Need HELP! Hot Water Heater Question!

GimmieBoost

GimmieBoost

Active Member
Joined
Sep 7, 2008
Location
Lincolnton, NC
So it's Christmas Eve and of course something had to break. :lol: Water was shooting out from the pressure relief valve on the water heater. I'm assuming the valve is toast. It's a gas heater and I noticed the heat was turned all the way up. If I turn down the heat and open the valve at the street halfway, will we be ok until Saturday? We're having Christmas here so we could really use running water.

Thanks a ton!
-Jesse
 
The valve at the street will not reduce the pressure. It will reduce the flow only. Check the temp of the water to make sure it's within spec and replace the pop off valve if needed. Water heaters are very dangerous and are nothing to mess with if you don't know what you are doing.
 
the PRV may be bad. But if not, then something caused it to pop, which is likely the thermostat not working to regulate the water temperature.

You may could find one at Lowes/HD, etc. If not, you can turn your hot water heater off, close off the PRV so it doesn't allow water to come out, and use cold water only. If the thermostat is bad and you are realy ballsy, you could turn the water heater on manually until some hot water is produced then turn the hot water heater off. You should have some hot/warm water if you need showers. I don't recommend this last one unless you know what you are doing and constantly watch the HW heater.


This should get you by for a couple days until you can fix it right
 
rockcity said:
the PRV may be bad. But if not, then something caused it to pop, which is likely the thermostat not working to regulate the water temperature.
You may could find one at Lowes/HD, etc. If not, you can turn your hot water heater off, close off the PRV so it doesn't allow water to come out, and use cold water only. If the thermostat is bad and you are realy ballsy, you could turn the water heater on manually until some hot water is produced then turn the hot water heater off. You should have some hot/warm water if you need showers. I don't recommend this last one unless you know what you are doing and constantly watch the HW heater.
This should get you by for a couple days until you can fix it right
Click to expand...

X2, have had to do this before.
If as you said the thermostat was all the way up, then the heat that it built up caused more pressure, kinda like a pressure pot on the stove. Might try turning down the thermostat, and seeing if it will cut off when it reaches temp.
 
Just had the same thing happen to my water heater. Replaced the pop off valve, then the thermostat, then had to put another pressure valve in the line. Now I'm still getting to much pressure to the heater and will have to invest in a pressure relief tank I guess. Then come to find out the county installed a new system and increased the pressure across the county causing all this mess.
 
jackedHB said:
Then come to find out the county installed a new system and increased the pressure across the county causing all this mess.
Click to expand...

That's odd, you should have a regulator/reducer just inside the house where the line comes in from the county, just to avoid that kind of problem...pressure coming from outside is alot higher thanwhat shold be inside/around the house.
 
you should really put an expansion tank in there too. It'll help with prv issues and I hear it allows the heater to be a little more efficient.

My last house had a problem with the prv burping water out of it. the thermostat wasn't set high at all and the unit was fairly new, within the last 2 years. I eventually installed an expansion tank and it solved all the problems.
 
I just think it's funny people call it a hot water heater. If you have hot water why do you need to heat it?:rolleyes: And yes if you read the box it is called a water heater.

Seriously. ^^^^^^these guys are giving good advice. If you don't have an expansion tank get one. I had the same problem on one of my rental houses and the tank fixed it all.
 
GimmieBoost said:
So it's Christmas Eve and of course something had to break. :lol: Water was shooting out from the pressure relief valve on the water heater. I'm assuming the valve is toast. It's a gas heater and I noticed the heat was turned all the way up. If I turn down the heat and open the valve at the street halfway, will we be ok until Saturday? We're having Christmas here so we could really use running water.

Thanks a ton!
-Jesse
Click to expand...
If the heat was all the way up it got too hot causing it to pop off. That is your problem.
 
Thanks. I'm going to go get a new valve tomorrow and lower the temp. and see what happens.

On a brighter note, the neighbors opened their house up to us so we can use their hot water whenever we need. Gotta love having great neighbors!
 
Back
Top