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Thermal expansion in water systems
By John Martino
When installing a new water heater some consideration must be given to thermal expansion. A water supply system that has a check valve on the supply side or inlet side is considered a closed water system. A water system with out a check valve is usually referred to an open water system. As water gets hot it expands in volume and creates an increased pressure inside the water system of the home. This increase in pressure in the water system is called thermal expansion. The reason why this expansion is important is that in an open water system the pressure can dissipate by flowing back into the municipal water system. In the municipal system the water pressure is dissipated. A closed water system (with a check valve) prevents the expanding water from flowing back into the main supply pipe and as a result of the increased pressure a hazardous condition can result. This can create a quick and unsafe pressure increases in the water system and piping. The excess pressures will cause the units pressure relief discharge valve to discharge. The pressure relief valve is a safety valve installed on heating appliances that vents or discharges the excess or unsafe built up pressures inside the unit. If the condition is not corrected the pressure relief valve will continue to discharge during each time that the water heater heats up. The continuous discharge may cause the pressure relief valve to fail and may cause the unit itself to fail. If the TPR valve fails the pressure that builds can cause the water heater to burst and injury and damage may result. The installation of an expansion tank is recommended to control thermal expansion in the tank. The expansion tank is essentially an air cushion or shock absorber that compresses as thermal expansion builds up. The expansion tank will relieve the over pressure condition and eliminate the continuous discharge of the pressure relief valve.
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Good information once again, John
Thank you for sharing.
Frederick
Very practical and useful info. I try to do basic plumbing around the house but hadn't heard about expansion tanks. Are these expansion tanks expensive? Are they easy to install?
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