Water Heater Bursting?

um....regarding this: http://www.electrical-contractor.net/The_Store/Cr/RPlumb_Insp_Back.htm


Our tank water heater was newly installed about over 1 year ago.


We are leaving on a vacation and mom, out of no where, begin fearing the water heater will blast off like a rocket....

I have found few info on the event, none on maintaining and avoiding the event from occuring....any suggestions here?

Water heaters are suppose to have a T&P safety valve to vent excessive pressure if something like that would happen. Unless whoever installed the water heater plugged the hole where the T&P valve would go with a capped off peice of pipe; :help: I don't think there should be too much of a problem.

If she is really paranoid; tell her you're going to shut off the gas or electricity to the heater, shut the water off to the house and drain the tank so that there's no water pressure inside. :naughty:

If a T&P valve doesnt get tested once a year, it can seize and fail. You should always close the main water valve when you are away for extended amounts of time.

The cold water line into the wh should have a valve on it. Just close it and set the thermostat to off (if gas) or flip the breaker(s) to off if electric. You'll have to relight the pilot (or maybe you have elec ignition if only a year old) or reset the breakers when you return.

Leave the popoff valve closed.

Enjoy your trip.

I recall that famous clip they show on the history channel when they air bathroom tech. THe hot water heater exploses like a rocket several feet hundred into the air. I actually knew a couple who had a mini one in a small bar they were setting up in a restaurant. Somehow it was not setup right and EXPLODED. They said it looks like a bomb exploded in the middle of the place and it was just ruined.

just recall what hot water does it can move a locotmotive steam is amazeing

water heaters can violently explode but its very rare and if it did happen you would be lucky if it happens while your on vacation cause then you wont get killed. I'm a vouluteer firefighter and we just had a call for that happening last night but its the only time it ever happened in our fire district and it is very rare. But the one we had would have killed anyone if they were in the basement, thank God no one was. it damaged the entire foundation of the house an shot pieces of glass from basment windos through the garage door. But many things must go wrong at the same time for this to happen, the gas needs to get stuck on and two pressure realease safetys need to fail, and the tank need to be strong enough to build up enough pressure to explode rather and tear apart.

Jason has the right idea, it's very rare. Most water heater failures just cause leaking.

But you SHOULD be pulling the pin on the T&P valve (thats Temperature and Pressure) once a year and you should also drain a buckets worth of water our the bottom tap once a year to remove sludge.

If it's been many years since you've done any of this then have more buckets handy as the valves may not want to close all the way if they are gummed up... Worst case you'll have to run turn the water off and call a plumber to replace them.

I've seen pictures of installs where in order to fix a leaky T&P valve the homeowner has just screwed a cap on the pipe!!! Dont do anything like that...

much more dangerous would be flue problems from gas water heaters. Make sure your flue is installed properly and not sagging or running downhill or running into the wrong kind of chimney and all that stuff.

Are electric water heaters safer than gas heaters?

gas vs elctric for safety id say no other then electric wont emit carbon monoxide.but im no expert so dont listen to me lol

Mythbusters on the Discovery channel tonight (on right now in PST) is doing their main myth on catastrophic water heater failures due to multiple failures in the safety devices...

(I can't believe I remembered this thread. )

Just get a tankless water heater. No tank to explode. Our water heater is old and I'm thinking about replacing with a tankless one. Not for that reason but because they are supposed to be more efficient. They do take a little bit longer to get hot water and are pretty expensive. Still investigating them.

Aaron1100us said:

Just get a tankless water heater. No tank to explode. Our water heater is old and I'm thinking about replacing with a tankless one. Not for that reason but because they are supposed to be more efficient. They do take a little bit longer to get hot water and are pretty expensive. Still investigating them.

Click to expand...

My favorites are the point of use water heaters. Just a couple of seconds to get hot water and they should be even MORE efficient than the tankless ones.

Read the manual that came with the water heater, check for on line manuals/help, or call a plumber. Most hot water manufacturers now have on line manuals or safety sheets that should allow you to safely setup, maintain, set for vacation, and drain water heaters.

There are usually also instructions for checking the T&P valve but use caution since even "low" settings on water heaters can produce water hot enough to cause burns.

Electric and gas water heaters can be quite different in their maintenance. Air in any hot water system can be very bad. Proper setup, operation, and maintenance is much better than a flooded basement and no hot water, and it's usually not that much work.

Basically, don't assume or guess about the maintenance, just find out to be sure.

And never trust a brother in law who says he knows what he's doing.

chmsam said:

And never trust a brother in law who says he knows what he's doing.

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Uh oh. I had TWO brothers in law help me install mine.

I was the son-in-law that installed my In-Laws' new water heater the last time (hmmm, probably getting near time for a new round of installs around the various family homes).

Been there, done that...:shakehead

-Bill

one thing about turning off the cold water supply prior to the heater. If you do - open a hot water tap somewhere. closing the cold water supply will make the system closed, nowhere for the pressure to go if the pressure valve is not working..

Aaron1100us said:

Just get a tankless water heater. No tank to explode. Our water heater is old and I'm thinking about replacing with a tankless one. Not for that reason but because they are supposed to be more efficient. They do take a little bit longer to get hot water and are pretty expensive. Still investigating them.

Click to expand...

Lots of work to install and way more parts to maintain. Also, the heat exchanger must be flushed at certain intervals, usually every year, but depending on your water quality, it can be more often. They are "green" but they sure do cost some "green", as well. Most use a stainless steel flue, need an upsized gas line, and are often (though not necessary) moved to an outside wall.

As for the main discussion, it's VERY rare that a water heater explodes. Several things have to go wrong concurrently...

Oh, and I always turn off my water when leaving the house for anything longer than a day! You never know. I'm a licensed plumber, and I've had to repair some pretty catastrophic leaks before. An ounce of prevention...

Valpo,

Have you seen any "green" tanked natural gas water heaters?

I have found one (can't find the link/model right at the moment)--but it was really designed for use in a restaurant type setting (instant hot water and high water rate demand)--it had forced air and the inlet/exhaust where at the bottom (so that there would not be a continual "breeze" up the chimney cooling the water column).

I would have thought that there would be options out there now (say a 10-40 gallon tanked heater with forced air combustion).

I have used tankless heaters before--overseas--but they tend to be a pane in the rear end to get a stable shower temperature (the newer one of my in-laws would turn off and I would have to stop and start the water a few times to get it working right again). And anytime you stop/start the shower--the dance starts all over again (plus you have to keep the water flow relatively high for them to turn on in the first place--typically 1/2 gpm or more).

-Bill

Yeah, some of the tankless use a small water-powered generator to handle the intermittent pilot. As for the "green" water heater, no, I'm not sure. They used to use a flue damper to prevent a natural draft from cooling the tank, but they don't allow those in my state any longer. A power-vented water heater will essentially do what you described. However, they're not sealed combustion. I'd be interested in a link to the product if you can find anything.