Pressure relief line question

[efrog]

In every other house I've lived in, the pressure relief line is a tube coming straight down off the valve to the floor. We are renting a house that they routed the line with PVC back behind the water heater and into a drain tube. The problem I am finding is that the drain line is 3/4" and the drain tube is 1" so there is a gap and we are getting gross fumes coming up the drain tube from the septic tank. Is this a normal way of doing the line these days? Any ideas on how to fill the gap so the fumes won't get into the house?

 

[Mr_David]

If you are talking about the pressure relief valve on the water heater, it used to be okay to just terminate it near the floor.
Codes have changed and they should either terminate out side the building near the ground our into an approved receptor. They cannot be directly connected to a sewer system. They have to have an air gap if indirectly connected to a sewer system and there should also be a trap seal to prevent sewer gases from coming out of the system. Often a laundry drain is used but you can't just stick it into the same hole that the auto washer hose is. I can elaborate more if you have a laundry near by, just ask

 

[efrog]

Yes it is on a water heater, I should have made that clearer. It is located in the basement whereas the laundry is upstairs. It isn't directly connected to the big drain pipe. I have attached a couple of pictures. What is odd is that when I went down there today, no smell from the gap between the two pipes, but yesterday it was smelled bad.

 

[johnjh2o]

You have no water in the trap to seal the sewer gasses from entering the home. With it being used for just the T&P valve the water is evaporating with no source of it being refilled. Just pour some water in there every two weeks.

John

 

[FlushMasta]

it is a bit over kill (and unnecessary) for your relief valve to have its own drain... i suggest putting a temporary cap over the 1 1/2 waste line and just dropping the relief valve pipe strait into your water heater pan... in any case the relief valve begin to leak or malfunction you'll be able to notice it