Hey /diy/! So during the middle of the night i heard water running through the pipes of my house as if the sprinklers were on. But they were not. I noticed that the water heater was on constantly and this was at 4AM and the pipes were pretty hot and so was the floor next to the pipes... So i shut off the water to the house and checked on the water meter and saw that the water meter stopped so that definitely means that there is no leak correct? But why is my water heater still on!? The electronic unit on the heater is working fine as well with no indications stating otherwise.
Any opinion is great!
>>961578
>I turned off the water to the house then the meter showed no usage
Looks like you turned off the water. Turn it back on and check again. It sounds like a leak desu senpai, I'd turn on the hot water in your furthest sink and see if there's air in the lines ASAP. Also, if it is just hot water leaking, turn off the water at the water heater so you still have cold water in your house.
>>961582
Also, your water heater should put out around 120F. You can just barely stand to keep your hand under this hot of water. If you turn it on and it's fucking hotter then The Games dick pics, turn off your water heater breaker now. Also, check your pressure relief valve.
>>961582
>Looks like you turned off the water.
oh shit. That just clicked everything together for me. Im gunna check right now.
As for the pressure, the bootleg plumber mentioned something that the heater is giving a little bit of pressure when it should have no pressure at all. does that mean anything?
>>961586
>>961584
>Also, check your pressure relief valve.
Yes that is what its called thank you!, the pressure relieve valve. So the plumber said that the valve is broken and needs to be replaced because the pipe attached to the valve is giving a bit of pressure when there should be none. Is that correct?
>>961586
I'm not an expert, but my guess would be that the fucker noticed something wrong but didn't feel like fixing it. for example, a temperature probe slowly going bad, leading to 130F water and slight pressure valve release. Now it may be to the point where it's leading to 160F water and your pressure relief valve said 'nah, fuck that shit son, I'm done.'
>>961588
>the pipe is giving pressure
Where the fuck does it go? It's just a drain for emergency situations when something electrically makes the heater stay on. Mine drains right to the garage floor. I'd rerun that line ASAP if it's clogged, and replace the pressure relief valve, because it's been confused as fuck for too long. This is all stuff you can do yourself with basic tools. Is your water heater inside?
>>961589
Fuck, aight thanks he will be coming back tomorrow to replace the valve... He already replace some pipe and will be completing the whole job for $500..
>>961593
Yea mine also drains to the garage floor as wwell. I have no clue if it is clogged? I dont think so because the plumber released the pressure. Then he mentioned that there is still just a tiny bit of pressure still there.
>>961594
Did you have air, or crazy pressure out of your sink? Google 'water heater explosion' that shit is only funny when you see it online. Turn your breaker off if you seriously think you may have a pressure issue.
>>961596
There was just a BIT of air, nothing to suck skin from the back of my hand pressure it was a VERY light. Is that still bad?
>>961597
>pressure was from the emergency drain pipe not sink
correction, sorry
>>961596
>Google 'water heater explosion'
This. Almost happened to me. Fucker who installed it capped off the release valve.
Small heater, about 5gal bucket sized under the sink.
It was sweating and making noises and I want to say slightly vibrating when I caught it.
Just a quick update.
Looks like this problem occurs at a certain time early in the morning around 4AM. This is the first time i have wver seend the pressure valve release dripping water, ever. So what could thisbplumber have done to replace less than 2 feet of pipe in my wall when it looks like the whole case was just the pressure release valve? Could it have been the pipes fault which made the pressure release valve work correctly this time?
Thanks for the help guys
>>961596
Yeah that shit aint no joke. Will blow a water heater through a 2 story house easily. One of the reasons I always use those gas water heaters that only heat the water you're using (rather than store it in a big pressure bomb)
>>961710
The pipes may have been corroding. This can cause stuff to flake off and build up in the valve, causing it to fail. Depends on what the pipe was made out of.
Prv is to step down water pressure from the street and add water to system. You should have a relief valve on the hot water heater itself
>>961714
>>961717
Ok so i took a picture of what he did. The pipe is the new "pipe" he installed. Is thisbred pipe stronger than a regular black thick pvc pipe?
>>961717
And this is the prv that he said is broken.
>>961721
Turn off unit at breaker
Turn off water to unit
Wait 1 hour
Turn on sink hot water for 5 seconds
Release pressure on valve manually
Remove valve with Irwin™ channel locks
Take to Lowes, tell them you need everything to replace that
You'll get:
the valve
Sealing tape or paste
A new fitting, and some pipe that hopefully is threaded. If not, a high temp hose is fine. Just clamp it to the pipe and run it to the floor.
Clean out the old threads
Put your tape or paste on the new valve threads
Insert valve, turn until snug and facing proper direction
Don't bother going crazy tight, doesn't make a difference.
Boom, you saved 300$
>>961765
Too late my friend :( i already paid yesterday
>>961775
that was actually a pretty good practice situation. even if you fucked it up just call a plumber. not much terrible could have happened from trying to fix it
>>961721
That's not a prv you just got burned
Prv
>>961798
>That's not a prv you just got burned
it could be. mine looks like that (me = USA, tho I was too lazy to go take a pic of mine so I show the Google pic)
not considering the previous posts:
1--a water heater has a pressure relief valve on it, so that if the electric/gas heater sticks on, the tank won't burst as the water boils into steam
2--the pressure relief valve connects to a hose or pipe, that is supposed to let the blown-out water drain somewhere relatively harmless
3--(in the US at least) the pressure relief valve also lets you manually open that valve if you want, as it MAY be placed near the bottom of the tank, and then is the way that you drain that tank should you ever need to--such as, to replace the heating element. Some tanks have it at the top and a separate drain valve at the bottom, tho
4--if you ever shut the water supply to your water heater off, you are also supposed to shut off the heater too AT THE SAME TIME. If the heater kicks on when there's no water in the tank, the heater will over heat and melt its seals and will leak--and then you will have to replace it.
5--the pressure relief valves get old and fail, and they are designed to fail OPEN. So if it ever fails, it will open partially and let water through. So then your heater runs constantly, the water doesn't get very hot like normal and you hear a stream of water through the pipes.
>>961806
Relief valve is designed to just relieve pressure off the water heater/boiler by letting it out. prv reduces pressure from the street to your boiler/waterheater
>>961806
>5--the pressure relief valves get old and fail, and they are designed to fail OPEN. So if it ever fails, it will open partially and let water through. So then your heater runs constantly, the water doesn't get very hot like normal and you hear a stream of water through the pipes.
OP here. The last sentence is the EXACT thing that happened. But the valve was not releasing anything, it was not open at all.
>>961841
>But the valve was not releasing anything, it was not open at all.
Did you go to the end of the relief pipe and see if anything was coming out?
>>961812
Not according to the rest of the world. Including the owner's manual for the last two water heaters I installed. It is a pressure relief valve, that relieves pressure built up in the water heater before it blows apart.
>>961765
>Turn off unit at breaker
Gas water heater. Notice the exhaust right behind the valve?
>>962051
Yes that part you're talking about doesn't add water to the tank how would it it's not connected to anything. The prv doesn't get rid of water to step down pressure that's what the diaphragm and spring is for. You literally Google image searched relief valve and not pressure reducing valve.
>>962227
So you admit the thread was talking pressure relief valve, and you're bring in a pressure reducing valve and saying everyone else is wrong. You were wrong by bringing up a valve very different valve just because they share the same acronym PRV. So take your pressure reducing valve and install it where it really belongs.
>>962053
Are gas water heaters not controlled by electricity at all? I work on commercial stuff, and the only non-electric gas stuff we work on is griddles and budget fryers.
>>961798
It's a pressure relief valve, not regulator. Jesus Christ...
>>962275
No. Thermostat and thermocouple control it.
