Water Heater Expansion Tank

HomerJ

Is it necessary for a new GE 50 gal 12 yr tank?

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KillerToiletSpider

What does your local code specify?

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Ron The Plumber

What are you asking? Please rephrase it so it is understandable.

Ron The Plumber

Never mind my question see KTS's response.

naptown CR

What part didn't you understand?
He is asking if an expansion tank is required for an brand new 50 gallon Ge water heater with a 12 year warranty.

The answer depends on the local code.
If on a water system there is no backflow preventer it is not required unless by code or to satisify the warranty.

Ron The Plumber

Thanks I figured it out.

Ron The Plumber

What is the residual and static pressure at?

HomerJ

I'll have to check the local code.

According to the plumber, there is a backflow preventer.

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vinpadalino

If you have a well I would say no. If you have city water I would say yes to be on the safe side. depends on the psi coming from the street side though.

KillerToiletSpider

No, not really.

In fact you are completely wrong.

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naptown CR

Please explain/\

vinpadalino

No I'm right. If you have a well tank the water will expand inside of the bladder. If you have a bladder type tank only. If you have city water and if the city water exceeds 150 psi were does the water expand to. It doesn't it will trip your relief valve on the water heater.

KillerToiletSpider

If the city water exceeds 150 PSI the relief valve is going to pop anyway, and I have seen plenty of well systems that would not allow expansion to make it to the tank.

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vinpadalino

No disrespect. You need a pressure reducing valve on water that comes from the city in most cases. thats plumbing 101.
A pressure relief valve on a water heater is set 150psi and the temperature is 210 degrees or around there. If you have a well pump the max psi would be 60-70 if set up for a standard residential home and thats on the high side. When the water heats up it will expand back into the well tank.
There is no real difference between a well tank and a expansion tank.

beenthere

In most of the areas I work.
Both well and city water systems require an expansion tank.

Well systems: To prevent hot water from being pushed into the well tank, and the cold water lines feeding the rest of the home.
City systems: Prevent it from being pushed into the city pipe, and into the cold water lines feeding the rest of the home.

I look at it 2 ways:

1. More money for me.
2. Helps prevents tank rupture (liner fatigue) from sudden pressure shock when faucets are suddenly slammed shut. By appliances like clothes and dishwashers.

KillerToiletSpider

There is if the tank is isolated from the rest of the water supply system with a backflow preventer to protect the well from contamination, a very common setup here, and you're the one that started throwing out pressures without adding that a pressure reducing valve also stops the expansion on the cold water side.

But hey, it's all good, I don't know jack about this plumming crap anyhoo.

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BCConstruction

They are basicly the same thing but the accumulators for the well water are normally a lot larger.

vinpadalino

I guess thats why there different codes for different states. I have city water and normally the water psi is 60. At night when no one is using the water it spikes. If you don't have a pressure reducing valve on the main the psi will top 150 and thats on the cold side. My water heater will blow off on psi because it cant push that 150 psi back into the street. But I have a pressure reducing valve with a built in check valve so I need some where for the expansion to go.
Again no offense. This is how things are done around here. Plus been there is right more money for us. and some water heaters wont warranty the product if there is no expansion tank, but then again they don't warranty the product if the water is hard lol.

747

I'm on city water. I don't have one on mine. So it definately isn't code where i live. I'm also 99 percent sure no back flow preventer. Just two copper pipes out of the wall into it. Then theres a copper pipe running to the hot water boiler sitting next to it. Of course that has a expansion tank on it. I keep that filled with 12 pounds of air.

beenthere

or it wasn't inspected.