If a pressure relief valve for a boiler is accidentally installed on a water heater it will leak like crazy from the start.
Furnace pressure relief valve dripping.
These valves may look identical but they re set to go off at 30 psi.
Here are possible causes and solutions to fix such a problem.
A typical cause is the cold pressure of the boiler water system is higher than the setpoint of the expansion tank which are typically designed with a 12psi setpoint.
Many hydronic boilers are shipped with a 30 psig relief valve from the factory.
How to fix a leaking boiler pressure relief valve step 1.
The relief valve is defective.
Another troubleshooting task i perform is watching the tridicator or pta gauge while the boiler is firing and heating the water.
There s a problem with the valve such as a faulty seal and the water is unintentionally leaking.
Shut down the power to the boiler.
This safety valve should be checked at least every three months.
If the system pressure is 30 psig and the relief valve rated for 40 psig is leaking the relief valve is most likely defective.
In the first case the valve will drain water out of the discharge pipe as explained above.
There are two potential causes for this circumstance.
It all comes down to knowing how to fix it.
The relief valve is working the way it s intended and water drained to reduce the pressure inside the tank.
Open the drain valve on the boiler to drain the.
Drain water from the boiler in order to reduce the pressure.
Leaking of the pressure relief valve due to this condition is normally cyclical as the boiler temperature heats and cools.
Your water heater s relief valve can start leaking for one of two reasons.
There are a lot of different things that may have caused your water pressure relief valve to begin to leak.
Either the valve was triggered to open because of excessive temperature or pressure or the valve itself is faulty.
Eventually everything will give in to wear and tear.
Both circumstances should be taken very seriously.
When you notice a leak coming from your boiler pressure relief valve attend to it immediately.
You may find that your water pressure relief valve may begin to leak after it has been flushed.
So if you see water actually spilling or even if it s just dripping at the temperature pressure relief valve on your heating boiler or water heater the cause needs to be found and fixed promptly and it may be appropriate to install a new t p valve also called tpr valve after those repairs are complete.
