[plumbing101mike]

The job that I am working on is in Wisconsin. We are installing two hot water storage tanks (approx. 700 gallons each) and two boilers providing the heat for them. This is for standard domestic use (showers, faucets, laundry, etc... on typical city water). The drawings show Vacuum relief valves being installed on each tank. We are all unfamiliar with vacuum relief valves and have never installed them. We spoke with a company rep and he recommended not to install them because they are mechanical and can leak. Can you give me some insight as to why you would/would not need them? I sure would appreciate it.

Thank you!
Mike

[massplumber2008]

Hi Mike

I think you've read up a bit more on vacuum relief valves (VRV) by now, so I'm going to save some time and let you know that my "insight" into this will matter very little because vacuum relief valve installation is determined by local plumbing codes, regardless of manufacturer specifications!

My state requires VRVs for this application, but installing one in your state could open you to liability, so I need to refer you to a local plumbing inspector... only reasonable approach for such a large project!

Back to you...

Mark

[speedball1]

These stories tank, do they maintain the hot water temperature until a draw is made? Back to you, Tom