projectman
Member
Hi everyone! This is my first post. I was doing some searching for plumbing forums and this was the first hit. There seems to be a lot of good info here. Unfortunately, I haven't been able to find an answer to my question, so I'll post it here.
I have an old 50 Gallon Rheem Model 81SV520 Water Heater. It's one of those short and fat heaters that's installed under the stairs in the basement. My house is about 25 years old, but I don't know if this was the original heater as I moved in in 2005 and the tank has a sticker from a repair company on it. It may have been serviced or it could be a replacement. I can get about two decent showers out of it before the hot water runs out.
Anyway, I recently tested the T&P relief valve and you guessed it, it never stopped leaking. I shut the supply valve to the tank off and turned it off at the breaker. Would you believe that the supply valve is also gunked up to the point that I can't fully stop the water without shutting off the main?
I called a plumber I've used before because I don't have the tools or experience to tackle this. The T&P relief valve on this tank is located in the middle on the top. It's connected to 3/4 inch copper pipe that has one elbow before ending about 8 inches off the floor. When the plumber pulled the old valve out, I couldn't believe the amount of crap that was attached to it. He replaced the T&P valve, but then told me that he used a valve that was meant for a heater where the T&P valve goes into the side of the tank. He then assured me it was OK to use it on the top. He made a phone call to someone (I don't know who) to confirm that this was OK. I've since looked at it and it is a Cash Acme NCLX-LS. Here is a link to the spec sheet. It appears this valve is meant for a tank with a lot of insulation on the outside.
Here's the question/concern: It concerns me that the element on this only reaches about an inch and a half below the brass housing. I'm guessing it's in the water at the tip top of the tank, but the majority of the element is inside the brass housing that's sitting on top of the tank. The valve that was removed had a short brass housing and the element that reached outside of the brass body was much longer, allowing more to reach down into the tank. Everything I've read just says that the element must be in the top 6 inches of water in the tank. Is this valve with very little element reaching down into the tank a problem?
I plan on replacing the tank later this summer as I believe it's about done. We have very hard water and I've never been able to drain the tank since I moved in due to this. I just don't want my tank to blow up before then should the thermostat fail or something crazy like that. Thanks for any advice you can give me. I have some pictures I can upload if you need them.
I have an old 50 Gallon Rheem Model 81SV520 Water Heater. It's one of those short and fat heaters that's installed under the stairs in the basement. My house is about 25 years old, but I don't know if this was the original heater as I moved in in 2005 and the tank has a sticker from a repair company on it. It may have been serviced or it could be a replacement. I can get about two decent showers out of it before the hot water runs out.
Anyway, I recently tested the T&P relief valve and you guessed it, it never stopped leaking. I shut the supply valve to the tank off and turned it off at the breaker. Would you believe that the supply valve is also gunked up to the point that I can't fully stop the water without shutting off the main?
I called a plumber I've used before because I don't have the tools or experience to tackle this. The T&P relief valve on this tank is located in the middle on the top. It's connected to 3/4 inch copper pipe that has one elbow before ending about 8 inches off the floor. When the plumber pulled the old valve out, I couldn't believe the amount of crap that was attached to it. He replaced the T&P valve, but then told me that he used a valve that was meant for a heater where the T&P valve goes into the side of the tank. He then assured me it was OK to use it on the top. He made a phone call to someone (I don't know who) to confirm that this was OK. I've since looked at it and it is a Cash Acme NCLX-LS. Here is a link to the spec sheet. It appears this valve is meant for a tank with a lot of insulation on the outside.
Here's the question/concern: It concerns me that the element on this only reaches about an inch and a half below the brass housing. I'm guessing it's in the water at the tip top of the tank, but the majority of the element is inside the brass housing that's sitting on top of the tank. The valve that was removed had a short brass housing and the element that reached outside of the brass body was much longer, allowing more to reach down into the tank. Everything I've read just says that the element must be in the top 6 inches of water in the tank. Is this valve with very little element reaching down into the tank a problem?
I plan on replacing the tank later this summer as I believe it's about done. We have very hard water and I've never been able to drain the tank since I moved in due to this. I just don't want my tank to blow up before then should the thermostat fail or something crazy like that. Thanks for any advice you can give me. I have some pictures I can upload if you need them.
