For the most part I agree. Our house was built in 2015 for $275K and has now increased in value due to increased housing demand almost 200%. I believe the original house cost to base your expectant repair cost to be true and that you should count as that cost the landscaping, and other additions you do the first five years.
Water heater expansion tanks. Why are they an extra?
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For the most part I agree. Our house was built in 2015 for $275K and has now increased in value due to increased housing demand almost 200%. I believe the original house cost to base your expectant repair cost to be true and that you should count as that cost the landscaping, and other additions you do the first five years.
I have yet to own a house on a slab.
Jeez! Something else to worry about...
It's not just car repairs, it's anything that you don't pay for on a monthly basis. I'm talking about property taxes, estimated income taxes, organizational dues and anything else paid on a quarterly or annual basis. Add them all up, divide by 12 and add a few more bucks to the result for additional security and deposit that each month in a dedicated account. When I started putting all those charges on a monthly basis I was amazed at how much per month I needed to cover those charges. But at least now I don't have to scramble to find the money when these charges come due, which is really important when you're a retiree on a fixed income.
DWalt
Member
I have never had a house with an expansion tank, although I knew about them. My reasoning is that none had a water pressure regulator or BFP, so an expansion tank served no useful purpose on an open system. Am I correct? I did ask a local plumber if San Antonio had a city code requiring an expansion tank, and he told me that there was no requirement.
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I think all water heaters, at least around here, come with the pressure relief valve. Churches were notorious for having a parishioner who "knows a little" about plumbing...just remove the valve and plug it. Of course if it's dripping you have an issue. At a boiler class one day the main instructor noted that one cubic inch of water equals one cubic yard of steam. A sealed tank will just explode, taking out the ceiling and the basement wall with no warning. That would really make a mess in the living room.
And no slab for me, either.
And no slab for me, either.
Yaworski
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I sold water heaters for a decade, they all came with a relief valve.
According to my plumber, dripping relief valves are usually an indication of a failing pressure regulator.
Or a failing relief valve . I've seen a few of those .
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No more water tanks, super store tanks, expansion tanks or over pressure relief valves for us. We now have a Rinnai instant hot water heater that works so well. It is instant, endless and takes up no room at all on the floor - just hangs on the garage wall. It gets flushed out once a year and only takes about 40 minutes for the simple procedure. From what I understand their life expectancy is about 20 years. So far I have just started year 3.
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Is this an expansion tank? It is connected to the incoming water line.
Incorrectly installed, but yep.
Have had a Rheem branded Rinnai tankless for 10 years now, and aside from annual flushing the only thing I've done is clean the flame sensors.
Happy camper.
4 minutes? Are you descaling with vinegar?
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Is this an expansion tank? It is connected to the incoming water line.
I have never seen an expansion tank installed quite like that one!
I have never seen an expansion tank installed quite like that one!
The elastic tie down is a nice touch
Without a pressure relief valve a water heater is basically a boiler just waiting to explode. The Mythbusters did an episode that showed the damage potential for a water heater without a working pressure relief valve. IIRC when it blew, the water heater went straight up through both floors AND the roof of a two story structure - and STILL had enough energy to fly nearly 100 feet into the air above the roof of the structure.
I was a facility maintenance supervisor for a fortune 100 company for 26 years. Every year we did a full audit of all the systems in every building - electrical, gas, plumbing, roof, doors, basically EVERYTHING. It was called a Facility Asset Protection Audit.
One of the plumbing items on the audit was to verify that there was a pressure relief valve installed on EVERY water heater - and that it was in proper operating condition (not leaking. corroded, OR stuck closed).
That tells me that a working pressure relief valve ISN'T optional - it is essential.
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DWalt
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I looked at installing one of those seven or eight years ago. The cost of installation was going to be exorbitant (partly because new larger gas lines would have to be run -a big job) and a plumber told me that he did not recommend them because the local water supply is high in minerals and scaling up would have been a problem. So I stayed with a tank heater.
I remember seeing a video showing a demonstration of an exploding tank water heater. Very impressive. It went about 50 feet straight up. It would have done extensive damage if it happened inside a home.
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All the homes I've lived in I installed a whole house water filtration system. That in turn prolongs the life of any water heater, storage tank and its components. Plus, it removes chlorine and all the bad stuff as well.
Well water here so expansion tank is part of the normal operating system.They seem to last about 25 years before the bladder ruptures.
I had piping replaced....
...and in order to bring it up to code, they put in an expansion tank. I'm not sure what the benefit is, I never needed one before. I'll have to look it up. BUT:
IF THE FIX INVOLVES RUNNING PIPES IN THE CEILING watch out for freezing. I lived in a slab house that had pipes in the cellings and they froze. While we were at work the pipes thawed out. There were five splits all around the house and the ceiling fell in. It was an awful mess.
...and in order to bring it up to code, they put in an expansion tank. I'm not sure what the benefit is, I never needed one before. I'll have to look it up. BUT:
IF THE FIX INVOLVES RUNNING PIPES IN THE CEILING watch out for freezing. I lived in a slab house that had pipes in the cellings and they froze. While we were at work the pipes thawed out. There were five splits all around the house and the ceiling fell in. It was an awful mess.
taz666
Member
Water damage is the worst.
Many posts in this thread seem to be talking about two separate issues. A "pressure tank" commonly seen installed in a well fed h2o system is not the same as an "expansion tank" installed on a hydronic heating system.
Your water heaters are all fitted with a "pressure relief valve" by law. That valve exhaust can be plumbed into the waste side of the water system in the home.
Those with piping in the slab for heat are experiencing rotting pipe .. chemicals in the concrete attacking the copper. Old technique no longer used. Now it's PEX plumbed.
Many posts in this thread seem to be talking about two separate issues. A "pressure tank" commonly seen installed in a well fed h2o system is not the same as an "expansion tank" installed on a hydronic heating system.
Your water heaters are all fitted with a "pressure relief valve" by law. That valve exhaust can be plumbed into the waste side of the water system in the home.
Those with piping in the slab for heat are experiencing rotting pipe .. chemicals in the concrete attacking the copper. Old technique no longer used. Now it's PEX plumbed.
