In Melbourne Florida and all over the nation, a Hot Water Heater Expansion tank services the purpose of protecting your hot water heater and water pipes from Thermal Expansion. Thermal Expansion occurs when hot water heats up and expands, just as in the car or truck the radiator needs an expansion tank as the fluid heaters up and needs more space from expansion.
The Water Heater Expansion Tank as a rubber Blatter inside which needs to have the same PSI as the water pressure, use a tire gauge on top of the expansion tank to check the pressure. Factory air pressure on a new tank should be 39psi, if you have 55psi which is the standard pressure, the tank should match the same psi for the tank to maintain the space needed to allow for expansion.
How to Check existing Expansion Tanks
On existing systems the tank Blatter should be checked, if the Blatter is broken, the tank needs to be replaced.
1st Turn off the Electrical Power to the hot water heater
2nd Turn off the water supply.
3rd Drain down the water out of the system.
4th remove cap off of the expansion tank and check with a tire gauge the pressure on the expansion tank, if 39psi or greater, the inside blatter is in working order, increase the psi as needed to match the supply pressure.
5th turn on water and wait till all air is out of the system.
6th and final step is the turn back on the water heater electrical supply.
Hot water heaters and water pipes will last a lot longer when the proper Expansion Tank is installed into a system weather it is a tankless system or a tank system, prevention is the safe pathway to less plumbing bills, plumbing emergencies, and plumbing water down time.
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