The TPR valve needs to be installed in a tapping on the heater itself, near the top or on the top, as provided by the manufacturer; if you give the brand and model of water heater we may be able to find the installation manual that will show those exact details. Smith in the article below). It's worth noting to your landlord both orally and in writing immediately that, More information is at RELIEF VALVE, WATER HEATER, Thank you.
Doug. In my opinion the fundamental error in ANY up-piping of ANY TPR valve is that the design is unsafe because of the possibility of accumulation of scale or other debris in that water reservoir leading to blocking of the valve's operation when needed. The indirect or local waste piping serving a water heater Even though the discharge of water into an area may not, in your opinion, cause damage to the building, the point of discharge must be visible so that someone can spot trouble (leaks) before a catastrophe occurs. Noticing that a TPR discharge tube was missing on a heating boiler during a home inspection I [DF] pointed out this safety hazard to my client while the real estate agent nearby frowned at my "old maid" trouble-making personality. You can pipe a tp valve down and to a floor drain provided the end of the extension remains visible. Zurn Engineered Water Solutions, retrieved 12/23/12, original source: http://www.zurn.com/Pages/ProductsList.aspx?NodeKey=398872, [1] "Residential Electric Water Heater Installation Instructions and Use & Care Guide", American Water Heater Co., October 2001, American Water Heater Co., Johnson City, TN, [manufacturer of residential & commercial water heaters, also manufacturer of Polaris/Commercial water heaters], Tel: 800-999-9515, web search 1/12/2012, original source: americanwaterheater.com/support/manuals/res-elect.pdf [copy on file] [Technical review requested 1/25/2011], [2] ANSI Z21.22 - 1986, provides requirements for pressure/temperature relief valves 4. Temperature and pressure relief valves shall be installed so that the sensing element of the valve extends into the heater tank and monitors the temperature in the top 6 inches of the heater or tank. from the TPR. If for example someone installed a flexible line to replace a straight downtube running down the side of a water heater from the TP valve, I'd be worried that some fool would come along and bend the tubing "up" - as nothing prevents them from doing so. Eleni - How close Can a T and P discharge Pipe be to dry wall, How close Can a T and P discharge Pipe be to dry wall. On 2020-07-15 by Doug H phone (610) 252-7355, original source http://www.harvel.com/piping-systems/gf-harvel-cpvc-industrial-pipe, copy on file as GF_CPVC Industrial Pipe _ CPVC Pipe.pdf. I inferred from the product design in your photo that an engineer or someone had added a temperature sensor intended to detect spillage as heat and thus to act as a different method of shutting off an unsafe hot water heating appliance. Some of the discharge tube is wrapped in foil and isn't visible so there may be other hazards. - can I just dump the T&P valve into a crawl space under a slab? Discharge in such a manner that does not cause personal injury or structural damage. Note: appearance of your Comment below may be delayed: if your comment contains an image, web link, or text that looks to the software as if it might be a web link, your posting will appear after it has been approved by a moderator. This is probably not the best or legal solution but it would keep my basement from flooding (so long as sump pump operates.) Some details including the design, the pigtail connection (presumably to a shutoff control) and research supporting this up-draining valve would be helpful. There are other things I might mention. (3) The discharge pipe cannot be readily plugged or otherwise obstructed. Your earlier photos were incomplete in that detail . This article describes the requirements for a discharge tube or drain line on temperature & pressure relief valves used on any appliance that heats water. An unsafe TPR drain line installation is shown at the top of this page. - Kevin 7/26/2011. accordance with subs. may discharge through the cover of a clear water sump so as not Discharge through an air gap located in the same room as the water heater. 5. I wish the water heater were red-tagged, but you know, I'm only a ten ant. As you can see from the example I give below, a typical residential boiler relief valve costs less than $100.
11. Paul.This condition is unsafe. 4778* All about Deliming Coil-Type/Tube-Type Commercial Water Heaters and Hydronic Boilers *Normally supplied when ordering Part No. It would be useful to know what research was done to support accepting this up-draining TPR design, presumably using a temperature sensor that shuts down the boiler if hot water is found at the bottom of that tee at the TPR valve outlet. The local waste piping serving a water heater temperature In my opinion it's unreliable as shown and could be unsafe and as I opine with comments in the articles I cite: RELIEF VALVE DISCHARGE TUBE - you are on this page. 5 (a) The discharge pipe and fittings shall be made of a material acceptable for water distribution piping in accordance with s.Comm 84.30 (4) (e) 1. It looked like a thermocouple as might be found on a temperature sensor and its bottom was cut-off in the photo so we couldn't see its final connection. Recently we replaced our 14 year old Ultra 310 Boiler with a new Evergreen 399 Boiler. Be installed so as to flow by gravity. 5. This looks to me like a "good idea" that has not yet seen long-term testing in real-world conditions. valve to corrode and malfunction. Watch out: Looking again at your photo it looks to me as if the TPR valve is connected to a pipe that goes "up" to some unknown destination or "down" to a valve that is closed; this is an unsafe and dangerous and incorrect installation. No part of such discharge pipe shall be trapped or subject to freezing.
Should I have the plumber attach it or let it ride? (Probably the appropriate approach but rather difficult given rocky soil condition and distance.) I am a tenant who found this the other day on a 35 year old water heater: (see pics). That's because if the valve should develop a small leak or be discharged on occasion, the up-routed discharge tube will keep water and debris remaining in the tube at the valve outlet where debris or mineral accumulation clog the valve or interfere with its operating spring. - white plastic discharge tube not to code? 1. What the home inspector said was perfectly correct and represents a safety hazard. During a routine maintenance, All of them are improper. Or use the SEARCH BOX found below to Ask a Question or Search InspectApedia. Illustrated here in a photo and sketch you can see that the relief valve drain line can, where local codes approve, be routed "up" to carry discharge across a ceiling and then down to an approved drain discharge location provided that a special draining device, shown as a spiral-wound small-diameter copper tube is attached to drain the residue water in the vertical section of the drain line after a discharge. 2.
Hi I would appreciate if you could advise where I should direct the relief valve pipe to.The 45 litre electric hot water unit is installed under the kitchen bench inside the cupboard in a unit. to adversely affect floats by means of a fixed air gap installed in But the risk of a BLEVE explosion and the results of such a blast are so serious as to be considered carefully. Two alternatives: Discharge line must always be installed to avoid water damage and scalding injury, when valve operates. (d) Safety devices: Water heaters shall be equipped with safety devices as specified in this paragraph. The discharge piping serving a temperature relief valve, pressure relief valve, or combination of both shall have no valves, obstructions, or means of isolation and be provided with the following: Equal to the size of the valve outlet and shall discharge full size to the flood level of the area receiving the discharge and pointing down. We are puzzled. if the installation for my boiler said use 50psi and the tech put in 30psi relief valve. Thanks again for the head's up on the up-pigtailed TPR. Perhaps if I explain the concern in my own words it will be more clear:The temperature/pressure relief valve on a water heater is connected to a drain line so that if the valve opens someone nearby is not shot in the face with hot water. Then this and another pressure relief valve on a furnace boiler were overlooked for code violations in an official inspection--which I arranged--which took all of five minutes. SAFETY VALVES AND PRESSURE RELIEVING DEVICES, BOILERS, WATER HEATER INSTALLATION INFORMATION, Bulletin 293, 3 THINGS TO AVOID WHEN INSTALLING & OPERATING SAFETY VALVES, THE SAFETY RELIEF VALVE HANDBOOK: DESIGN AND USE OF PROCESS SAFETY VALVES TO ASME AND INTERNATIONAL CODES AND STANDARDS, Building Owner Water Heater Safety Notice, HOME INSPECTION EDUCATION COURSES (Canada), HOME INSPECTION EDUCATION: HOME STUDY COURSES, Other sections of this mechanical code are given, The relief valve discharge tube is down-sized, smaller than the opening of the relief valve itself, reducing the valve's ability to release heat, pressure, energy, should the heater over-heat. Continue readingat RELIEF VALVE LEAKS or select a topic from the closely-related articles below, or see the complete ARTICLE INDEX. OTHER PEOPLE's MONEY, On 2021-01-18 by (mod) The photos above illustrates this unsafe installation practice: a 1/2" copper tube has been installed through a reducing fitting into the mouth or piping of a 3/4" diameter TPR valve. Working together may make us smarter.
U.S. and a typical discharge tube of 3 or 4 feet or less costs less than $10. U.S. [ see photo above ], On 2020-11-23 - by (mod) - How close Can a T and P discharge Pipe be to dry wall. It was fun to pull the string, pretending it was a steam boat whistle, and to see the burst of steamy hot water emerge from the end of the discharge line. In that application most code officials accept PVC. Discharge piping connected to the device must be supported so as not to impart any loadings on the body of the device. Those would be most helpful. Hi there just wondering why my TPR doesn't discharge at all and i tested it by lifting the lever and it was flowing freely outside and stopped when i released it back?Is that normal?Thanks. 5 (e) The discharge pipe shall be installed to drain by gravity flow to a floor served by a floor drain or to a receptor in accordance with s. Comm 82.33 (8). Each such combination temperature and pressure-relief valve shall be provided with a drain in accordance with Section 608.5. heater to burst or explode.). It is common to see plastic discharge tubes on some PT valves and that's an accepted practice provided the tubing is properly rated for the temperatures involved. We still have no product name, description, manufacturer, installation instructions, nor building or plumbing code approval data. Even if a plumber charged a minimum of an hour's labor to unscrew the old valve and screw in the new one and its discharge tube that ought not amount to a substantial total (where I read "substantial" as hundreds of dollars) unless there was something rather unusual and costly going on in your home. It would be helpful to see the actual California plumbing code text on this detail and also useful to know what long-term testing and field experience have shown about the safety and reliability of this approach. None of this addresses a separate question of an old water heater that's shot. I now understand from our correspondence that this is not a temperature sensor, it's a flow-resistive drain. No shutoff valve shall be installed between the relief valve and the system. For example this gas fueled American Standard water heater - just an EXAMPLE - your heater may differ, lets the heater itself be as close as 2 inches from a wall, but that does NOT consider space to get the TPR valve on and off. Watch out: you should be concerned - the system may be or may become unsafe. 11. 13 March 2015 Stan Stan the Inspector Man said: Can 3/4-inch flexible copper tubing sections (with FIP ends) be legally used in any part of a water heater's T&P discharge line? (2) Upon written request by the employer, the Division may permit three-way two-port valves to be installed under two safety valves, each with the required relieving capacity, provided they are so installed that both safety valves cannot be closed off from the boiler at the same time and provided the three-way valve will permit at least full flow to the safety valve in service at all time. No shut off valve or other restricting device may be installed between the water heater or storage tank and the combination temperature and pressure relief valve. RELIEF VALVE DISCHARGE TUBE at InspectApedia.com - online encyclopedia of building & environmental inspection, testing, diagnosis, repair, & problem prevention advice. Discharge in a manner that does not cause personal injury or structural damage. The over flow line should always allow to water to drain to a point lower than the valve to $150 depending on where the building is located. Really? Purdue's chart shows the number of pounds of lime deposited per year as a function of the water usage in gallons per day, with an assumed 10 grains of water hardness. 5 (b) The discharge pipe and fittings shall have a diameter not less than the diameter of the relief valve outlet. That would mostly eliminate the need to dry the pipe out, or at least reduce the consequence. But it is in all events dangerous, illegal, and plain stupid to ever install a shutoff valve or any other sort of "cap" on a pressure/temperature relief valve. Not be directly connected to the drainage system. There is water FLOWING from the DISCHARGE TUBE on my Triangle Tube, indirect fired water heater. The indirect or local waste piping serving a water heater (b) The user shall maintain all pressure relieving devices in good operating condition. Legally: you have to respect the working clearance space or distances specified by the manufacturer or your specific water heater brand and model. When a relief valve continues to leak it may become damaged and then fail to operate when an unsafe pressure or temperature occurs. Would it be acceptable to allow the T&P valve to simply dump into the crushed rock in the crawl space? In a photo above on this page you can see a flexible 3/4" copper tube used in the routing of the discharge of a TP valve from the top of a water heater. It's a similar hazard to the one that occurs even in a down-piped TPR valve when the valve is constantly dripping or leaking. With the TPR going outside a drip drip could go unnoticed a very long time. - R.N. 1.
Some model and adopted building and plumbing codes expressly prohibit discharging the TPR valve out of the room containing the heating appliance that it is intended to protect. Andover MA, USA, 978-688-1811, Website: www.watts.com, Amtrol, "Therm-X-Trol Thermal Expansion Absorbers", Amtrol Inc., 1400 Division Road, West Warwick, RI 02893, Tel: 401.884.6300 Website: www.amtrol.com, online product literature re4trieved 3/26/2014, original source: http://www.amtrol.com/thermxtrol.html. Who, besides a willing contractor/plumber (which tenants don't hire in this state) can (red tag)? In our original discussion the role and nature of that small diameter copper pigtail shown in the photo was not explained. Details of our discussion with Mr. Nesbitt are given below. 6.
Above is an illustration of an [American Standard] electric water heater installed with a drain pan - notice the relief valve discharge pipe routing. Safest would be to turn the heater OFF entirely until the plumbing is done correctly. & How? 7 and 4813-100. A slow drip type leak at this pressure relief valve may never provide enough heat to shut off the equipment but might clog the valve, and. 2. 2. it is not permissible to terminate a TPR valve discharge line with a threaded fitting - the reasoning is that it's too easy for someone to screw a cap onto a dripping line, leading ultimately to a BLEVE explosion. When I spoke to the lead inspector in Berkeley CA they said they copied from San Jose CA. and pressure relief valve, water treatment device, cross connection control device or assembly, humidifier, sterilizer, or a furnace 3. Watch out: in our OPINION this installation may not be safe nor reliable in all water heater installations. temperature and pressure relief valve or water treatment device To "stop" an annoying boiler drip at the pressure temperature relief valve, the mechanic installed a short length of pipe capped by a drain valve which he could simply shut. Where the valves cannot be tested in service, the user shall maintain and make available to the inspector records showing the test dates and set pressure for such valves. On 2020-11-23 The water heater is sitting on a reinforced 4" concrete slab. I can't say that I understand it nor what that pigtail is doing as shown in the illustration (though I make some guesses) - what is it? 5. Later explanation from Mr. Nesbitt clarified that the copper pigtail is a small diameter "drain" intended to remove water from the vertical portion of the relief valve up-piped drain line after the valve has discharged water during an over-pressure or over-temperature or test condition. The discharge piping serving a pressure relief valve, temperature relief valve or combination thereof shall: 9. without backing up to the valve. Where a hot-water storage tank or an indirect water heater is located at an elevation above the fixture outlets in the hot-water system, a vacuum relief valve that is in accordance with CSA Z21.22 shall be installed on the storage tank or heater. when installed in accordance with sub. Smith's Form No. In our OPINION the design you show violates CA 608.5 Discharge Piping 608.5 Discharge Piping - The discharge piping serving a temperature relief valve, pressure relief valve, or combination of both shall have no valves, obstructions, or means of isolation and be provided with the following: Equal to the size of the valve outlet and shall discharge full size to the flood level of the area receiving the discharge and pointing down. 4800 Rev. I have a practical answer and a legal answer.' The company points out that ANY backpressure on a conventional pressure relief valve of the type commonly used on residential water heaters (disc and spring type design) will see a reduction of its opening response if there is any backpressure on the valve, such as from debris, or even from standing water in a discharge tube piped upwards (though I suspect the pressure difference in most buildings would be small). It's not a control nor thermocouple, it's simply a small diameter drain. Our Comment Box is provided by Countable Web Productions countable.ca, Click to Show or Hide Citations & References, COMMONLY USED RESIDENTIAL BUILDING CODES, IRC 2009, WISCONSIN PLUMBING CODE, Chapter SPS 382, DESIGN, CONSTRUCTION, INSTALLATION, SUPERVISION, MAINTENANCE AND INSPECTION OF PLUMBING, CALIFORNIA 608.3 EXPANSION TANKS, AND COMBINATION TEMPERATURE AND PRESSURE-RELIEF VALVES, CALIFORNIA 761. (Search InspectApedia.com for that term)Turn off the boiler to avoid damaging it. In normal water heater operation there should be no discharge from its TPR valve, so if later a slow drip at the valve leads to a clogged pigtail drain that condition may be indistinguishable from a perfectly functional installation. Georg Fischer Piping Systems, "CPVC Pipe", retrieved 12/23/12, GF Piping, Pennsylvania I have a T&P that is just inserted into a PVC drain line that goes to the outdoors. The terminal end of the pipe shall not be threaded. 14. 
the problem could be the valve but mire likely a boiler over pressure condition or a water feeder problem.Diagnose the cause before replacing parts. The overflow line is higher than the Temperature and Pressure Relief (T & P) valve. Smith's Form No. replacement of the valve should solve the problem. Back in 2016, Justin Phillips at AICHE, something similar: " The most effective and efficient mitigation or elimination of risk is achieved at the earliest juncture and at the most fundamental level, The most effective and efficient mitigation or elimination of risk is achieved at the earliest juncture and at the most fundamental level, (Justin 2016). Incidentally, that water heater insulation is not required and in some installations can be itself unsafe, e.g. Less dramatic but scary, at a different inspection I found that a string tied through a small hole in the end of the TPR valve's test lever. 
