completely confident working with natural gas.

Here are some pictures for your opinions. If you notice I have not finished the piping on the TP valve, I didn't want to finish the hook up until I figured out what was wrong with the dripping. If you notice the small stub in the other picture, that is where the TP valve gets attached.

[MACPLUMB 777]

Ok These Are The Problems I See;

#1 You Need Sheet Metal Screws At Least (3) If Possible In Each Joint Of The Single Wall Vent Pipe, In Case A Minor Earthquake ! !
So The Vent Doe's Not Come Loose And Poison The Family ! !

#2 Yes You Can Use A Water Heater Flex To Connect The T & P Drain
"but" Check With Your City Officials On This,

#3 Where You Have The Cold Water Flex Go Back To H.d. And Get A 3/4" Brass Tee And One Brass X Close Nipple This Allows You To Install Thermal Expansion Tank There, If Not Enough Room Get A
2nd. Brass Nipple And Strap Tank To Sidewalls Being Sure To Hit A Stud With A Second Earthquake Strap Kit And Use A Water Flex To Connect It Together,

The Thing You Must Know About Plumbing The Codes Get Updated All The Time So What Was Allowed At The Time Of The Old Heater
Install Is Not A Approved Way To Install A New Water Heater To Todays Code ! ! !

Yes The Device You Describe On Your Front Water Service Is The Prv. This Doe's Have A Internal Bypass To ALLOW Hot Water To Flow Into Street But The Chino Hills Area Has Very High Street Water Pressure ( Because Of Those Pesky Santa Ana Summer Fires )

So Because Street Pressure Is At Or Higher Then The The T & P Relief Setting Of 150 Psi. You Need The Thermal Expansion Tank
To Test This Get A Double Needle Pressure Gage And Leave On The Wtr/htr Drain Over Nite,
You Will Find That After 10m If Not Before The Water Pressure Will Go Up! !

Thats More Typing Then I Have Done In A Long Time

By The Way Just Because I Am In S.l.c. Ut,
I Still Carry A Ca. Contractors Plumbing License

[Redwood]

Thanks for posting the pics I believe our Doctor of Waterheaterology has covered what additional stuff needs doing.

One thing though Jerry...
I would suspect that the hills rather than Santa Anna winds and fires have more to do with the water pressure....
It takes ooomph to make water go uphill!

Jerry, you might SNAKE ANY DRAIN, PLUMB. ANY PIPE, MAKE COLD WATER BOIL ON A FREEZING DAY but....
I have been there and done all that plus I know how to make water go uphill.

[MACPLUMB 777]

Yes I Know About How To Make Water To Go Up HILLS ! ! !

But I Also Know Fire Protection I Am A Rated Fire Protection
Specialist Since Oct. 1974
And Carry A Current Fire Sprinkler Lic. In Calif since JAN. 1989

The High Water Pressure Is To Get The Right Volume And Pressure
Up To The "top" Of The Calif. Hills To Fight Fires
I Have Grown Up In Those Same Calif. Hills Helping To Fight Those Brush Fires From A Early Age And That Is What "SPARKED" My
Interest In Fire Fighting

[Redwood]

Well Jerry if you think about it a little, the pressure gets the water up to the top of the hill whether it is going to a faucet or a fire truck. The diameter of the water main is what determines if a fire truck is going to have a satisfactory water supply.

That area looks a little sparcely populated to find a hydrant... They usually put them next to roads...

BTW Jerry I do miss the volunteer firefighting days... It was fun throwing water around.
Spent a good 25 years + doing it. Saw a couple of big ones too!

One of the things I really liked was the muster competitions that we had. Our company did an event close to this one in the video below where the truck drives ahead ,stops sets up a draft, and pumps water down a 150' run of 2 1/2" hose to a target.

It's funny in the video linked below it shows a 1919 fire truck doing it in about 30 seconds. We did it with a 1975 truck in about 28.5 seconds on the average. Truth is that is pretty phenominal when you think about it because that 1919 White in the video is a ringer for this event. The truck has a positive displacement pump so the priming is easy. We started with a dry pump but ours was a 1,000 gpm centrifugal pump that took some doing to get a prime. Watch the video its neat!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Afmr3...eature=related