Contractor Talk - Construction and Remodeling Site
CLICK HERE AND JOIN OUR COMMUNITY TODAY...IT'S FREE!
Go Back   Contractor Talk - Professional Construction and Remodeling Forum > Trade Talk > Plumbing

Reply
 
Thread Tools Search this Thread Rate Thread Display Modes
Old 07-30-2009, 12:40 PM   #1
Pro
Trade: renovator
 
Join Date: Jan 2008
Posts: 330
Double T&P valves?

Gentlemen,

This will fit easily into the realm of over-kill, I know, I know....

Electric water heater has auxilliary H/C inlets on the side of the tank in addition to those on the top. The Hot out on the side is at the same level as the T&P fitting. Ever had nightmares about a T&P not working? So why not a second T&P in the Hot outlet on this tank for redundancy?

That is, can anyone think of a reason why installing a second T&P in the hot outlet of this tank would, other than being useless 99.9% of the time, be a bad idea?

Thanks.

bob_cntrctr is offline   Reply With Quote
Warning: The topics covered on this site include activities in which there exists the potential for serious injury or death. ContractorTalk.com DOES NOT guarantee the accuracy or completeness of any information contained on this site. Always use proper safety precaution and reference reliable outside sources before attempting any construction or remodeling task!

Join Contractor Talk

Join the #1 Contractor Forum Today - It's Totally Free!

ContractorTalk.com - Are you a Professional Contractor? If so we invite you to join our community and see what it has to offer. Our site is specifically designed for you and it's the leading place for contractors to meet online. No homeowners asking DIY questions. Just fellow tradesmen who enjoy talking about their business, their trade, and anything else that comes up. No matter what your trade is you'll find that ContractorTalk.com is a great community to join. Best of all it's totally free!

Join ContractorTalk.com - Click Here JOIN FOR FREE

Old 07-30-2009, 05:12 PM   #2
Thom
 
thom's Avatar
Trade: General Contractor/Homebuilder
 
Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: Albuquerque NM
Posts: 1,929
It's just one more thing to fail. I've never seen a T&P failure that resulted in an overpressure situation, I've seen many leaking T&P valves.
thom is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-31-2009, 08:36 AM   #3
The Old Master
Trade: Plumbing & Heating
 
Join Date: Jul 2009
Location: Allentown, PA
Posts: 90
Double T&P valves?

Gentlemen You don't need double relief valves.

Just make sure that the one you have works!

Go to google type in Parrs Plumbing Allentown PA

My web site should come up there is a page called water heater explosions.

Take a look at the devestation no relief valve or a defective valve
can do. What is your water pressure 65 PSI The boiling point of water in your water heater is 312 degrees If you water PSI is 80 the B/point is 328 The valve is set at 150lbs the B/Point is 366 degrees.

Bill Parr LMP
Plumber_Bill is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-31-2009, 06:01 PM   #4
the pipe master
 
protechplumbing's Avatar
Trade: plumbing, solar
 
Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: Central, Fl
Posts: 323
What the heck are you talking about. The T/p goes of if the temp goes above 215f so who cares about boiling point correction?

To the OP, a t/p CAN fail if installed incorrectly and fail in the closed position causing an explosion. A hole lot of things would have to be present at the same time but it COULD happen though you are more likely to be hit by lightening. There is no harm in installing a second valve with a second drain. If it's keeping you up at night, have a plumber put a second one in.........the right way.
__________________
Plumber, Repiping, Replumbing, Leak Detection, Solar Water Heater, Polk County Plumber, Lakeland Plumber, Winter Haven Plumber
protechplumbing is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-01-2009, 07:20 AM   #5
Pro
Trade: renovator
 
Join Date: Jan 2008
Posts: 330
OK, so, other than it's usually pointless and another part to fail, no real contra-indications.

Now, in this particular case it occurs to me that there already are two T&Ps - this place has two water heaters in-line with no back-flow check valve. So the pressure in one has to be the pressure in the other, so at least for pressure relief there's two.

Protech - I'll bite - other than screwing it into a tank tapping within 6" of the top of the tank and ensuring the temp sensor will be immersed (which is pretty much the only place you even can install it on most tanks), how would one install a T&P wrong?
bob_cntrctr is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-01-2009, 09:03 AM   #6
Pro Plumber
 
Ron The Plumber's Avatar
Trade: Plumber
 
Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: Oregon
Posts: 2,749
Quote:
Originally Posted by bob_cntrctr View Post
OK, so, other than it's usually pointless and another part to fail, no real contra-indications.

Now, in this particular case it occurs to me that there already are two T&Ps - this place has two water heaters in-line with no back-flow check valve. So the pressure in one has to be the pressure in the other, so at least for pressure relief there's two.

Protech - I'll bite - other than screwing it into a tank tapping within 6" of the top of the tank and ensuring the temp sensor will be immersed (which is pretty much the only place you even can install it on most tanks), how would one install a T&P wrong?
Easily done, there is two types of Residential T&P one can buy, seen by images below, using the wrong one on the wrong heater can mean disaster, one might try to use the short shank type on a thick liner wall tank, the type of tank that a T&P goes into the side of it, this can make one use a nipple and a coupling to make it work, doing so caused the probe not to be at the correct depth.

I have seen this and I have seen this on top of tanks before also.
Attached Images
  
__________________


Last edited by Ron The Plumber; 08-01-2009 at 09:05 AM.
Ron The Plumber is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-01-2009, 10:57 AM   #7
The Old Master
Trade: Plumbing & Heating
 
Join Date: Jul 2009
Location: Allentown, PA
Posts: 90
PROTECHPLUMBING WROTE ...
What the heck are you talking about. The T/p goes of if the temp goes above 215f so who cares about boiling point correction?

Sir per your statement above ... I'm showing no correction just showing how much energy is used in raising the water to boiling when pressures are involved. And when all that energy is released all at once, like when a tank ruptures because of increased pressure. Usually the building goes along with the water heater.

You mention that the valve will go off over 215F. Think this one would have? Or even went off at 150 PSI the set point.

All I'm saying is that these valves should be checked. Pull the piping look in with a light -- corrosion -- what ever in the outlet or around the spring. Replace the valve!

Bill Parr LMP
Attached Images
 
Plumber_Bill is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-01-2009, 09:29 PM   #8
the pipe master
 
protechplumbing's Avatar
Trade: plumbing, solar
 
Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: Central, Fl
Posts: 323
There are numerous ways that one can be installed wrong and cause a dangerous situation. The fact that you don't know is exactly why you shouldn't be fooling around with water heaters because what you don't know CAN KILL YOU.

Quote:
Originally Posted by bob_cntrctr View Post
OK, so, other than it's usually pointless and another part to fail, no real contra-indications.

Now, in this particular case it occurs to me that there already are two T&Ps - this place has two water heaters in-line with no back-flow check valve. So the pressure in one has to be the pressure in the other, so at least for pressure relief there's two.

Protech - I'll bite - other than screwing it into a tank tapping within 6" of the top of the tank and ensuring the temp sensor will be immersed (which is pretty much the only place you even can install it on most tanks), how would one install a T&P wrong?
__________________
Plumber, Repiping, Replumbing, Leak Detection, Solar Water Heater, Polk County Plumber, Lakeland Plumber, Winter Haven Plumber
protechplumbing is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-01-2009, 09:37 PM   #9
the pipe master
 
protechplumbing's Avatar
Trade: plumbing, solar
 
Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: Central, Fl
Posts: 323
Yes, it probably would have gone off. The question is, would it have been able to relieve enough to to counter the amount of btus the heating device was putting in. Further, I don't see how that is relevant. You were talking about what the BP would be at 150psi as if the t/p would allow it to get that high. My point is that it wouldn't let it get that high because the thermal probe would expand at 215F and start relieving the heater.
What significance is the bp at 150psi?

Quote:
Originally Posted by Plumber_Bill View Post
PROTECHPLUMBING WROTE ...
What the heck are you talking about. The T/p goes of if the temp goes above 215f so who cares about boiling point correction?

Sir per your statement above ... I'm showing no correction just showing how much energy is used in raising the water to boiling when pressures are involved. And when all that energy is released all at once, like when a tank ruptures because of increased pressure. Usually the building goes along with the water heater.

You mention that the valve will go off over 215F. Think this one would have? Or even went off at 150 PSI the set point.

All I'm saying is that these valves should be checked. Pull the piping look in with a light -- corrosion -- what ever in the outlet or around the spring. Replace the valve!

Bill Parr LMP
__________________
Plumber, Repiping, Replumbing, Leak Detection, Solar Water Heater, Polk County Plumber, Lakeland Plumber, Winter Haven Plumber
protechplumbing is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply


Thread Tools Search this Thread
Search this Thread:

Advanced Search
Display Modes Rate This Thread
Rate This Thread:

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are Off
Pingbacks are Off
Refbacks are Off


Similar Threads
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
Double pocket hardware Forry Finish Carpentry 2 03-14-2009 12:06 PM
Question: Stainless Steel Pipe Fittings and Valves jasonltsp Plumbing 0 01-06-2009 02:42 PM
F#@%ing shut off valves Philly Dude Plumbing 24 11-30-2008 07:48 AM
Single pole vs. double pole thermostat dforeid Electrical 2 10-23-2008 09:42 PM
Replacing double window w slider 1st time dvlscapes Carpentry 5 09-03-2008 01:26 PM




Top of Page | View New Posts


All times are GMT -5. The time now is 06:15 PM.


Contractor Talk™ © 2003 - 2009 The Building Network LLC