Repipe house and now hot water heater leaks

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ab51464

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Hi. We repiped the whole house in PEX in July, and in September the hot water PV started dripping. We replaced the PV and it still leaks. We turned the heat down on the water heater hoping this would fix the issue, but has not. We also seem to have low water pressure now. Anyone have any ideas? Would an expansion tank fix both these problems?

Thanks for your help!
 

Jimbo

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You say you have low water pressure,,,,but one symptom of a failed pressure regulator is low running pressure but high static pressure, which would coincidentally cause the TP valve to weep.

Get a little gauge with a tell-tale hand.
 

Gary Swart

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Anytime you have a PRV you need an expansion tank. That may or may not be the total answer to your problem of low pressure, that could be as simple as adjusting the PRV. A gauge is always a good item to have.
 

Cacher_Chick

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If the house needed a PRV which was removed or messed with during the re-pipe, the pressure may now be going beyond that of the relief valve. As others said, you need the gauge with the tell-tale hand so you can see how high the pressure creeps up over time.

If the main shut-off was turned off and did not open back up all the way (as sometimes happens when a gate valve fails), that could cause your low-flow issue.

It is also possible that when the repipe was done it released debris into the system and now the aerators in the faucets and/or shower heads could be partially clogged, making it seem like you have low pressure.
 

Nukeman

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I also wonder when this "low pressure" started. It may be actually a low volume problem, if the PEX wasn't sized correctly.

If it is something that changed recently, these guys have you looking in the right direction.
 

hj

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HE is NOT asking about EITHER low pressure or low flow. He seems to be asking why his T&P valve is leaking, which we CANNOT answer without making tests AT his residence, since it could be excessive pressure OR temperature. an expansion tank will NOT do anything about low flow/volume, and will only control high pressure if it is caused by thermal expansion. UNTIL you know the cause, do NOT start changing or installing things needlessly.
 

Jimbo

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Take a deep breath, hj!! He described two sypmtoms....possilby low pressure, and some leaking from TP. I think we were all trying to suggest how those two things MIGHT be related, and some simple tests to check. I certainly agree that he should not jump in and start replacing things, or for that matter installing an XT...which while a good idea, may or may not really be necessary.
 
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