Hot Water Heater Repair Pressure Relief Valve
Safety first! Gas and electricity can kill! Follow all laws, local codes, and manufacturers recommendations throughout the process!
About hot water heaters
Hot water heaters are marvels of the marriage of past technologies, and modern technological controls. A hot water heater is basically a container that heats and holds hot water until it is needed. It is a boiler with incoming supply lines and exiting lines that supply faucets. Controls have improved over time, which make them much safer, and more efficient.
Some hot water heaters use gas as the heat source, and some use electricity. A new trend is evolving which uses solar power. Let me stress that unless you are properly licensed, any energy source repairs should be handled by the appropriate gas or electric contractors. The same may be true of plumbing matters in many cases, depending on your skill level, and local ordinances.
Pressure relief valve or TP (top pop) valve
One item that can be done by most home owners is the pressure relief, or top pop valve.Gather the tools and materials you will need:
Tools and materials
- A replacement valve of the type and size needed for your unit.
- The manufacturer recommended sealant.
- Pipe wrenches or slip joint pliers or other appropriate adjustable wrenches.
- A length of garden hose with a female connector.
- A bucket.
This is the sequence you should follow:
- Turn off the power supply, or gas supply. be sure to do this, and double check.
- Turn off the water supply, and double check this as well.
- If you need to turn of the water supply to the entire home, I suggest that you have a temporary supply of fresh water for drinking and cleaning during the time it takes to do the replacement work. This may seem insignificant, but will become important in the event that other problems crop up while doing the repair.
- If the entire home is turned off, opening a nearby hot water faucet to facilitate drainage is also recommended.
- If you have a valve on or near the hot water heater for turning off the water supply to the boiler, you should shut this.
- Connect a length of hose to the drain spout at the bottom of the boiler.
- Open the pressure relief valve at the top, or on the side of the boiler by lifting the handle to the upright position to relieve the pressure.
- Drain part of the water into a container. Be careful, the water will be hot!
- Allow time for the valve to cool. Remove the TP valves drain line connection.
- Remove the valve itself.
- Clean.
- Replace with a new valve, using whatever sealant is recommended by the manufacturer.
- Replace the drain line. if not already done, open a hot water faucet to release air that may have entered during the process. slowly open the boiler supply valve until it is completely open.
- Look for leaks and deal with them.
- Remove the drain hose and container.
- Restart the power supply, or gas supply, and if gas is used, follow the manufacturers instructions to relight the pilot light, if it is so supplied. Most newer gas water heaters have an automatic igniter run by thermostat. In such cases follow the manufactures recommendations as well.
