Hot Water Tank Overflow Pipe Dripping | Step-by-Step Guide To Fix It

Generally, water heaters that are installed in our houses have inbuilt valves that come along with them. This valve is also present in the latest water heaters that are installed in most modern apartments as well. This built-in TPR valve is identified as the temperature pressure relief valve. The main purpose of this is to act as a preventive measure, whenever there’s excess pressure.

This temperature pressure relief valve is attached to the discharge pipe. It’s designed to release the pressure when there is too much of a load built up inside the water heater. So, this release of its pressure causes your hot water tank overflow pipe dripping towards the floor where the hot water heater is placed.

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TPR valve is an indication we must know about

Well, if the temperature pressure relief valve Is defective, that means the tank is prone to Some sort of damage. A failure in the TPR valve could lead to a situation where the tank could even blast. This is a kind of an explosion that could happen without warning that would cause immense damage to your house.

If You find the hot water tank overflow pipe dripping at some point, we will have to come to an assumption that there is some sort of a defect in your overflow valve. But still, you cannot come into a solid conclusion as yet, since it is just an indication of a malfunction in your overflow valve. But we can dig deeper on this later on.

What could cause this hot water tank overflow pipe dripping issue?

This water heater leaking issue mainly happens when the valve has surpassed its productive age period. In case if you were wondering, these temperature pressure relief valve’s too have an age limit when it comes to both productivity and efficiency.

Yep, you guessed it correct. Age is the predominant cause of an overflow pipe’s water leak. But there are other factors for this as well. Have you thought about the damage minerals can do to your temperature pressure relief valve? Especially in case if it has an accumulation of various types of deposits

Follow these best practices for your TPR valve’s sake and yours

Accumulated deposit in a TPR valve Could be harmful, depending on the material. But our main concern here should be minerals. These minerals would even cause corrosion in the long run. So, we definitely need to watch out for that.

For that reason, I suggest that you get your temperature pressure relief valve checked periodically. And if it’s your own house, I strongly recommend you to do a replacement of the TPR valve every year. At least get it replaced every now and then if you feel that an annual replacement is impossible or Impractical due to your busy schedule.

Temperature pressure relief valve replacements done annually will prevent your water tank from unnecessary trouble. And most importantly, it will at least prevent it from a dangerous explosion for sure. So, I guess that explains a lot of things because safety should always come first Inside your own house, rented house or apartment.

Testing and checking the temperature pressure relief valve

It’s always important to look at the necessity for a replacement first, before changing your TPR Valve Blindly. First of all, let’s look at the valve’s efficiency and confirm whether everything is intact. You can check the temperature pressure relief valve without the help of anyone, even if you haven’t done it before.

Once you have checked the temperature pressure relief valve in terms of both productivity and efficiency, you are almost good to go. After you have finished your investigation, you can Leave some kind of a container right under the TPR valve. Now You can raise the valve lightly and open it.

Drain away 250 to 500ml of hot water out of the tank. But be cautious when doing this because this isn’t just any hot water we are dealing with here. The temperature of this water is almost a hundred degrees Celsius. And yes, there is certainly a chance of hurting yourself.

Signs that determine whether the valve should be replaced or not

But you can avoid the potential danger of this boiling water by using a pair of hand gloves. Be Mindful to soft handle the valve at this stage. Our main concern here is to restrict it from delivering an atomic explosion of water. Rough handling is not recommended even if you have previous experience on this because things can get messy and dangerous in case of a sudden burst.

If removing the valve discharges zero water from the tank, then that is an indication of an obstructed valve in the form of a blockage. In that case, this valve has to be looked into. So therefore, it’s much better to substitute it with a new one as soon as possible.

What if everything looks fine and the valve seems to release water without any issue. And yet, hot water tank overflow pipe dripping problem doesn’t seem to end? Honestly, there could be possibilities of this happening still even after all the trouble we have taken.

Still, there is no need for us homeowners to panic. But we should know that this is an indication that substituting the old valve with a new one is the solution for us.

Finally! it’s time for the replacement

Now that you have completed all of the testing and checking of the TPR Valve. Now it’s high time we replace it. Replacing the temperature pressure relief valve should be done according to its manual. But it will be useful if you have a rough guideline as to how you can replace it based on past experiences.

But one thing to keep in mind is that replacing the temperature pressure relief valve isn’t much different from one valve to another. That’s why I mentioned that you can use your previous knowledge for the replacement, in case if you have misplaced the owner’s manual.

Is your hot water heater still leaking after repairs?
While this page includes the most common sources and fixes for hot water heater leaks, they won’t cover every issue. Sometimes, replacing a part will still not fix the leak. In these cases, it could be due to a more serious issue and a professional plumber should be contacted. Sure, the hourly rate of a professional plumber is not cheap, but it can save you in the long term.

by : FIX IT Home Improvement Channel

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