Ok, What a nightmare! :)
The pressure release valve on my well (Residential water). Just started dripping one day. Figured no big deal will replace it. But same thing still dripping. I put teflon tape on so its not from the threads. It is rated for 75psi and my gauge reads 60 any suggestions ? Thanks in advance
Just a hunch. Turn off the water heater. Open a faucet a few seconds just to relieve pressure. See if pressure builds enough to make the relief weep.
No weep? Thermal expansion is the cause.
Still weep? Move to next guess.
Jim
Ok, you don't say for sure, but I'm assuming you replaced it. If it is like mine, it has a knurled knob on top. There is an adjustment under that, adjust it a little higher (tighter, clockwise I think) and see if that helps.
Hi Eric The valve I am working with is not for a water heater as someone mentioned above but for a well tank. The valve is quite smaller than a hot water tank valve and very different. It basically is just a brass fitting with spring inside(visible) and the opening is like a garden hose fitting that is where the drip comes from. Dont think there is an adjustment on this one. THere is s small piece size of dime that is threaded in but doesnt look like it should be messed with. I can see the explosion now hahaha Should have seen me when I took it off. Turned off the 220v shut the water off. Only thing is didnt think about the pressure tank needless to say I took quite the shower and had quite a mess to clean :)
On 2 Jul 2006 11:07:04 -0700, with neither quill nor qualm, "trashmanvic" quickly quoth:
Lowes, etc. have whole-house water filters for under $30. They're quite nice and catch all that pressure tank gunk when you depressurize. I'm thinking of adding a second one in parallel so I don't have to go out to the pump house but twice a year. Hmmm, would that be considered lazy?
When I replaced my water heater last year, the old one was nearly 400 lbs empty. It had been filled with sand over the years, possibly when a new pump was put in. I couldn't believe I only got about 20 gallons of water out of a 30 gallon tank. The new filter precludes that from ever happening again.
One thing I've learned about pressure valves is that I don't mess with them. If they leak, I replace 'em and -don't- "test" the new one.
----------------------------------------------------------- -- This post conscientiously crafted from 100% Recycled Pixels --
I know exactly what you have, I replaced mine earlier this year. The cap on top is sealed off from the actual water, and there is a large screw inside which tensions the spring. I tried screwing down my old one but the seals were too far gone for the added tension to stop the drip. My well guy quoted me ~ $50 for a new one, but I found one on ebay for ~ $15. The new one held fine so I haven't adjusted it. I could have rebuilt the old one if I really applied myself, but for that price it wasn't really worth it.
Could you (or someone) post a link to this thing? I have been around well systems for most of my life and have never seen a presssure relief valve on a well tank...well, there is the pump control switch that is usually somewhere down on the tank in/out pipe. Even your description doesn't ring a bell with me.
Harry K
Here you go:
Thanks, learn something new every day. I suppose now that I know they exist I will soon run into one. :)
Harry K
I Did replace mine also but still the drip. Getting the best of me lol. Person who posted pic from ebay is what I am working with. Really not that expensive picked one up at local hardware store for $10. Guess I will see what i can do today with it . Afraid to overtighten then I have more problems. Wll let u guys know how it goes. Take care Victor
On "This Old House" on pbs, they recently showed how to fix a leaking pressure relief valve.
Basically, your problem is caused because you have a one way valve coming into your water system and the valve drips when the pressure exceeds the set limit. And it does this every time someone uses your hot water heater. The heat build up the pressure and triggers the valve relief.
The solution they used was to add a small 4 gallon bladder filled tank to absorb the expanding water so pressure wouldn't build.
Worked like a charm.
replying to trashmanvic, Frank wrote: I also have a McDonald 75lb pressure valve between my pressure tank and the line into my home. It just partially failed. I tightened the top screw (tho' the McDonald literature says not to adjust in the field, they are preset at the factory). Now my 40/60 switch kicks off at precisely 60lbs, as it is supposed to. But the in-line pressure gauge shows the pressure in my line continuing to rise (AFTER the pump stops) to 70-72 lbs. Did you find a solution? PLease share, if so. Thanks
Strange. I don't see how the pressure can continue to rise after the pump stops. Gauge bad maybe? If the end pressure is higher than desired, just adjust the pressure control switch. I've seen quite a few well pump systems and never seen a pressure relief valve on one. It's an interesting question, I wonder if the pressure switch sticks, what ultimate pressure it would reach? My guess would be that it probably can't get to some dangerous high pressure or all these systems would need one. I'd also be concerned about a relief valve that partially failed, depending on where the water goes if it fails open.
Do you think Frank has allowed his valve to drip *FOR TEN YEARS* since he posted the question???
Why can't you HomeOwnersHub people ever /read the dates?/
Turn off your water heater, let things equilibrate, then repeat.
(As water in the water heater is heated, it expands into the "cold" water supply. Without an expansion tank, water pressure can *rise* 50 pounds!)
replying to Don Y, Frank wrote: I have no hot water heater to expand. I have a Rennai on demand system.
You have a closed system -- the valve at the well preventing any backflow and the stops/faucets preventing any "forward flow".
If pressure is increasing after the pump shuts down, then either the volume of that system is DEcreasing (pipes magically getting smaller), the supply valve is leaking pressure into the system (pump having pressurized the lines upstream from the inlet valve, *or* the water is getting "bigger".
Pipes can't magically shrink. Water will only get bigger if heated. Pump is pushing water through inlet check valve even though the actual mechanism is off.
Take your pick.
Is there a MANUAL shutoff to isolate the pump from your system? If so, when pump shuts off, manually close that valve and monitor pressure. If it doesn't change, then pump is pushing water through the check valve.
If it *does* change, water is expanding because of the increase in temperature (whether it is because of residual heat from your water heater *or* the difference between water temperature
*in* the aquifer vs. "room temperature".Use Teflon base pipe dope and Teflon tape, that should take care of it as long as the parts that you are using are in good shape/
On Sat, 20 Feb 2021 21:45:02 +0000, Montgomery posted for all of us to digest...
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