colson04
ArboristSite Operative
This is an interesting situation as I'm not sure if it's pure coincidence or if the events are related.
Note: We have NOT fired up our OWB yet, still too warm outside.
September 12th: Installed Ridgewood 6000 OWB and all plumbing and heat exchangers related to it. When installing plate heat exchanger for DHW, we had to drain down the propane water heater. Opened valve at bottom and drained into sump, cracked open Temp and Pressure valve to let air in so it would drain faster. Finished install, filled water heater, everything seemed fine until we noticed that the Temp and Pressure Relief valve was leaking and wouldn't seal back up. Fiddled with it for 2-3 minutes, and assumed it was gummed up since it was the original and was 6 years old. Had wife pick up new one on her way back from work and installed it when she got home. Old one was loaded with gunk when I removed it, made sense that it needed to be replaced. New one in, filled water heater and no more leak. Good deal.
Later that night, my wife asked what was up with the hot water in the house? When you turned the hot water on at any sink in the house, it came out faster than it ever had and then within 30-60 seconds the flow slowed down. I didn't put too much thought into then. It was late, I was tired.
September 15th: I go down to my basement for something and notice a large puddle of water underneath my hot water heater. First instinct is to check the new plumbing connections above hot water heater where the plate exchanger was installed. No leaks, no drips, no signs of water. WTH?
After a couple hours of fiddling around with it, it's determined that the new Temp and Pressure Relief valve had opened and released some water, and then had closed back up. I fiddle with it some more and never got it to relieve again.
9/16: Wake up and go to basement just to check - no water on floor. Later that afternoon after the wife had been cleaning and using hot water I go down there and sure enough, water on the floor again. Go get another new Temp and Pressure Relief valve and swap valves again. Drained tank, swap valves, fill tank, fire heater back up. About 30 minutes later the new valve releases. It was suggested that the water heater temp setting is set too high, but the adjuster valve is seized and can't be turned down. I have checked and the water coming out of our faucet is only 130deg F, which shouldn't be too hot for a water heater at all.
Currently, T&P relief valve cracks open once a day, and I plan on replacing water heater when I get home next week. So, that said, I'm not sure if something we installed screwed up my water heater, or if it was doomed before and faulty T&P Relief valve kept us from noticing there was a problem sooner.
Note: We have NOT fired up our OWB yet, still too warm outside.
September 12th: Installed Ridgewood 6000 OWB and all plumbing and heat exchangers related to it. When installing plate heat exchanger for DHW, we had to drain down the propane water heater. Opened valve at bottom and drained into sump, cracked open Temp and Pressure valve to let air in so it would drain faster. Finished install, filled water heater, everything seemed fine until we noticed that the Temp and Pressure Relief valve was leaking and wouldn't seal back up. Fiddled with it for 2-3 minutes, and assumed it was gummed up since it was the original and was 6 years old. Had wife pick up new one on her way back from work and installed it when she got home. Old one was loaded with gunk when I removed it, made sense that it needed to be replaced. New one in, filled water heater and no more leak. Good deal.
Later that night, my wife asked what was up with the hot water in the house? When you turned the hot water on at any sink in the house, it came out faster than it ever had and then within 30-60 seconds the flow slowed down. I didn't put too much thought into then. It was late, I was tired.
September 15th: I go down to my basement for something and notice a large puddle of water underneath my hot water heater. First instinct is to check the new plumbing connections above hot water heater where the plate exchanger was installed. No leaks, no drips, no signs of water. WTH?
After a couple hours of fiddling around with it, it's determined that the new Temp and Pressure Relief valve had opened and released some water, and then had closed back up. I fiddle with it some more and never got it to relieve again.9/16: Wake up and go to basement just to check - no water on floor. Later that afternoon after the wife had been cleaning and using hot water I go down there and sure enough, water on the floor again. Go get another new Temp and Pressure Relief valve and swap valves again. Drained tank, swap valves, fill tank, fire heater back up. About 30 minutes later the new valve releases. It was suggested that the water heater temp setting is set too high, but the adjuster valve is seized and can't be turned down. I have checked and the water coming out of our faucet is only 130deg F, which shouldn't be too hot for a water heater at all.
Currently, T&P relief valve cracks open once a day, and I plan on replacing water heater when I get home next week. So, that said, I'm not sure if something we installed screwed up my water heater, or if it was doomed before and faulty T&P Relief valve kept us from noticing there was a problem sooner.
