Water Heaters - pressure relief valve leaks (replaced 3x)

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wango tango
04-18-07, 06:13 PM
Hi All,

I have a Kenmore power miser 12 gas heater that leaks from the pressure relief valve. We have replaced this 3 times. I also installed an expansion tank. It still leaks.

I have not checked the pressure going into the tank, however I do not think it is excessive. Could it be the thermostat is not shutting off and heating the water so much it cracks the relief valve?

Any help would be great.

marksr
04-18-07, 06:19 PM
Welcome to the diy forums!

It has to be either the water pressure or the thermostat. You can buy a pressure gauge at any big box for less than $15. It is best to leave it hooked up to a spigot for 24 hrs to record the highest pressure.
adamplghtg
04-18-07, 10:00 PM
It could also be a bad expansion tank. Try the pressure gage first tho.

594tough
04-19-07, 06:57 PM
No offense, but when you replaced it once and still had a leak, that was a clue to look for another cause. If it were leaking on high temp, you would almost surely notice that your water was coming out of the taps at scalding temperatures.

If your pressure is too high, an expansion tank does nothing for that. Expansion is a temporary issue. Get the gauge. You may find that your house regulator is bad
marksr
04-20-07, 06:04 AM
In wango tango's defense, I had the same problem on my stepson's water heater. The prv would last about 6-8 months, I was suprised to find out the 3 yr old press reg was bad.