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Water Heater Pressure Relief Valve Issues - Boston, Worcester

26 Jun 2013

A common problems for all Hot Water Heaters is issues with the pressure relief valves. The pressure relief valve is a safety feature that prevents the buildup of pressure in a hot water tank. If the pressure in your hot water tanks increases significantly in the tank, the relief valve is designed to let water and pressure escape. In most water heaters it is not advised to troubleshoot the problem without the proper training.

If your pressure valve leaks a little water, or shows signs of leaking when the valve is closed, you could have a problem with pressure build-up in your hot water tank. If you see mineralization around or on the valve, the valve  cannot be opened for testing, or does not close properly after testing, this could mean that the pressure-relief valve is malfunctioning.

With a hot water heater, repair can often mean 'replacement'. But, there are two options when there are issues with the water heater pressure valve. 'Flushing Out a Pressure Relief Valve' will let us know if it is seating correctly. 'Replacing a Pressure Relief Valve', is the more common scenario.

Heated water generates pressure. A pressure relief valve relieves the pressure in your tank. Should that pressure get higher than what it considered safe the pressure relief valve acts as a safety feature. It relieves the pressure before your hot water tank blows up.

When the water tank pressure relief valve fails will the tank blow up? No, but it does begin to spray hot water all over the place making a big mess. Therefore, there are not too many options, the only one is to replace the pressure release valve or replace the water heater.

Calling a plumber in early on may lead to unnecessary repair bills. It is a quick fix, and it isn’t that expensive, in fact it is much less than replacing the water heater itself. Contact Greater Boston Plumbing and Heating.