Popped relief valve on water heater

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Mark440
Posts: 279
Joined: Tue Feb 26, 2008 8:33 am
Location: Anna, Tx

So, I'm sitting in my office - watching the Dow take a swan dive - and all of a sudden I hear some bumping and then some spewing and then water running. I figured a water line had somehow broken...so i rushed out and shut off the water main. I pulled back the skirting where the main line goes up into the belly, which also happens to be right next to the WH overflow tubing I installed (so that any water would exit the house and not accumulate inside). Directly beneath the overflow tubing was a good 'ring' of water splatter. Being i don't know the problem yet, i killed the power to the WH.

I turned the water main back on and no leaks. Came inside and opened the relief valve for a few seconds, and then moved it back to 'off'. Checked outside for leaks...and none. So I have now flipped power back on, and so far, nothing seems out of the ordinary.

I don't know whether to trust it as it is...or go ahead and replace the relief valve. I just don't know if there was some sort of wild splurge in water pressure? ...or the water was overheating? ...or..I don't know?

Is there a means to test without disassembly?
Opportunity has a shelf life.
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Greg
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Posts: 5696
Joined: Wed Feb 28, 2007 8:01 pm
Location: Weedsport, NY

It sounds like one of two things happened. Either the tank over pressurized and the relief did its job or the relief is on it's way out.
Check the water temp. and make sure you don't have a thermostat going bad. I would also put a new relief in just because.

Greg
"If I can't fix it, I can screw it up so bad no one else can either."
Mark440
Posts: 279
Joined: Tue Feb 26, 2008 8:33 am
Location: Anna, Tx

I reset both thermostats down a bit as i had turned them up when I first installed the new unit. Put it all back together and so far all is ok. One thing I did notice was when resetting the thermostats, the bottom unit made a 'clunk' sound when i turned it all the way down - then i turned it back up to a hair less than what it was before. When I did the same thing to the upper - no clunk sound.

I left the closet space open for about a week so that i could hear better should anything start up again. So far, it's good - which is ok - but i'd sure like to know what happened. just my own curiosity.
Opportunity has a shelf life.
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Greg
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Posts: 5696
Joined: Wed Feb 28, 2007 8:01 pm
Location: Weedsport, NY

I hate it when problems just fix themselves, You never know for sure if it is fixed or not.

Greg
"If I can't fix it, I can screw it up so bad no one else can either."
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