Hi,
I have a State Select brand water heater (40 gallon) which is about 4-5 years old. It recently has begun to leak from the pressure relief valve, and is leaking a lot:( , especially after taking a shower... Is this a simple fix of replacing the valve or something more serious? Any and all comments welcome.
Thanks in advance, Josh

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Originally Posted by joshn3448

Hi,
I have a State Select brand water heater (40 gallon) which is about 4-5 years old. It recently has begun to leak from the pressure relief valve, and is leaking a lot:( , especially after taking a shower....Is this a simple fix of replacing the valve or something more serious? Any and all comments welcome.
Thanks in advance, Josh

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The pressure relief valve can and should be replaced.

And installing an expansion tank on the cold inlet to the hot water tank would be a good idea as well.

Hey Josh,

When new codes forced us to install check valves and backflow preventers on water service lines that made your water system a closed system. That meant that when the heated water expended it could no longer expand back along the water service line and would build up pressure in the syatem. When you took a shower that kicked on the water heater and it began to heat the water. This would expand and kick off the T & P ,(Temperature and Pressure Relief) valve and the valve would discharge hot water out the relief line. To prevent this we installed a Expansion,(Air) tank on the heaters cold water supply line for some place for the water to expand . If this is the situation in your case a expansion tank would be called for. In any respects I would take Growlers advice and replace the T & P valve. Good luck, Tom

Yes, as the cold water heats up, the excess water has to have someplace to go. As Tom said, it used to go back the supply. If you had a back flow preventer or check valve without an expansion tank all along, I don't understand why you didn't have problems before. Have there been any changes at all? If for some reason, the water can't go back the supply now, an expansion tank may be more important than a new relief valve.

I recently had the same problem with my Sears 50 gal elec water heater, (State Industies is the manufacturer of all the Sears water heaters), I was constantly seeing hot water being forced out the Temp Relief valve, eventually I replaced both elements, upper and lower and the problem ceased. But to answer you question no it's not hard to replace the valve if in an area where you have some room to work, drain the tank first by attaching a garden hose and after cutting off the water supply to the house, open some or all of your hot and cold outlets in the house while the water heater is draining, personally I would cut off the elec supply at your switch box, too many volts to get shocked perhaps standing in water or a faulty ground somewhere, what I did was go to the web, posed a question on website http://www.waterheaterrescue.com/TheTank.html - solved my problem.

I read with much interest Richards solution for fixing the problem of the T & P valve leaking water. I venture to say the he does not have a check valve or backflow preventer on his water service. If he did changing the elements never would have worked. He would have had the same problem after changing them out as before. Could be that the thermostat was calling for too much heat and the T&P valve kicked off or perhaps the T&P valve was old and weak but you can't do a end run around the laws of physics. (1) Heated water expands. (2) When it expands it has to have someplace to expand to.
(3) Normally it expands out the water service side of the system. (4) If a check valve or a backflow preventer's installed then the expanded water has just two places to go. Into a expansion tank or out a T & P valve. There just isn't any other place for it to go.
Changing out the elements may help to heat and maintain the temperature of the water but plays no part in controlling the expansion of the heated water.
Cheers and have a great Sunday, Tom

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If for some reason, the water can't go back the supply now, an expansion tank may be more important than a new relief valve.

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If the temperature or pressure within the tank has been sufficient enough to continuously trip the relief valve, then replacing the relief valve is equally important.

When we are talking about the difference between a 10 or 15 dollar replacement part versus a flooded basement, garage or utility room, I think erring on the side of caution would be a more prudent recommendation.

Thank you for all your great responses... Curious if anyone could post a pic or diagram of the expansion tank and where it installs? Thanks again, Josh

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Originally Posted by joshn3448

Thank you for all your great responses....Curious if anyone could post a pic or diagram of the expansion tank and where it installs? Thanks again, Josh

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If you have the room on the top of your tank, the easiest installation is to screw a 3/4" brass tee onto the cold water inlet of your tank and then screw the expansion tank into the top of the tee, then screw a 3/4x2" brass nipple into the horizontal outlet of the tee and connect the supply to this.

When purchasing the tank, make sure you buy one for potable water, instead of one for hydronic systems.

Here's another take on a expansion tank installation. To tell you the truth I prefer Growers installation in a upright position but I thought I'd gine you some options. Regards, Tom

I would feel better if there was some explanation of what changed if the OP didn't have the problem right from the beginning.

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Originally Posted by labman

I would feel better if there was some explaination of what changed if the OP didn't have the problem right from the beginning.

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It could be any of a number of things.

A pressure reducing valve with worn springs, a backflow preventer in need of rebuilding or adjustment, an improperly installed or sticking check valve on a re-circulating system or a faulty element in a pressure balanced tub or shower valve, just to name a few likely culprits.