Hello, we recently moved into a house about 25 years old. The hot water heather is placed inside a closet with the well pump tank and the HVAC unit. First thing I noticed is the pressure relieve valve drain tube will just drain on the floor if it has issues, and there is no tray or anything to catch the water if the tank starts leaking. The closet is old linoleum but outside of that we just had the hard wood floors redone. In the general area of this closet, it also looks like there has been some past damage to the floors. The tank is about 15 years old so it worries me a bit. What are my options on replacing with something that would safer for the floors in the event of a leak? Thanks
Hot water heater?
- Thread starter RBenton
- Start date
Help Support Plumbing Forums:
Jeff Handy
Pro Handyman, NOT A Pro Plumber
New water heater, with a catch pan under it, plumbed to a drain.
Relief valve draining into the pan.
Or a new water heater, with the t & p relief valve plumbed legally to a drain or outside.
But that would not help if the tank sprung a leak.
A plumbed floor drain with floor slope and waterproof flooring to catch leaks, or with a slight curb all around to contain leaks, is ideal if you can manage it.
Basically a water heater sitting in a shower pan.
All four upgrades are even better, especially for a water heater that could leak into finished areas below.
Relief valve draining into the pan.
Or a new water heater, with the t & p relief valve plumbed legally to a drain or outside.
But that would not help if the tank sprung a leak.
A plumbed floor drain with floor slope and waterproof flooring to catch leaks, or with a slight curb all around to contain leaks, is ideal if you can manage it.
Basically a water heater sitting in a shower pan.
All four upgrades are even better, especially for a water heater that could leak into finished areas below.
So you have your well system in the house and right outside the door is new hardwood ? nice ! 
Also a relief line dropped into a drain pan would overflow if the T&P valve popped off due to over temp.
Also a relief line dropped into a drain pan would overflow if the T&P valve popped off due to over temp.
sarg
Well-Known Member
Just my opinion : I would suggest having the 15 year old unit replaced ,,,,,, but done properly with a drain pan and the T&P valve set up to exhaust outside if possible as Jeff suggested.
If the tank has not had maintenance done ..... its' useful life is about over.
But....... You don't say it has issues yet so getting the potential seeping from the T&P valve to the area it will not cause damage is the priority for peace of mind..
Do you have a cellar or a crawl space ? Could the piping be extended down through the floor ?
And when you do replace it is there a better location ?
Last edited:
Thank you all, Ill try to answer some questions....yes, its in a closet with not new hardwood outside, bit newly finished hardwood. I do have a crawl space and believe it could go down thru the floor and connect to an existing pvc pipe that I believe acts as a drain for the HVAC system also in there. No issues yet, but as you have said, its an old tank and its just a matter of time before it leaks. I will take some pics tonight of the set up and post so you all can actually see what I am talking about. I am thinking about having a new one put in with the safety measures you have suggested. Once I post the pics please let me know what kind of cost I may be looking at. The inspection guy said it was around 20 years old, so that would make it the original HWH so thats a bit scary.
sarg
Well-Known Member
Yes ... at twenty years you are in a "lottery" situation and it is appropriate to worry.
Just running a hose from the valve down to the crawlspace is a measure to protect your floors.
I have a coupler that fits from the 3/4 pressure valve to a garden hose thread.
Your location constaints are much like mine.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08FSY4DQT/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o06_s01?ie=UTF8&psc=1
Just running a hose from the valve down to the crawlspace is a measure to protect your floors.
I have a coupler that fits from the 3/4 pressure valve to a garden hose thread.
Your location constaints are much like mine.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08FSY4DQT/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o06_s01?ie=UTF8&psc=1
Attachments
Jeff Handy
Pro Handyman, NOT A Pro Plumber
“Also a relief line dropped into a drain pan would overflow if the T&P valve popped off due to over temp.”
Why would the pan overflow, if the pan was plumbed to a drain?
Why would the pan overflow, if the pan was plumbed to a drain?
When a T&p valve operates due to temp it continues to flow full 3/4 until the tank is cooled off.
So it dumps a tremendous amount of water to cool the tank.,
This can and will overflow the typical catch pan. But so can a badly leaking water heater.
I’ve seen it many times. Catch pans are for drips and condensation
If this is your heater, why did they run water pipe in front of the heater ?
No way Id have that well and pvc water pipe in my house.
IMO that’s worse than the water heater.
IMO that’s worse than the water heater.
Why is that, possibility of leaking? I guess thats the way they did it in 1998??? House is in the NC mountains where temps can get into the single digits so I guess they did that to keep it from freezing, not real sure.
Yes, it can leak. PVC is not allowed inside houses here. I wouldn’t put the well pump tank in my house either. No way. If find someone other way.
In Ohio here this is how all the well systems are done. Usually in a basement if possible. Seen a few heated
sheds with them in but not to many. Not to many choices to put it when its 10 below zero out.
sheds with them in but not to many. Not to many choices to put it when its 10 below zero out.
Like I said, I wouldn’t have a well pressure tank with pvc piped into my house. I’d have it in a garage with a heater or whatever to keep it above 32. Why use Pvc ?????? They want a water heater in a pan but let the well tank sit there.
That’s just me......y’all can do you
I agree on the PVC. It always makes me shake when I have to shut a main PVC ball valve off that is tight. I can just imagine
that plastic pipe breaking off right in my hand.
that plastic pipe breaking off right in my hand.
- Joined
- Sep 28, 2014
- Messages
- 8,578
- Reaction score
- 2,977
I have had it happen and I was not amusedI agree on the PVC. It always makes me shake when I have to shut a main PVC ball valve off that is tight. I can just imagine
that plastic pipe breaking off right in my hand.
PerplexedPlumber
Well-Known Member
Our plumbing and HVAC are also in a mechanical room. We have a slab floor and a drain access. If you have a well and you live where water services can freeze, you either need to put up a separate well house with insulation and at least minor heat or put the services inside the house. We put the water heater on "legs" (four short pieces of 2" PVC). I like the arrangement that Twowaxhack uses, putting the water heater on a pedestal, and will find a way to create some additional overflow containment beneath the pedestal. Being on a slab floor, my intention (not yet implemented) is to add a curb (as Jeff described) around the water services that contain leaks and direct the drainage. This gives some peace of mind in the event that a leak should develop when we are away from home. The containment will hold about 15 gals., so wouldn't contain a gusher.
We use to put gas water heaters on stands in a garage. We don’t do that anymore since the FVIR heaters came out.
The idea was that gasoline fumes are heavy and would stay low to the floor and if the water heater burner was located at least 18” off the floor it would be less likely to ignite a smaller fuel spill and these fumes could escape under the garage door. How small of a leak ???? I dont know.
What I do know is that with modern construction garage doors are tight and no fumes will dissipate.
The industry agreed and that’s when FVIR was born.
Some places may still require the 18” off the floor, not here.
The idea was that gasoline fumes are heavy and would stay low to the floor and if the water heater burner was located at least 18” off the floor it would be less likely to ignite a smaller fuel spill and these fumes could escape under the garage door. How small of a leak ???? I dont know.
What I do know is that with modern construction garage doors are tight and no fumes will dissipate.
The industry agreed and that’s when FVIR was born.
Some places may still require the 18” off the floor, not here.
PerplexedPlumber
Well-Known Member
I wasn't sufficiently clear. Our water heaters are electric. The reason for interest in your platform was 1) lifting and 2) a place for a containment to route the relief valve. When a water heater sits on a floor, if there is condensate or a leak, rust can begin on the housing. With a softener nearby, salt dust can also get into that area, which with water would accelerate rust.
Latest posts
-
-
Trying to reduce pressure going into my radiant floor heating via my Polaris water heater
- Latest: Radiant Floor Heating
-
-
-
-
-
-
